The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-10-06

pile of canvas under wagon at the
other end of the car. I crawled under
it. but held it up waiting for Paul.
He didn't come | was afraid to stir,
for a man was sleeping on the pile
right above me.
Crawled Under Canvas.
Il heard some men. cursing and
shouting, coming toward where | was
living. | let the canvas fall over me
and crawled further under it. The
crowd walked right over me and fell
above me. When they had mauled
him considerably he seemed to wake
up, as he started in to swear. They
told him that they wanted his money.
He replied that he did not have any
thing except some candy. They
searched him and found that this was
true, for one of them said, Here, take
your old candy, We don't want it..
Il am pretty sure that the men
were white. They spoke fairly good
English and did not talk like ne
groes
After the firing of the shot as
was getting out of the wagon, things
got strangely quiet. I heard no more
shooting or cursing, but l was still
afraid to move for fear that | would
waken the man who was sleeping on
the canvas above me.
FINALLY, when day began to break,
l crept out from beneath the canvas,
and went back to the wagon to look
for Paul. 1 found his watch fob, made
of four coins strung together, two
letters addressed to him, one from
his father and one from girl friend
in Charleston. There was blood
everywhere. The sides and bottom of
the wagon were smeared with it. |
went back three cars and found it
shattered all along the canvas.
"When the train reached Warren
Vile / got off and wired the chief of
police in Augusta and told Special
Agent Ehney, of the Southern, who
was back in the last car on the train.
Il took Southern passenger train
No. s back from Augusta, riding on
the step on the lookout for Pauls
body, for felt sure that he had been
murdered and his body thrown Off
the train. l did not look any more
after we passed Leesville. l thought
that the shooting had taken place
after we passed there. This accounts
for my failure to find the body.
when the train reached Columbia
I went up to my room in the Sylvan
building. One of the Southern's men
came up after me in little while. l
went back to the union station with
him and took a railroad motor car
with T. McGhee Phifer, chief clerk
of the Southern, and Roadmaster
Faulks back to Gilbert, where they
told me that the body had been found.
| testified at the inquest and came
back to Columbia with the body.
Last night was the most terrible
1 have ever spent. 1t was enc long
wide-awake nightmare. l would like
to make one thing especially plain.
Paul and myself started to Augusta
simply for the fun of the thing and
because the young 'smooth-shaven
fellow invited us to go. We meant to
spend the day and come back Sunday
afternoon, as We both had to go to
| work Monday morning. I had money
and Paul had a pass. We were not
beating our way, but were simply out
for a lark"
Prepared to Rob.
Weekly stood up we'll under the
strain of the terrible night and the
trying day that he spent. But when
seen last night he was almost ex-
hausted and sadly in need of sleep.
| He is broken hearted over the tragic
| death of his friend and room mate,
Paul A. Williams. He believes that
the young circus employe whom they
met at the Blanding street station en-
ticed them aboard the train for the
purpose of robbing both of them.
Weekly said that the men who shot
young Williams seemed to be search
ing for some one. On account of the
darkness, he is unable to state
whether the murderers were black or
white, but he is fairly certain that
from their talk they were white men
and not negroes.
At Gilbert, near which the murder
must have occurred, drops Of blood
were found on the crossties from 25O
yards leading to the place where the
body of Williams was found lying with
his head on his right arm, his face
turned downward. His coat was
! &c Tho rno1- orc