The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-02-21
BRUTAL ASSASSINATION
NEAR BISHOPVILLE.
H. R. Barnes Shot in The Back While He
Sat in His House Playing With Children.
WAS SHOT THROUGH AND THROUGH.
Assassin Cse(. Shotgun Loaded With
3ucksilot-Jin DeSaussurc arrested
and Jailed il, Dishopv:lle for tie
Cr;me-E4ad Mace attempt 10 Poi
son His Victims Entire Family Only
Few Days Ago.

son His Victims Entire Family Only
Few Days Ago.
From The Daily Item February 20.
One Of the most cowardly and das-
tardly crimes that has ever been COM
nitted in this section OF South Carroll
ma occurred about O'Clock last night
on Mr.. 4. C. purant's plantation, near
Bishopville.
Mr. Il. r. Barnes, a hardworking
and prosperous young farmer who
rented a portion of MI. Durant's
place for several years, was shot and
probably fatally wounded while sitting
il, his bed room, near an open window
playing with two OF his little children.
The assassin crept up under cover OF
darkness and at close range shot Mr..
Barnes in the back With q shotgun
loaded witt, buckshot Eleven shot
took eTect in the back just below the
right shoulder blade and passed
through the upper lobe of the right
lung. Eve OF the shot passed entire
ly through, While SIX were found
lodged Just beneath the skin Of the
chest. The wound inflicted was fear
full one and though Dr.. Manning was
summoned iname ediately from Bishop
vile and gave Mr.. Barnes every at
teation possible it is feared he cannot
recover. Mr.. Barnes, accompanied by
DR.. Manning, his wife and several
friends, was brought to the infirn1ary
here this. morning, but while still
alive and conscious when he arrived,
it IS feared t:lat he has scarcely one
chance i, thousand of recovery.
At the same time that DR. Manning
vas called 20 attend the wounded man
Sheriff Muidrow was notified Of the
attempt to assassinate Mr.. Barnes and
he, with several deputies, fastened to
the scene to make al. investigation
ana if possible run Gown the assassin.
While no enc saw the man who corr
antted the cowardly crime, as he made
his escape as soon as he dred the IA
-, shot, while Mrs. Barnes and the
e members OF the family We're CIV
ms al their attention to the wounded
.s.s.2 circumstances directed suspicion
- I'm CeSaussuce, a negro about 20
Yeas old, who Nved>i in the neighbor-
hood. when snefid Muidrow went to
DeSaussuce's house ne found him at
home. He denied knowledge Of the as
sault or Mr.. Barnes and also that he
had a gun. A.search of the house re-
suited in finding the gun concealed be-
tween the mattresses Of the bed, and
when examined it appeared to have
been recently discharged. jim was
taken into custody and carried to
Bishopvilie where he was committed
to jail There was some talk, as is
frequently the case When the people
are outraged and excited by a crime
of this character, Of dealing out quick
punishment but Sheriff Muldrow pre-
vented anything Of this kind and
landed MS prisoner safely in jail.
The reason that jim DeSaussure was
so promptly suspected was that he was
known TO harbc- a ~grudge against Mr.
Sarnes. Last fall DeSaussure broke
into and robbed IIr. Barnes commits
:sary. He was arrested, given a pre-
iiygi!aary hearing before a magistrate
ana bound over FOR trial at the next
.er.n of court for Lee county which
court convenes IN 4ishopville next
Monday. The negro was released on
s,ond and continued living in the
ne:ghborhcod q week or ten days
ago some one 1.:a:;dc aa unsuccessful
attempt 70 poison -Gir. Barnes and
family by putting a bag Of matches in
mis- we'll. This crime was frustrated
by accident. Mr.. Ra.nes detecting pc
cu!;ar odor about the water when he
went to the we'll early one morning
TO set g bucket of water. He made an
investigation and finally discovered the
bag OF matches in the well. There
we're circumstances then that pointed
20 DeSaussure as the guilty man, but
there was no proof to fasten the sus-
pic:on on hin. so nothing could be
done.
Yesterday Desaussure worked for
Mr. John T. Kelley, but knocked off
before S o'clock. On his way home he
stopped at nesro's house and in
duced negro boy to go with him. tell
ing him TIA: he had to go off last night
and wanted him TO stay with his Wife