The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-12-13

PATHOS WITH TRAGEDY
Conditions Surrounding the Harris
Girl Is Most Heartrending and the
Ooroner's jury Verdict Has tho
Approval OF All Familiar With the
SCI. evidence Adduced at Hearing.
a correspondent Of The State.
writing from Brunson, says distaste-
+ fssl as IS the task 1t Is best that the
8 story of the killing Of J. R. Lansford
be told and necessarily In the telling
cr it there must be related the too
tragic story Of Mary Harris, the
young white girl who Is in the pent-
a stentiary at Columbia. an eyewitness
z ef the killing and the occasion OF It..
There Is NO charge against her.
!. Il Is possible there may be one
:. hrought-for by her own admission
she was accessory after the fact to
the murder Of Mr.. Langsord.
After hearing OF the life and en-
psronment Of this poor child. one can
but recall what was traced In the
dust by the fingers of Him who came
20 save sinners: "He that Is vita
out sin among ye. let him cast the
FIRST stone"
With hardly an exception the peo-
ne OF this place and. indeed, ali
Who have heard the details OF the
ease, think the coroner's jury which
Hxei the killing OF Mr. Langford upon
Richard Williams, the negro now IN
the penitentiary. were right IN their
tnding. Two other negroes have
been; arrested. and released under
hodd to appear as witnesses when
the trial is held. They arc Ed Roase
and Jake Brown.
The evidence adduced at the tn-
Guest In brief:is: On Tuesday morn
Ing Mr.. Ian gford, who ran hotel at
Siunson and also operated 9 sawmill,
left his home In a buggy. about 8
o'clock. He drove by the telegraph
otfice and sent q message which was
aIed at S:10.' This fixes the tiule
essentially. From there he drove to-
ward his sawmill at Bopcep, but
stepped. "a. short way from the COR
norate limits and the house OF Bob
/; Harris, where he talked to Hary Har-
ris, who was cutting wool in che
uaId. He drove of q short distance,
! turned ort,of: the. road, tied his home
and got out Of the buggy. The girl
having made fre,. crossed the field
and met Mr.. Langford In the woods.
+, On her way she saw a buggy coming
MP the road and recognized the oc-
cupants as Ed. Rouse and Richard
Williams, negroes, both OF whom she
knew. She did not know she was
followed by Williams, and did not
see him again until he was standing
over Mr.. Langford with stick or
club upraised. The blow fell and
Laugford.s head dropped. He groaned
but did not speak, though she called
to him. The negro upbraided her
with being unfaithful. She was
frightened and ran home. The ne
Ero did not follow. She wanted to
teu OF the crome but was afraid.
The girl talked freely when she
did tell. Her story was straishtfor-
ward and despite traps that were laid
her evidence vas never s.Ianen in the
ieast.
The story OF the search for Mr..
Langford and the finding o. his body
on a buggy road in the woods has
been told.
Suspicion fell on Williams before
Nary Harris told of the part she had
played In the tragedy. While the
I search was being made for Mr.. Lang
ford, Williams volunteered the in
( formation that he had seen him on
the new Fairfax road at an hour
when, 1t was shown by the evidence
Of the other negro, corrohoTating
that Of Mary Harris. that he could
aot have been in sight Of the road.
He did cross the road later in the
day.
Ed. Rouse testified that he was
driving to Brunson and overlook
Williams. taking him in his buggy
with him. When they got within
aight Of the Harris home. Williams,
who Is a turpentine scraper. got out,
saying he had left some Of his tools
In the woods and had to get them.
Rouse did not see Mr.. Langford' s
horse and buggy nor did he see the
girl. It Is supposed that Williams
caw both. He described accurately
OR. Landlords dress.
On this evidence the negro was
charged by the corones's jury with
she crime.
There is Fathos immeasurable in
The story of Mary Harris and though
che mind revolts from degradation
such as she has confessed to yet It
must be said that she Is not all bad
ond Is the result OF an environment
which is deplorable, and poverty OF
ne dtrest.
Che should "impute the fault
To soul / the fud, SO starved by