The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-16
SHOT AT DEPOT
Hr. ". l. Fielder, Of St. Matthews, Shot
by Express Messenger
WITHOUT PROVOCATION

While Waiting for Train to LeaVe
From the Union Depot at Char
lotte-Has1y Jones, Who Did the
Shooting, Arrested and Put in
jail to Await Felder's Injury.
A special dispatch from Charlotte
to the Columbia Record says Mr.
". L. Fielder, a we'll known busi-
ness man of st. Matthews, IS. c.,
was shot in the left arm and side
at the Southern passenger station
there Tuesday morning by Harry
Jones, an express messenger.
Mystery surrounds the affair, no
provocation or excuse for the shoot
ing being given by either Jones or
Fielder. The shooting took place
at $3.50 o'clo.k Tuesday morning,
shortly after the arrival there Of
train 80, and was witnessed by two
other express messengers, who de-
MED any knowledge of the affair
at first, but afterwards told about
it after they were arrested. Fielder,
who is not, it is hoped, dangerously
wounded. Is In the Presbyterian hos
pital. Jones is in Jail, where he will
be held for the preliminary trial.
The Record gives the following
particulars Of the shooting:
The first person to reach Mr.. Eel
der was Capt. F. B. Fishburn Of
Columbia, while DR.. A. B. knowlton
of Columbia was also near and gave
the wounded man prompt medical
attention. The shooting occurred a.
the Charlotte union station. about
2:45 8. m. Mr.. Fielder, as we'll as
Capt. Fishburne and DR.. Knowlton,
was at the station expecting to come
to Columbia on Southern railway
train No. 20, due to leave Charlotte
at $3.50 q. m. While in the lunch
room Capt. Fishburne had been talk
ing with Mr.. Fielder, but left and
went into the combination baggage
car to lie down.
Mr.. Fielder, it seems, walked up
to the door Of the express car.
where the express messenger was
checking up his express with the
negro porter, and it is said that Mr..
Fielder asked if he could get aboard
the car, as the passenger coachs had
not been opened and it was cold out
side. What else passed. between
them is not known, except that Mr..
Fielder stated afterwards that he was
shot, without warning. from the ex-
press car.
Capt. Fishburne was first to reach
the wounded man, and having seen
DR.. knowlton at the station, sum-
moned him. Mr.. Fielder was carried
to the Stonewall hotel, at the sta
tion, until he could be taken to the
hospital, and after some delay the
ambulance arrived and be was car
ried to the Presbyterian hospital.
At Mr.. Felder's request, DR.. Knowl-
ton remained with him, returning to
Columbia on No. 35 instead of No.
20, and reaching Columbia at 1890
a. m. Wednesday.
Mr.. Fielder had been to High Point,
n. c., to place an order for furni-
ture, and was on his way home. He
is a member Of prominent family
in the Orangeburg section.
DR.. A. B. Knowlton, who was with
Mr. Fielder just after he was shot
at Charlotte early in the morning,
bitterly criticised the Charlotte po-
lice department when be arrived in
Columbia He says three officers
were notified and given all the facts
one after the other Immediately
after the shooting, and after they
were finally gotten to the scene act
ed like lot Of dummies. He could
get them to do nothing, he says; and
the most important witnesses were
about to disappear when he ap-
pealed to Attorney Shannonhouse,
who began to get results as soon
as he arrived.
DR.. Knowlton says the shooting
was most wanton and inexcusable.
Fielder was thirty feet away from the
coach when fired upon, had never
been In the coach and was walking
away when fred upon. Mr.. Fielder,
Dr.. Knowlton says, had been walk
ing up and down the cement floor
under the shed between the fruit
stand and the first track, waiting
for train 90. He approached
couple Of express coaches which
were coming to Columbia when No.
% arrived and asked a colored man
in one If 1t would be allowable to
come into the Goa n and keep warm
till the train arrived
Mr.. Fielder says the colored man
told him that this would be against
the rules and he went away. Just
before being shot he had turned
about to watch some antics the ne
groes were doing In the coach he
had approached, when the messeng
er came to the door and ordered
him away. He says he started away
when he was fred upon.