The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-10-04
A T TRAGIC R DEATH
Young Williams Of Columbia Bruutally
Murdered BY Negroes On
MOVING CIRCUS TRAIN |,!'

MOVING CIRCUS TRAIN IA! ]
Boarding show Train at Columbia
a with Intention Of Returning From
Augusta on Regular Passenger,
Young Railroad Employee Found
Dead Near Track.
Paul "A. Williams, 10 years of age,
5 OF the Southern railway, in Columbia,
was murdered and robbed about $50
o'clock Sunday morning while riding
with his friend J. c. Weekly, also
of Columbia, on the first section OF
the train which carried the Hagen
beck-Wallace circus to Augusta from
Columbia. The body was discovered
lying beside the track; between Gil
bert and Summit, 26 miles from Co
lumbia, rby Conductor Thrift IN
charge of Southern freight train No.
176 Sunday morning about lo.oo
o'clock. There was; bullet aWounu
in the right eye. .z,ss =
The pockets Of young Williams
were found turned wrong side out.
In; them was "a blood-stalned one
dollar bill which his murderers fall-
ed to find. His watch and about 50,
which Weekly says Williams had
when he left Columbia, were miss
ing. One of his shoes had been TAX
en- of. The body Of the murdered
man was brought to Columbia sun
day night at 7.30 o'clock on Southern
train No. 130 from Augusta. HIS
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. F. ]. Wllllams'
who formally lived in Colum bla,
where Mr.. Williams had jeWelry
store, but moved to Athens, Ga.' q
few months ago, are expected to ar
rive this morning at 1880 o'clock.
The State says when ]. G. Weekly
who is employed by E. A. Beall G Co.
of that city arrived in Columbia snn-
day night from Gilbert, where ne
was present at the inquest Whlcn
was held over the body OF his deaa
friend, he told tie story OF the muir
der. 800
Last Saturday night after the CIR
.cns was over Paul Williams and my
SELF went up to the Blanding street
station to watch the show load, 81
said weekly. s. s':W.ailegwe were up
there, we fell in with one ofathe chr
ems men. a young fellow with a clean
shayen face. He seemed to be5a NICE
man and after talking to us "nllie'
invited us to ride over to Augusta
with him on the first section or tne
circus train.
"Paul said, Lets go, just for the
fun Of the thing I told him that
il would be rough trip, but tnat II
he wanted to go, then go we would
We went up to our room IN the oyl,
van building and put on some ola
clothes. Paul got pass to Augusta
and return. had about $40 and ne
had about half that amount. u
u "Then we went back to the Bland
ing street yard. and got aboard a nat
car, loaded with wagons and the cir-
Gus tent near the middle of the train:
We did not see anything OF the
young man who invited us TO &c !o
Augusta.
everything was quiet on the
train until we got near Lexington.
Then we heard shooting and curslng
toward the rear end Of the train.
"a few minutes after the disturb
,ance began, man passed the wagon
funder which we were sitting. He
halted and said, There's the
Then he shot once out toward tue
bushes along the side of the track
and went back toward the rear OF
the train.
81 said Paul, we had better get
out of this. We climbed up over
the side Of the wagon under when
out of this W. eclimbed up over
the side Of the wagon under ynlch
we had been sitting and lay down.
In a minute or two, I saw the heads
Of three men coming over the side
of the wagon In which we were.
Isaid, Run for it, Paul, and made
q break for the other end OF the
wagon.
"As ! sprang up, one f the men
all of whom / think were white, yell
ed. now we'll get the - and mr.
ed once. I thought Paul was right
behind me when I went over the side
of the wagon head first. There was
a pile Of canvas unde' wagon nj
the other end of the car. I craw!ea
under it, but held it up Wanting for
Paul. He didn't come. was AFRAID
to stir, for a man was sleeping en-
the pile right above me.
~ heard some men, clrsins anu
shouting, coming toward where
was lying. l let the canvas ia''
over me and crawled further under
it, The crowd walked right over
me. and fell to kicking the man
above me. When they had mau'ed
him considerably he seemed to wake
-, &c ho startad to swear. They told