The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-10-24
MURDER NEAR COPE.


MURDER NEAR COPE.
Nathan q. Garrick Shot and Killed by
Handy Gloster, Negro.
Another murder occurred in the
Cope section of Orangeburg county
last Monday morning, this being the
second to occur there within the past
few months. It will be recalled that
young Valentine was shot and killed
by negro named Pink Franklin.
The negro was tried at the recent
term of court in Orangeburg and
sentenced to be hung, but his negro
attorneys have appealed the case, so
the negro has a new lease on life,
the appeal acting as stay to the
execution, A gentleman from Bam-
berg was present Tuesday afternoon
at the inquest held over the body of
young Garick, and from him we get
some facts.
w. H. Champey, an old white man
who acts as constable for a magis-
trate in Orangeburg, had gone to
Glover's house to collect rent for
Mrs. S. Dibble, to whom the place he
lived on belonged. Garrick, it ap-
pears, had been acting as agent for
Mrs. Dibble, and had been to Glover
previously for the rent, but he would
not pay it. Champey's testimony
was that he did not know Garrick
was anywhere around, and while he
was talking to the negro Garrick
came up and attempted to shoot
Gloster. That Gloster grappled with
Garrick, took his pistol away and
shot him once, the ball taking effect
in the heart and killing the young
man almost instantly. Champey
also says he was the only eye witness,
but Glover's wife and daughter testi-
fed that they saw the fight. Their
testimony is substantially that they
saw the two men fighting and that
Garick pulled his pistol. Then Clos
ter's wife called to him to look out,
that Garrick was about to shoot him,
when Gloster grabbed the pistol and
shot Garick.
Immediately after the shooting
Champey took Gloster and started to
Orangeburg and lodged him in Jail.
He was afraid he says that there
might be trouble, and phoned Sheriff
Dukes to meet him, which was done.
Champey with his prisoner met Gar
ick's brother not very far from the
scene of the killing, but did not tell
him what had happened. It seems
that Champey took no steps to notify
anybody of the tragedy, but was so
anxious to save Gloster' 's-skin that he
hurried him off to Orangeburg, leav-
| ing thedead man where he had fallen.
The supposition is that Champey
took Garick with him to assist him,
that Garick and the negro got into
a dispute and fight, that the negro
grabbed the pistol away from Garick
and shot him, and that Champey
stood by and made no attempt to
stop the fight or to keep Garick or
Gloster from shooting. Garick is a
small man, weighing about <l25
pounds, while the negro is a powerful
fellow, weighing about 225 pounds,
being physically able to have taken
Garick across his lap and spanked
him. There is not the slightest ele-
|ment of self defence in the killing,
| for Garick was well within his rights
in drawing his pistol to defend him.
self against a man so much his supe-
rior physically, while there was no
necessity for Gloster to shoot after
he got the pistol.
The case is bad one, and it especi-
ally looks bad for Champey, sworn
officer of the law, especially when it
is charged with how much truth we
cannot say, but it certainly looks
reasonably that he had gotten Garick
to 60 along with him to assist him in
| the discharge of his duty.
| The dead man was buried Tuesday
afternoon at Two Mile Swamp. He
was about % years old, and leaves a
wife and three children.
There must be a amean set OF ne
groes in that section. Several white
men have been killed by negroes
over there in the last few years, and
on Tuesday negro ran constable
off with a pitchfork, the officer hav-
ing gone to make a collection for a
merchant at Cope: