The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-12-01
AWFUL. Times
0n the Circus Train on Which Youag
Williams Was Murdered.

Wil1dmS was MulatGtg.
| TRUE Bill In THE Case
George Nichols, John Wilson, Elijah
Clark and Garland Brown Are
Charged With the Brutal Murder
Of the Young Man From Column
bia While on the Train.
At special term Of court ordered
by Governor Ansel, the general ses-
sions court for Lexington County on
Monday entered upon the trial OF
several defendants for the murder
and robbery of young Paul Williams
cf Columbia, which occurred October
2 last, on special train over the
Southern railway, carrying the Hag-
enbeek & Wallace circus to Augusta
from Colum bia. Judge George w.
Gage Of Chester is presiding.
The evidence Monday gave some
idea Of the Wholesale pillage Of the
first section of the Hagenbeck-Wal-
lace circus train by bands of riotous
circus employees, white men and ne
groes, which took place in the early
morning Of October 2, between Col
umbia and Augusta, and during
which Paul Williams was shot and
robbed.
The circus men were paid off in
Columbia on October /. In the
privilege" car on the first section
of the train going to- Augusta there
was an abundance Of whiskey. The
roughs and toughs of the circus gang
proceeded to get tanked and robbed
lor "red lighted" their fellow en-
ployes. In circus parlance, red
lighting is throwing man off the
train and letting him see If he Is
able, the red signal lamps on the
oaboose. FELTON, Gilbert, a negro,
who testified against Dave Woods
and Ed. White, was among those
"red lighted" during the riot.
Masked bands Of negroes and
white men, armed with pistols, roam
ed the train on the night of October
/ 2, robbing and "red lighting" prom
iscuously. Members :of one Of thest
gangs shot Paul Williams and threw
his body overheard George Mich
OILS, Elijah Clark, Garland Brown and
John Wilson are charged with being
the guilty men. In their stories each
excerpts himself, but declares that
the other three did the bloody work.
The first Indictment handed the
grand jury by George Bell Thinner
man, solicitor, was that charging
George Nichols, Elijah Clark, John
Wilson and Garland Brown with the
murder OF Paul A. Williams anu
with carrying concealed weapons.
The GRAND jury returned a true bill.
The four men charged with the
murder are very low types. George
Nichols, the white man, about thirty
years old, has a weak, vicious face.
On his chin is heavy growth Of
beard Elijah Clark is a coal-black
negro, with the features, arms aud
torso of a gorilla. he was named
in two OF the true bills returned by
the grand jury, besides the one
charging that he murdered Paul VIII
liams. John Wilson and Garland
Brown are both mulattoes. John
Wilson, the younger of the two Is
not over twenty years old, He claims
that he was born In London, Eng
land He has letter from his
sister, written from Springfield, o.,
in which she advises him to com
mend himself to God" Garland
Brown is a thick-set mulatto, with
low, receding forehead.
In the case, the court appointed
as counsel for the dtfense Messrs. j..
B. Wingard of Lexington, and Bir-
rett Jones Of Batesburg. Solicitor
Zimmerman has secured several I'M
portant statements, practically con-
fessions, from various ones of the
defendants and witnesses. The sub-
stance Of some Of these statements ts
as follows
Garland Brown. colored: was IN
1t, me. Elijah Clarke. John Wilson
and George Nichols. {Nichols is n
white mani. Nichols said: Come
on, know exactly where he Is.
Made two fellows jump of. Paul
Williams said: Don't kill me. don't
| kill me" John Wilson said; C
d. you, + am going to kill you.
You are too damned hard on negroes
down here in the South. And then
ht shot him in the head and Made
Cabe J. o. Cabe, white, wltness)
jump, and shot again. had 4 pistol.
Nichols had sack. making rs II It
was a pistol. After tI1at he goes to
anothe: wagon. whcre ! work. F..
Clark. hit another fellow called
Shine over the head with 4 pistol.
Gcogre Nichols was saying: Give
me the gun " George Nichols had
on black shirt with slccves rolled