The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-06-12
Two Would be Rssassins Killed
and Wounded by Their
INTENDED VICTIM.
TSlEman Barnes and Joe Barnes, Two
Colored Farm Hands and Brothers,
Tried te Assassinate Mr.. Morgan,
Near augusta, Ga. But He Sur
psised Them, Killing One and Bad
y Wounding the Othe-.

At an early hour Sunday morning
week ago, says the Augusta Herald
Two negro brothers, Joe and Tillmao
Barnes, went to the door of Mr.. r.
J. Morgan, in this county, and called
him out with the intention of mur-
deTing him. Mr.. Morgan. with sus-
pfcions aroused. went out his back
door and came around the side of
the house.
Tillman was standing on the
ground with revolver in his hand,
while Joe was on the porch with an
open knife. Mr.. Morgan ordered the
former to drop his weapon, and in
answer the negro levelled it to shoot.
Mr.. Morgan's pistol spoke barely
in time, and Tillman Barnes dropped
with bullet through the heart. Joe
rushed from tie porch with open
knife and was met by bullet which
penetrated his right=iung. He is at
the Lamar Hospital in a dying con6i-
ton.
Mr.. Morgan's residence is on the
Dean Bridge road, six miles from
Augusta. Coroner Ramsey held an
inquest at the scene of the shooting,
and the jury brought in a verdict of
justidcable homicide.
The trouble began several days ago
when Mr. Morgan's house was bur-
slarized. He had strong reasons to
suspect the negroes Of the crime, and
after an investigation reported the
matter to the city and county police
and orders were given for the arrest
Of the suspects. The negroes knew of
this action, and it is believed it con-
stituted their motive for the attempt
ed murder.
Saturday night Mr.. Morgan was
kept away from home until very
late hour by the sickness of near
relative. It was just as he had reach
ed home, sometime after one o'clock,
and was preparing to enter by the
back door, according to his usual
custom, that he heard knock at the
front door.
He responded by asking who was
there. Joe Barnes answered that
It was he and that he wanted to
have talk with Mr.. Morgan, and
asked him to come to the door. With
suspicious thoroughly aroused Mr..
Morgan procured pistol and quietly
stole through the back door, and ap-
preached the negroes from the cor
ner of the house. Keeping well in
the shadow he saw Tillman Barnes
standing on the ground near the
porch with drawn revolver. The
other brother was on the porch at the
door with Au.Ae drawn and ready
to cut Mr.. Morgan to pieces the mo-
nent he opened the door.
Wishing still to give the men a
chance for their lives, Mr.. Morgan
called out,
Barnes, isn't that a pistol in your
hand? Drop it.'
Eyes, BY Cd, it is" answered
the black, ard levelled the weapon.
It was his last word on earth.
He dropped with jagged hole
drilled through his murderous heart.
With yell Joe Barnes was upon
the white man with his cleaning
knife, but he was arrested midway IN
his course by another shot which viii
probably send him to meet his broth
er il Hades.
The verdict Of the coroner's jury
was full and complete exoneration
OF Mr.. Morgan. He is well-known
in Augusta and throughout Rich
mond county, and is brother-ln-laW
of Patrolman George Wolfe.