The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-30
CHARGE
Fcur White Men Arrested for Whipping a
Negro Man to Death
MAN WAS I'LL AND DIED

Tho Law Abiding Citizens Are Very
Much Aroused and the Governor
Called Upon to Act-The Evidence
Is Not Convincing That the Whip
ping Caused Death.
The State says a report by a prom
inent citizen of Greenwood county
to Gov. Ansel's Office reveals a state
of affairs at Dyson, near Ninety-Six,
that demands immediate investiga-
ton. According to this report a ne
gro died as a result of injuries in
Hicted Dy a severe whipping, and
the magistrate, James Rogers, held
an inquest at which verdict Of
death from natural causes or
heart disease" was brought in.
The case as reported to Secretary
Bethea, Gov. Ansel being out OF the
city, was that the negro, who had
worked for Henry Williamson, a
farmer, had been arrested charged
with violation of contract and taken
to Greenwood Jail. Last Saturday he
was taken back by the men who
placed him there and Saturday night
the negro died.
Some of the law-abiding citizens
in the community determined to take
up the matter with the State. au-
Ithorities and as a result Mr.. Bethea,
on hearing Of the facts, at once tele-
phoned Sheriff Mcmillan. The sher-
if stated that he knew nothing Of
the arrival or departure OF the pris-
oner. He promised to investigate
the matter at once. y.
The particulars of the whipping
is given in a dispatch from Green
wood to The State. The dispatch
says four white men, Henry r. VIII
hanson, Sloan Williamson, Ashby
King and Sam w. Cooper, were ar
rested and lodged in Jail by Sheriff
| Mcmillan on the charge of having
caused the death of negro, Gus
Gilcrease, near Dyson's last Friday
by whipping him.
An inquest was held Saturday b.
Magistrate James Rogers of Ninety
Six An old negro named Robin
SON testified at the inquest, but stat
ed that he knew nothing Of the mat
ter. DR.. John Lyon of Ninety-SiX
/ examined the body, with Magistrate
Rogers, and saw the marks Of whip.
ping, but nothing further developed.
However, later the old negro Robin
son came to Capr. James Rogers, the
magistrate. and told him that he had
;int told the ruth, that he kne Z
he was a dead man if he told the
| truth, but he had to tell the truth.
He then told that the four men above
named had whipped the dead negro
i and that he afterwards dropped dead.
| Magistrate Rogers sent the old negro
on to Greenwood and be is now IN
| jail.
Gov. Ansel wired Sheriff Mcmillan
to look into the matter with all
| possible diligence and also wired
Magistrate Rogers Sheriff McMil-
Ian went to Ninety-Six and Maj. S. P.
Brooks, foreman of the grand jury.
also went down to Ninety-Six, and
they consulted with Magistrate Rog-
ers and other citizens there, and
Sheriff Mcmillan placed the William
sons under arrest there. Ashby
King and Sam Cooper were in town
and were arrested here. Henry r.
| Williamson is the young man who
| had TO serve two years in the peni-
Tertiary for the whipping of j. H.
Wertz, now living in Greenwood,
then neighbor of Williamson's.
The correspondent interviewed all
four men now under arrest and they
deny the charge made against them.
They state that they did not whip
the negro. Two OF them, Cooper
and King, say they were not with
the Williamsons but a short time,
| having met them in the road, that
| the negro got out of the buggy and
started to the field to work and
dropped, that Henry Williamson
went to him and asked him what was
the matter and the negro said he
was sick; that the negro got up and
started off again and dropped again,
that they carried him to his sisters
house and that Henry Williamson
sent for a doctor, but the negro died
soon after
Henry Williamson had the negro
under contract but he ran away
about three months ago. He gave
a description of him to different
chiefs of police in adjoining towns
and last Thursday the negro was ar
rested in Greenwood by Chief Nc
Combs. Williamson was in town
Friday on his way home from a show
at Abbeville and was told by Chief
McCombs that the negro was there
He carried the negro on home with
him on the train and says that he
told the negro if he wanted to go
| back TO work it would be all right
He was met at Dyson by his buggy.
driven by the negro. Robert Robin
son. The four drove off in the bug