The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-10-07


> PROPHECY FULFILLED
The Anderson Daily Mail Had Pr
/ dicted Editorially About Thre
Weeks Ago That This Would b
the End. He Had Killed Three o
Four Men in His Time.
| The State says news was receive,
in Columbia Monday to the etfec
that John McGaha had been killes
near Belton, on the GreenTille coun
ty side. McGaha has been tried To-
his life in three homicide cases ant
is said to have been suspected il
another.
The first report received by Th,
State came from a passenger on the
train from Anderson. He had hearl
the news in that city and had later
heard it talked OF at Belton ana
Greenwood and the story In cireu.
lation there was to the effect that
McGaha was on spree and ha
disturbed meeting at a negro
church and had been "shot tc
pieces. %
cit is sad thing" said this gen
tleman, "but I never heard one ey-
preston Of regret. Indeed, all per-
sons seemed to be relieved. It is
an awful thing when ones netghbors
can find pleasure in his passing
away"
From Anderson came another ac-
count and from Abbeville by long
distance phone 1t was stated that
McGaha and one Of the Ashleys had
gone to arrest two negroes who hal
been working on McGaaa's place and
that in a melee which followed Nc
Gaha was killed.
The following from the Anderson
Daily Mail Of e. date some three
weeks ago, indicates the esteem IL
which the deceased Sas held:
Several months ago Jorn McGaha,
bully, well known in this part OF
the State, shot and killed George
Clinkscales, a negro, In Abbeville
county. Witnesses OIL the tragedy
testified at the coroner's inquest
the next day that the killing was
uaprovoked, that It was deliberate
murder. McGaha lied the State.
Negroes Of the community told
the white people, though not at the
inquest. that Clikscales had told
them that he was In mortal fear OF
McGaha because be had refused to
testify as McGaha wanted him to
in certain lawsuit.
"McGaha rem aimed In hiding for
good long time, but was finally cap
tured in Georgia, through the vis.3
lance Of the sheriff of Abbevilis
county. and brought back to Able
vile and lodged IN jail.
And then powerful influences
were set to work in his behalf. The
witnesses who had testified at the
inquest, before they had been seen
or fixed now told a different story.
They made afBdayits that the shoot
ing was accidental. There was sub
mitted what purported to be eth dy-
ing statement of Clinkscales, in
which he said the shooting was an
accident, and that he did not want
his friend Johnnie punished A
United States senator was hired as
McGaha's lawyer, Justice OF the
State supreme court granted him ball.
and a member Of the State leg1sla-
ture went on his bond.
"The case came up for trial al
Abbewille last week, and McGaha
was acquitted. The jury is not u
he censured. The jury had to go by
the evidence, and although every
member of the jury may hare been
convinced in his heaTt-presumlng'
Of course, that the jury was compos-
ed of intelligent men-that the eVl-
dence was manufactured for the oc-
casion, yet there was no evidence
Of deliberate murder, and the jur!
could do nothing but return a Ver-
dict of not guilty. Murder hao no.
been proved in manner that would
warrant conviction.
"The dead negro had no rich or
influential friends or relatives 70
work for the conviction of his STAY
ar There were no rich or in lnfiu-
ontial men or strong influence WORK
ing for justice. Tha. mythical hgure
;e hind, and it often happens that
she has no friends or advocates IN
our courts.
"McGaha had killed at least TWO
men before he killed George CnhK-
scales. He is now free man aga'h
free to so where he pleases, ana &c
! Quarrel with whom he pleases.
Jrdgfng his future by his past RECORD
it is only question Of time une'
| he kills somebody else, or until some
hodv is forced 10 kill him.
$50 far as McGaha himself !:
concerned, it made little difference
Uhether he was convicted or acquls
ted He is as worthless to the Stats
as free man as he would be as
| convict. But 1t makes great oea
of difference to the community II
which .tcGaha lives, and TO Tn
nuhli, - large. 1t will make
great deal Of difference in the III
ture conduct of men Of the NC
caha class. Will they not feel, an
With good reason, that they can XII
with impunity and that they ca
command influence to assure tner
their liberty, which with them mean
license?