The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-03
THREE TO HANG IN FLORENCE.
SLAYERS OF ELIHU MOVE EOIrNn
GUILTY OF MURDER AND
SENTENCED TO HANG.
NO Bill Returned Against Two of
Five Suspected and Other Three
Are Promptly Convicted.

Florence, Nov. 2S.-For the murder
of Elihu Moye, Willie Burroughs.
Ellie Weldon and Clarence Ham were
convicted here today and sentenced to
be hanged on Friday, December 16.
The usual motion for a new trial was
Overruled
Five negroes were under arrest
charged with the killing of Elihu
Moye several weeks ago. Of the five
the solicitor held three and had no
bl!l returned in the case of Henry
Jones and Senior Askins. The ne
groes on trial were Clarence Ham.
long a trusted employe and friend of
! Mr.. Moye; Willie Borroughs and
Ellie Weldon.
The court house and court yard
| were crowded long before the hour
Tor trial by people from all over the
| county, who came to hear the case
and see the negroes who had COM
mitted crime that shocked the en-
tire community.
Judge Browns charge to the Jury
was brief, covering, as usual, the de-
grees in homicide cases, and on
| their duty to the country,
The solicitor wished to use Clarence
Ham as witness, so did not put him
on trial with the other two. w. F.
Clayton, E. S. Oliver and Claude
Gasque were appointed by the court
| to represent the accused.
Clarence HIM was put on the stand
first. He testified that he had met
the other two and they told him that
| Mr.. Moye had gone to Timmonsville
| and that there was money in the
| house and that they must have it. He
| consented to watch in the road while
| they went to get it, He was to
whistle in case any one approached
and he did SO when Mr.. Moye drove
up later. Mr.. Moye went into the
house and struck a match; the other
negroes forced him to go up to the
house. He heard one shot, then an
other then saw some one stagger out
OF the door. He grabbed up the gun
Tor his protection. but they led him
away and offered him a drink and
gave him SO and told him to saw
nothing about the affair. They Of
fered him $25 and pay his way to
Florence if he would say nothing
| about the affair.
Several witnesses were examined
in the case, generally in corroboratio
Of the evidence given by Ham as to
the connection of the trio with the
killing, and their efforts to cover
their tracks.
The jury was allowed to go un-
guarded.
There was practically no testimony
for the defense and though the coun-
sci for the accused earnestly worked
to prevent injustice or prejudice af-
fecting the case, the jury, without
difficulty, found both Weldon and
Burroughs guilty.
The trial Of Clarence Ham was
| then entered into. He acknowledged
his guilt and in response to the usual
question by the solicitor said that any
method of trial would suit him. He
was promptly convicted.
Before the close of court shortly
after o'clock all three negroes were
sentenced to hang on Friday, Decem-
| ber 16.
Mr.. Clayton, on behalf of his clients
moved for new trial on the ground
| that the evidence did not corroborate
| the confession Of Clarence Ham and
that the crowd and pressure Of pub
lie opinion in the matter was an OBJ
stacle TO unbiased opinion. Solicitor
| Wells replied that the jury was com
petent to judge the facts as presented
| and that there had not been the
slightest success attendant on the
| efforts of the defense to disprove any
of the statements and that the YER
dict ought to stand. Judge Brown
complimented the crowd on its order
and refused to grant the new trial.
| MONEY FOR OUR RIVERS