The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-02
FOUN D
c. u ILTY OF
WILLIAMS
MURDER

Lexington. Nov. 3O.-George
Nichols. a white man, of Pekin, Ill.
and Elijah Clarke, a negro. of New
Orleans. were convicted of murder.
with recommendation to mercy, in
the special term of General Sessions
Court here today. for completely in
the murder of Paul A. Williams.
Southern Railway freight clerk in
the city of Columbia. while riding
on the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus
train en- route 10 Augusta, on the
night of October 2. The jury. of
which B. II. Barre. of Lexington
was foreman, reached this verdict
after celebrating for fifteen min
utes, Nichols and Clarke were in
dicted together with Garland Brown
and John Wilson, both of whom
are negroes.
WEEKLY'S GRAPHIC RECITAL
His was dramatic story. He
said that he and Williams had at
tended the circus together and had
gone to Blanding street station to
see the circus loaded. There they
were approached by a clean shaven
white man. who told them to get on
a certain car, of which he was in
charge. They first went to their
room in the Sylvan building to
change their pants and to get trans
portation for the r3nrn trip next
day.
They boarded the train. getting
on flat car. and when the train had
crossed the river they heard noises,
pistol firing and little later several
men were scuffling on the cars; they
got in circus wagon in order to
get out of the way. The rowdyism
continued and Weekley said to Will
liams that they would have to get
out of there. Weekly said that he
fell dowL beneath the canvas and
the negro was beneath him.
THE ATTACK.
AS | was leaving the wagon
where Paul was" said the witness,
i heard one of them yell, stop.
They then began to scuffle and !
heard them talking about candy
and money; they were beating fel-
low over the head with a pistol.
They said to Williams Give me
your gun. and he replied, I have
none They then took a man 5
candy and handed it back to him.
knew it was candy; / heard him cat.
ing it and I was so close to him that
| could smell it. They then went to
another man and beat him over the
head. heard him holler, Great God
don't kill me- The crowd then left
and ! saw 10 more of them" con-
cluded tie witness. The young
man said that he remained behind
the canvas until day. When the
train reached Warrenville he report
ed the matter. He inspected the
car and found Williams hat and
one shoe. He identified stick pin,
a ring and letters and post cards as
being the ones found on the flat car
the next morning. They were all
spattered with blood.
TAKING TRIP FOR FUN.
Upon the cross-examination
Weekley said that he and Williams
were just taking the trip for the fun
of the thing; that Williams had SON 9
friends in Augusta and they were
going over to spend few hours
with them.
DR.. (. P. Derrick, who conducted
the examination the inquest, VIZ 8
the next witness. He described the
nature of the wounds. stating that
he neck. chest and sides showed
'lgns of strangulatlon, and it was MS
opinion that Williams had been
,hoked after he had been shot.
J. c. Philpot, conductor on the
,lrcus train, was next sworn. He
leard about 100 shots in all. He
vas riding in the caboose when the ,
rain left Columbia. but when the
rain stepped at Lexington he went
Up and down the sides of the train. !
lie saw number of men standing
m the flat car, one Of whom hercc-
'gnlzed as being the defendant. Geo