The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-09-24
CONVICTED IN LAURENS.
Wash Young alias John billiard Ar
rested from Chain Gang in New
berry for Murder lConvicted.


berry for Murder lConvicted.
The readers of The Herald and
News will recall the arrest Of Wash
Young, alias John billiard, by Sheriff
Buford some months ago.
Young was at the time working on
the chain gang in Newberry. At the
Laurens term Of the court last week
he was convicted cf murder, but rec
commended to mercy, which gave him
a life sentence in the penitentiary.
The following account from the
Laurensville Herald of last week, in
regard to the case, will, not doubt,
be Of interest to the readers Of The
Herald and News:
On Thursday morning Wash Young
alias John Dillard was placed on trial
charged with murder, it being alleg-
ed that he killed old Dan Fuller,
near Mountville, in December, 1904.
Young was arrested in Newberry
county where he went by the name
of billiard, by Sheriff Buford. He
was on the chain gang in Newbery
county, and Sheriff Buford, always
vigilant, learned that he had made
statements to other members of the
chain gang which connected him WITH
the murder Of Fuller. Sheriff Buford
investigated the case and secured the
statements of those who said that
Young had talked to tnem. He wrote
Sheriff Ducket in regard to the kill
ing, and the information he received
from Sheriff Duckett corroborated
the statements alleged to have been
made by Young, and Sheriff Buford
arrested Young and turned him over
to the Laurens authorities. Dan Full
ler, an old negro, was found dead in
mis- home at Mountville, on Christ
mas day, 1904. His home was locked,
and it was necessary. to break in.
Prior to that time he had not been
seen since a. week from the Friday
before, and the supposition was that
he had been dead about ten days when
his body was found. He had been
Drained vita an axe, and his throat
cut with knife.
On the night he was supposed to
have been killed, the testimony de-
veloped that it rained and froze, and
that during the latter part Of the
night some little snow fell.
The testimony of the State .devel-
oped that Wash Young had lived in
that community prior to the killing,
and the witnesses did not reeollect
having seen him in that community
afterwards. Witnesses from NeWber-
ry who had been on the chain gang
there with Young said that Young
had told them he had killed man in
! Laurens county; that he got the man
to make him a wash board, and that
when he went for it he struck him
with an axe. The testimony was that
Wash Young made wash boards.
One of the witnesses said Young,
who had assumed the name Of John
billiard in Newberry, told him that
the man he killed was Dan Fuller,
and one of the witnesses also said
that Young alias billiard had sold
him that the reason ne couldn't be
tracked on the night Of the killing
was because it showed. Sheriff Bu-
ford testified that when he arrested
Young Young told him that ne knew
who gave him away, naming John
Brown, one Of the States witnesses.
The credit for the arrest is due to
Sheriff NJ. NJ. Buford, Of Newberry,
! one of the most capable sheriffs in
South Carolina. The murder Of old
Dan Fuller was brutal, the theory
being that the motive was robbery
Many efforts have been made to To-
cate the guilty party, but heretofore
the efforts had been unsuccessful.