The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-05-09

mas commlGGeQ Ehe uEp2lQouaD;
SIM" and has appeared to become II
censed With the spiritual advisers wh
during his long Incarceration, haV
gone to the j.il to minister to hin
and have attempted to disabuse hi
mind Of the idea that he is doomed t
eternal punishment If be repents
his sins. He was once minister o
the gospel, aud says he has studie
the Bible closely for years, with th
result that he is convinced that NOR
tails sometimes reach a stags whsr
they are beyond the pale OF Gods for
giveness.
The crime for which Rawlings ant
his three sons-Milton, Jesse ant
Leonard-vers convicted was commit
ed on tie night OF June l3, 1905. O;
THAI night Carrie and Willie Carter
daughter a1d son Of W. L. Carter, {
farmer, living ten miles north Of Val
dosta, were shot do IN In the yard O.
their fathers home, and an attempt
made By the assassins to kill the rest
OF the Carter family.
The girl, aged fourteen. and bel
brother, sixteen years old, went out
OF their fathers house soon after the
evening meal to investigate ths IL.
cessant barking Of their dog, and ss
they reached point near the garden
fence, few yards from the house,
both OF them we're shot down, the
little girl being killed almost instant
ly and the boy living to drag himself
back to the door OF his home For
sometime his parents were afraid to
open the door to take him In for fear
that another volley from the assassins,
who were secreted In the shade Of
some trees nearby, would end the lives
of other members of the family.
The boy fingered until asout sun
rise on the following morning, and
the girls body lay In the cotton fisld,
where she fell until after daylight.
In the trial Of Rawlings and his
sons, Witnesses sware that the girls
head had been battered into the
ground by the heels Of the nurderers,
or by the stocks Of their guus, as she
lay dead.
Suspicion at once fell on J G RAw
lingS, as he and Carter had been
enemies for a long time. It developed
that Rswlings spent the night at Val.
dosts, and ss the Coroner's Inquest
the next day Carter and his wife an6
daughter swore that they had recog
nized the Rawlings boys as the assss.
lns, as they walked around the Carter
homestead in the moonlight on the
night before.
The boys were arrested that day,
md on the following day, as the elder
Rawlings and his wife drove into town
Ind to the jail With some clothing for
heir sons, the father was taken into
and locked up with his boys.
Alt Moore, negro was arrested at
Slauntop, thirty miles north Of there,
iwo days later, charged with compli-
;ity in the crime, and made coafes.
ion of the whole affair. he swore
hat the elder Rawlings hired him to
70 and kill the Carter family, prom
sing him sl00 for the work, and
endtDg his three sons to see that the
murders were carried out as arranged.
At the trial Moore claimed that
Vhen they reached the Carter home
teae, about a mile from the home Of
2swlings, that his nerve failed him
nd he refused to take any part 10 the
rurdeis. BE maintained that Milton
md Jesse Rawlings fired the shots
hat killed the swo Carter children,
nd that he (Moorc) then became
and ran away. His testi-
nony was corroborated In many points
" the testimony Of the Garter fam
~.
Alter the conviction Of the men,
saWlings acknowledged that he hired
lie negro Moore to kill the Carriers,
nut that bis boys were not present.
new nothing Of the arrangement be-
ween him and the negro, and had ab.
olutely nothing to do with the MUIR
lers. He has stoutly maintained this
il the time.
Furthermore, Rawlings says be did
lot intend to have any Of the Carriers
larmed except the ole man, and that
vas not any part Of bis arrange.
cent to kill other members Of the
amily. On the other hand, Moore
wears that he had positive instruc'
ions, as also had the boys, to kill the
nsire Carter family and then burn
he house.
II Moore was actuated in turning
states evidence by hope Of escaping
be full penalty Of the law for his part
n tho tragedy, he was doomed to dis
,ppointmens, as the Jury brought In
verdict of murder in the first degree,
nd he, too, was sentenced to death.
long with J. g. Rawlings, Milton and
Jesse: Leonard Rawlings was SON.
enced to the penitentiary for life;
nd ssrved few weeks, later being
back to jill here on en- order
rom Governor Terrell, to await the
esult Of the appeal made By their
ttorneys to the Supreme Court.
ALI Moore has also escaped bhe
leath penalty, SO far, as his testimo-
" was considered very essential in
ase the Rawlings obtained another
rial.
J. G. Rawlings is forty-nine years
Id, and in addition TO bis three sons
s the father OF tSo interesting girls,
vho are now budding into woman
lood. Milton Rawlings Is about
vensy years old, Jesse eighteen and
Ioonard sixteen. The boys are away
bove the average In appearance and
Intelligence.
BOYS SAY FATHER Is CRAZY.
Rawlings was s well-to-do farmer,
nd before his numerous troubles with
carter, and even up to the time OF
he murders, was very popular man
L.