The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1907-05-31
CLARENCE 6. GIST
KILLED BY NEGRO
One of the Most Dastardly
Murders Ever Committed
IN Union County.
Young Man Shot Down by Assassin
While on His Way Home-Negro
Arrested by Sheriff and Posse and
Brought to Union and Lodged in
JaiI-Uniea County Deserves Com
mendatioa for This Action on the
Part of the Sheriff aud His Posse.

mendatioa for This Action on the
Part of the Sheriff aad His Posse.
A tragedy occurred at Carlisle
last Thursday night in the killing
of Mr.. Clarence c. Gist, town
marshal, by Arthur Davis. The
affair happened at the Seaboard
depot early Thursday night. Dur
ing the afternoon Davis had been
put in the ksckup for dlsorderly
conduct but kter was released.
Mr.. K. d. Bailey was with Mr..
Gist at the Depot when the shooting
occurred. HE testified that the
first he heard was succession of
pistol shets and the statement of
Davis that he would square up for
arrest EHe also testified that some
one wss with Das'is at the time.
When the firing began both Mr.
Gist @nd Mr.. Bailey pulled their
pistols and began shooting. Their
shots went wild, none of them tax
ing effect on the fleeing negroes.
Ernest Sartor ssid he heard Davis
make threats against Mr.. Gist.
iDavis said tha. after being Cooked
up for disorderly conduct ;at the
ball gamesin 'tle afternoon, 6ae was
'bailed out by Mr.. Pitts, tire Sea-
board agent;.t Carlisle, and 'by his
father. ON his way home ale heard
that Mr.. 'Gist had four pistols and
was going'to kill him. Near the
railroad he met his brStl.er, who
asked him TO wait till he had fixed
the switch lights. He decided not
to wait li,Et to 60 'hosae When
there heteok pistol from the wall
and returHing saw Mr.. rGist and
Mr.. BAILEY coming. Mr.. sGist said:
You said ] would not get to the
Lyles ,plaee tonight" Ehis place
is where Mr.. Gist lived, at is the
placeifornerly owned lay Mr. A. G..
Lyles, now deceased Havis, ac-
cording te his testimony denied say
ing anything of the kind. Think
ing he, Yves going to kill sne, | fired
at once" Other witnesses testified
that they taeard Davis threaten Mr..
Gist. The jury brought in the
verdict that the deceased came to
his death from gunshot w9Inds at
the hands<nf Davis. Fr@A, she evil
dence brought out ut the trial it
seems that Davis perpetrateG one of
the coldest Aslooded mur.ies in the
annals of che history cd Union
county.
When the news of the ssilling
reached En;on Thursday liight,
about 10 o'clock, it caassl the
widest excitement. 1t WAS at first
said there Wa a race riot ip full
operation at Carlisle. This, i was
soon learned, avas Il mistake, but
the least thing syould have pre,fi pi
'tated such an occurrence. The shssiff
with an armedpo went dOwn ,nn
the 1923 train At Carlisle kaany
citizens joined IT, with the sbenif;a
party. In small squads search
covering almost &ie entire eastern
section of the county, was begun.
Deputy sheriff, &c. c. Sanders,
with Msssrs. Richaaf Gist, brother
of the snurdered nan, and JAS.
Sprouse, of Union. located the
fugitive asDut four in,i1as east from
Carlisle at negro settlement, at
$50 o'clodt Friday asarning. He
was arrestaG 10y DEPUTY sheriff, G.
&. Sanders and taken at once to
Carlisle. although Nv. Gist,
brother of the murdered alan, was
one of the thres in the psrty that
located and captured jlas;is, no
violence was done him. Thg negro
was found in the attic of C&arner
Dawkins. a negro living near
Prides. Dawkins hears a good rep
utation among the people of that
section. When Deputy sheriff Saaa-
ders asked If the negSO Davis wax
in his house he was told that he
was, that he had come in during
the night and asked to he allowed
10 spend the night there. Deputy
Sanders placed Mr.. Gist at one door
and Mr.. Sprouse at the other. He
then walked up to one of the attic
rooms where he found Davis dress
ing. The negro made no resistance
and told Mr.. Sanders he was ready
to 60. The negro was securely tied
and placed in a. hand car and
brought to Carlisle. The crowd of
searchers rapidly assembled and
here the inquest was held early