The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-10-31
From The Daily Item, Oct. 20.

From The Daily Item, Oct. 20.
On Saturday afternoon the State
concluded the taking Of testimony for
the prosecution in the case Of the
State Us. Henry Small, alias Campfire
Bill, alias Jack McCoomer and George
Spivins. The testimony Of the witness
es who were examined after the noon
session was principally circumstan-
tial and substantiated that of the wit
nesses previously examined.
Witnesses for the defendant, Nc
Coomer were called upon the conven-
ing of court this morning. The Rev.
MIR. Inabnet was examined by Mr..
Jennings, and stated that the descript-
ion Of the defendant given to him by
Mr. Burkett on the day following the
shooting, did not tally with the de-
scription given by Mr.. Burkett on the
witness stand, and from the descrip-
ton first given he would never have
picked out the defendant, McCoomer,
as the guilty party.
Mr.. Harry Craig. who IS in charge
of the entire cooking department Of
the Cole Brothers show, stated that
the defendant McCoomer was known
as Campfire jack" and not as
Campfire Bill. He further stated
that Campfire Bill had disappeared
from the circus on the day after the
shooting affair and that he had not
been seen since The name Camp
fire." he said, attached to these men
by reason of their connection with the
cooking department.
John Miller, colored, also in the
employ of the circus, told that Camp
fire Bill had not been seen around the
circus since the shooting, and that
the defendant McCoomer was not
him.
William Logan was by far the most
important witness put up by the de-
fence. He lives near the depot in
Manning and told the following tale:
He was on the front piazza Of his
house, which is directly on the rail
road right of way, and that he was at
a distance not more than twenty
yards from the circus train, when Glr.
Gaillard on a white horse, and Mr..
Sublett on a dark mule, rode up to the
depot The two gentlemen engaged in
conversation, part Of which the
witness was able to hear. He distinct
ly heard Sublett tell Gaillard not to
so up to the circus train. Gaillard
said that he was going anyway, and at
that time Sublett rode off. The wit
ness heard Mr.. Gaillard When he ap-
preached the train, ask a crowd Of
men where the train master was, and
on being told that they knew not, he
said that he would go through the
train-if necessary to find him. The
Showmel objected to this on account
Of women being asleep in some OF the
coaches. Then Nj Cailiard rode off,
saying that he would come back aad
find him. In short while Mr.. Gaillard
rode back, went up to another group
Of men, grabbed one man by the
shoulder, and hallowed out that he
ad his mar He told the men that
he had lost TOO much and that he
must have satisfaction before the train
pulled out The man that he had hold
Of replied that he would like to settle
matters aad that he would do 50 II
C;ailiard would meet him in Sumter
on Wednesday. The man that the wit
ness took 20 be the train master then
called out couple up, couple up.
che TWO sections were then coupled
tosether, the engine brought to the
front of the train, and preparations
made to pull out. Gaillard then Went
up to the train, told the man that he
would never pull out until he had
satisfaction, and with more such ex-
pressions as take this for satisfac-
ton the firing commenced. The wit
ness swears that the man who did
the shoe ting was a white man, and
the one whom he had taken for the
trainmaster.
Harvey jackson, another Manning
negro, was also examined, but his
testimony threw no light on the case.