The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-07-01
DEFIANT TO LAST
MURDERER FALLS
W. II. BOSTWICk SHOT AFTER
FIERCE BATTLE.
After Killing Three Officers Georgia
Desperate is Overcome in His
Barricaded Cabin.

Irvinville, Ga., June 27.-Defiant
even while the shadows Of death
closed around him and volley alter
-volley from the new Springfield rifles
Of two militia companies made a
sieve of the walls of his humble
home, ". H. BostWick. the white des-
perado, who marked his last Sunday
by the murder of two officers of the
law and the serious Wounding OF
three others, paid the penalty OF
death shortly after ) o'clock this
morning. He succumbed to many
wounds received from the volleys fir
ed into the building early in the
night by a mob OF infuriatad citi-
zens or from those Of the military,
which began an attack after o'clock
this morning.
Hero of Fight Dies.
Almost at the same moment Sheriff
y !
was wounded yesterday while max
ing q desperate attempt to remove q
wounded fellow officer from the
range of Bostwick's deadly fire, ex-
pired. James Gill, another officer,
vas AIDED to the list OF wounded dur
ing the early morning fusillade, but
it Is believed that he Will recover.
Surrounded by his six little chill
dren, whom he held prisoners almost
to the end of the siege, Bostwick, who
had declared his intention of dying
rather than submitting to arrest on
the charge of attempting to murder
his brother-in-law, fought the battle
to the last ditch.
Released Children.
Knowing that death was near, the
desperate man finally allowed the
fear-stricken children to leave the
house. However, after they were un-
der the protection of the military Of
fcers they refused to talk OF the
events of the night.
Capt. Charles A. Delang, COM
manding the Fitzgerald Guards, de-
scribed the battle of one desperate
man against an equally determined
host in vivid manner.
Capt. Delang's original instruc-
tions from Adjt. Gen. Scott were to
await the arrival of the Albany
Guards before taking any steps to
capture Eostwick.
Mob Was Angry.
: Upon arriving at Bostwick's home,
however, he found the mob in such
a temper that he deemed Immediate
action absolutely necessary. He first
called upon Bostwick to surrender,
Offering him protection from the mob,
but the demand was as stoutly re-
fused, even though accompanied by a
threat to take the besieged man dead
or alive. The officer then demanded
that the children be allowed to leave
the house, but Bostwick also refused
this demand The little ones had
spent the entire night huddled close
to the floor, fearing at any mom7nt
that they would be victims of bullets
from the guns of the enraged people.
Fired into Roof.
Capt. Delang ordered his men to
fire a volley into the roof of the
house, following which another de-
mand for surrender and release of
the children was made upon Bost-
wick, who replied with shot from
one of the three. weapons with which
he was armed. Then came another
volley from the soldiery, which caus-
ed Bostwick to ask that the lives Of
the children be not endangered. The
six children were then permitted to
leave the house and were taken in
charge by the soldiers. They would
answer no questions. The oldest
daughter, Jennie, who had spent the
long night attempting to shield the
younger children, cried because one
of the younger boys had been forced
to leave the house without his trous-
ers and the oldest boy was ill.,
Replied With Shot.
The children being taken to a place
OF safety, Capt. Delang again de-
manded that Bostwick surrender, but
the only reply was a shot from the
besieged man. Then the soldiers fir
ed volley into the lower portion of
the house. A moment later officers
observed that a shingle had been re-
moved from the roof, this probably
being done by Bostwick in order to
fire to better advantage. A hail Of
1.oS -,,o, IN ha rONf fol.