Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-10-08
A BULLY KILLE0.
The Tragic s"' expected End of
a Tempestuous Life.
PROPHECY FULFILLED

dicted Editorially About Three
Weeks Ago That This Would be-
the End. He Had Killed Three OF
| Four Men in His Time.
The State says news was received
in Columbia Monday tos the sfec,
that John McGaha had been killed
near Bolton. on the Greenville coun-
" side. McGaha has been tried for
his life in three homicide cases and
is said to have been suspected In
| another.
The first report received by Th
State came from passenger on the
train from Anderson. He had heard
the news In that city and had later
heard II talked of at Bolton and
Greenwood and the story in clrcu-
lation there was TO the effect that
McGaha was on a spree and ha |
disturbed meeting at negro
church and had been Shot to
pieces"
1T is sad thing" said this gen
tleman, but l never heard one ev-
preston of regret. Indeed. all per-
sons seemed to be relieved. II is
an awful thing when ones neighbors
can find pleasure in his passing
away"
From Anderson came another ac-
count and from Ahbeville 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 McGaha's place and
that in a melee which followed Nc
Gaha was killed.
The following from the Anderson
Daily Mail of a date some three
weeks ago. indicates the esteem IL
which the deceased was held:
Several months ago Jorn McGaha.
i bully, well known in this part OF
he State. shot and killed Georg"
Ilinkscales. a negro. In Abbevillc
county. Witnesses of the tragedy
testified at the coroners inques;
the next day that the killing was
unprovoked, that 1t was deliberata
III VI uti. MCSuud Htu tue oldtc.
Negroes of the community told
the white people, though not at tn"
inquest. that Clikscales had told
them that he was in mortal fear OF
McGaha because he had refused TO
testify as McGaha wanted him to
in certain lawsuit.
"McGaha remained In hiding for -
long lint En llt,
tured in Georgia. through the vigl-
lance of the sheriff of ADbevillr
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 different story.
They made affidavits that the shoot
ing was accidental. There was sub
mitted what purported to be eth dy-
ing statement of Cknkscales. 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
McGahas lawyer. a justice of tn"
State supreme court granted him bali
| and member of the State legislt-
| ture went on his bond.
The case came up for trial al
| Abhevtlle last week. and McGaha
was acquitted. The jury is not u
be censured. The jury had to so by
the evidence. and although every
member of the jury may have been
convinced In his heart presumine
of course, that the jury was compos-
ed of intelligent men-that the evi-
dence was manufactured for the oc-
casion. yet there was no evidenc,
of deliberate murder, and the jury
could do nothing but return a yer
dict of not guilty. Murder had no
been proved In a manner that woulC
warrant conviction.
The dead negro had no rich o
influential friends or relatives I,
work for the conviction of his slay
er. There were no rich or in influ
entail men or strong influence work
ing for justice. That mythical figur
; is blind. and it often happens tina
she has no friends or advocates Il
our courts.
"McGaha had killed at least tw
men before he killed George Clink
scales. He is now free man agaiI
free to go where he pleases. and :
2 quarrel with whom he pleascs
e Judging his future by his past recor
2 it is only a question of time unit
he kills somebody else. or until som,
body is forced to Kill him.
so far as McGaha himself
concerned. il made little differen,
: whether he was convicted or acqui
ted. He is as worthless to the Sta
as free man as he would be as
n convict. But 1t makes a great de
s of difference to tho community
" which McGaha lives. and TO Il
u public at large. 1t will make
= great deal of difference in the {
> ture conduct of men of the NJ
- Gaha class. Will they not feel. al
. with good reason. that they can k
d with impunity and that they C
e command influence to assure the