The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07
A BULLY KILLED.
The Tragic and Expected End Of
Tempestuous. Lite.
PROPHECY FULFILLED

The Anderson Daily Mail Had Pr
dicted Editorially About Tire
Weeks Ago That This Would b
the End. He Had Killed Three O
Four Men In His Time.
The State says news was receives
in Columbia Monday to the effec
that John McGaha had been kille'
near Bolton, on the Greenville coun
ty side. McGaha has been tried TO
his life in three homicide cases an
is said to have been suspected II
another.
The first report received by Tn.
State came from a passenger IN tn
train from Anderson. He had heart
the news in that city and had late.
heard 1t talked of at Bolton an,
Greenwood and the story in circn
lation there was to the effect tina
McGaha Vas on a spree and ha
disturbed a meeting at a negro
church and had been shot t.
pieces"
1T is a sad thing" said this gen
tleman, "but | never heard one ey,
preston of regret. Indeed. all per-
sons seemed to be relieved. 1t is
an awful thing when ones neighbors
can find pleasure in his passing
away"
From Anderson came another &C.
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 McGaha's place and
that in a melee which followed Nc
Gaia was killed.
The following from the Anderson
Daily Mail Of a date some three
weeks ago, indicates the esteem IT
Shich the deceased was held:
Several months ago Jorn McGaha
a bully. well known in this part OF
he State, shot and killed Georgs
Clinkscales, a negro, in Abbevillc
county. Witnesses of the tragedy
| testified at the coroner's inquest
the next day that the killing was
un%provoked, that it was deliberat:
murder. McGaha fed 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 he had refused to
testify as McGaha wanted him to
in a certain lawsuit.
"McGaha remained in hiding for O
good long time, but was finally cap.
tured in Georgia, through the vigl,
lance of the sheriff Of Abbevillt
county, and brought back to Able
Vile and lodged in jail.
And then powerful influence;
we're set to work in his behalf. The
witnesses who had testified at thu
inquest, before they had been seen
or fixed now told a different story
They made afidavits that the shoot
ing was accidental. There was sub
mitted what purported to be eth dy
ing statement of Clinkscales, il
which he said the shooting was al
accident. and that he did not wan
his friend Johnnie punished
limited States senator was hired 4;
McGaha's lawyer, a justice of tn
State supreme court granted him bal!
and a member of the State legislt
ture went on his bond.
The case came up for trial a
.Abbeville last week, and McGah;
was acquitted. The jury is not t
be censured. The jury had to go b
the evidence, and although ever
member of the jury may have bee
convinced IN his heart-presumins
of course, that the jury was compos
! ed of intelligent men-that the ev'
dence was manufactured for the OF
casion, yet there was no evidenc
! Of deliberate murder, and the Jur
could do nothing but return a vel
dict of not guilty. Murder had nc
been proved in a manner that woul
warrant conviction.
] THE dead negro had no rich
: e,iaplc or rnI1ftVpS
work for the conviction OF his sla,
: or. There were no rich or in infl'
u ~ential men or strong Influence Worl
-, ing for Justice. That mythical fgu1
Is blind, and 1t often happens tn;
she has no friends or advocates
our courts.
u "McGaha had killed at least tV
I,men before he killed George Clin
scales. He is now a free mar agai
,. free to go where he pleases, n
20 quarrel with whom he please
lie Judging his future BY his past reco
re il is only a question OF time un
he kills somebody else, or until SON
body is forced to kill him.
so far as McGaha himself
]concerncd. it made little differen
i, whether he was convicted or acqu
ted. He is as worthless to the Sta
. as a free mar as he would be as
til convict. But 1t makes a great az
~ of difference to the community
az which McGaha lives. and to I
in nublic at large. 1t will make
r.. great deal of difference in the
e. turc conduct of men Of the
10 c,aha class. Will they no feel. a