The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-02-05
MONDAYS EXCITEMENT.
Details of Difficulty With Negro Pris-
oner Which Started in Magis-
trate Chappell's Office.

on Monday afternoon between the Of
fcers of the law and negro prison.
er occurred just a few minutes be-
fore The Herald and News Went to
press, and it was impossible to pres
ent the details Of the affair in the last
issue. The essentials, however, were
gathered, and presented to the read
ers Of The Herald and News, and they
were, in the main, correct.
The facts as they have been gather
ed seem to be about as follows:
Richards Davenport, colored, who
lives in the county, had sold Mr. San
/ iers, who conducts a beef market in
Newberry, lot Of pork, and in the
weighing it developed that the pork
was sixty-nine pounds short. Sanders
asked the negro about the matter.
and. in order to be certain, weighed
the pork over, which proved that the
weight was sixty-nine pounds short.
Sanders thereupon applied to Magis-
trate Chappell for warrant charging
Davenport with obtaining goods un-
der false pretences, he having already
paid the negro, and the negro having
refused to return the money for the
under-weight. Constable Cannon g..
Blease was absent in the country on
official business, and Magistrate
Chappell deputized Mr.. J. ". Hen
derson, Of this city, to make the ar
rest. Mr.. Henderson went out and
brought Davenport into Magistrate
Chappell's office. Magistrate Chap
pell asked Davenport what he had to
say in regard to the charges which
had been preferred against him. The
negro gave Magistrate Chappell a
very impudent answer. Magistrate
Chappell said to him, II am run
ming this court, and don't want any
impudence. The negro repeated his
impudence.
About this time Constable Cannon
G. Blease came into the office with an
other prisoner. whom he had been out
to arrest. Magistrate Chappell said
to Constable Blease, II am going to
send this negro to Jail; write out a
commitment;'' whereupon Davenport
rose from his seat and put his hand in
his pants pocket. Special Constable
Henderson laid his hand upon the
negro's shoulder and said to him,
"You are a prisoner; sit down." The
negro jerked his knife out Of his
pocket and cut Mr. Henderson across
the left jaw. Henderson drew his
pistol and Magistrate Chappell
sprang forward to assist Henderson
in controlling the negro. In the melee
which ensued the pistol was struck
from Henderson s hand and the negro
succeeded in cutting both Messrs.
Ch >ppell and Henderson severely, Mr..
Henderson receiving cuts on the jaw
and Magistrate Chappell on both
sides of the throat.
The office was crowded with people.
but Constable Blease finally succeed
ed in getting near enough to throw
the negro loose from Magistrate
Chappell. As he did so the negro
grabbed a hatchet, which was sitting
bv the fire place in the magistrate 5
office. and with the hatchet in one
hand and the knife in the other, he
rushed from the office. AS he passed
out of the door Sanders grabbed at
him, and he slashed Sanders across
the jaw and throat with his knife.
and ran on out.
Constable Blease followed with his
pistol in his hand. The negro ran
towards the opera house, out Of the
north side door Of the old court house,
where the magistrate office is locat-
ed. As he got about opposite the
Confederate monument ne was stop
ped by Policeman Chalmers. and Con-
stable Blease caught up with him al
r:ost Immediately and effected the
arrest. MAGISTRATE Chappell followed
Constable Blease out of the office, and
picked ND rock-the negro still
having the knife in his hand-and
ceueht the negro on the right hand
side. Magistrate Chappell used the
rock to make the negro drop the
knife. the negro having dropped the
hatchet when Constable Blease az
rested him and commanded him to
drop his weapons. Following MaglS-
trate Chappell, Special Constable
Henderson came out Of the Office with
4 Winchester rifle. which he had
picked up in the Office, and he en-
deavored tc kill the negro, but was
prevented from doing so by parties
wills ,,,forol