The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-06-29
In SHADOW OF GALLOws
Remarkable Case of Mistaken Jdeu-
tity Revealed.

EuseIlelu, June 2.-Mistaken i'd
entity came frightfuny close to
causing hanging in murder trial
recently held in Madison, Georgia. n
former Edgefield county negro be-
ing the unhappy defendant. Some
twenty-five years ago one of Madi-
son most prominent citizens was
orutaily murderer by John Fagan. =
negro. The crime was committed
under cover of darkness and without
the slightest prOvocation The town
was aroused as never before. and al
thoush every possible effort was
put forth to capture the assassin
he made good his escape. Time went
on, but the horrible recollection of
the dastardly deeds was never ef
laced from the memory of Madison
nor was there abatement in the ef
Lore to run down the perpetrator.
Less than year ago several citi-
zens OF the place, on pleasure bent.
were IN a Mississippi town. AS
lney were walking the streets their
eyes fell upon a man, and with ono
voice they exclaimed there is Jobn
Fagan, the slayer of MIR and
not waiting for police assistance
.hey selzed the person. On his part
tnere was no resistance or effort TO
escape - only surprise. He was
hastily carried to the scene of the
murder, the news of the capture had
preceaed their arrival, and a vast
tnrohg mad assembled to receive
len. hshteous indignation was
bttPtcted btlt on every face, blood ran
nlgh. Fagan had been reared i'm
Maalson and was we'll known there,
ana not a man in that angry as
semDlage but who identified tho
prisoner as the murderer of their la
mented and beloved fellow citizen
put be it said to the credit of this
people, violence was not resorted to .
ana the law happily was allowed to
lake It's course; thereby an iuno-
rent life was saved
Back in the seventies there 1i,-
ed on the plantation of Mr. lack
tonnes; in the Phillippi section OF
EuseIleld county, a negro by the
name OF Andrew Coleman. and his
son, Dug. During a Temporary ev-
ouus OF negroes from this countv
me Iather and son drifted to Mis-
slsslppl - and there hte latter at
taIned mans estate. 1t was his mis-
r .une as one man does another. to
resemble the murderer John Fagan
ana MS arrest, incarceration. and
ndlr breadth escape was the seouel
we SAID that the resemblance he
tween fagan and Dug was as per
iect as like is to like. bur there
was TINS In the latter's favor, when
arrested he had only one arm !
whereas the former when last seen
Hau Two, but there was a possibility !
Ia! prooaDlilty-that Fagan had
iost an arm. Indeed it must be So |
because, said they who passed
Judgment, we cannot be mistaken in
the identity. ~ III
belng placed in Jail Dug was fire.
quehtly Dy citizens of Madison, and
20 each he announced his innocence
telling his life's story. how he Ind /
Hved on Mr.. Holmes place and smb-
SeQuently with his father. moved to
bnSo ieSlPpi' and how, when a little
boy re lost his arm iii Gin and
was attended by DIR. TilIman = /
mentioning several white citizens of I
tHe PhilIlppi section who knew him
80 impressed was the prosecuting
oiIlcer OF the Madison circut with
the sincerity of the defendant that
uouDt as to his guilt was awakened /
ana ne wrote Ex-Governor Shep- /
Pard, whom he knew by reputation /
SiVihg history of the case and the
lie OF Dug as narrated by him F.
governor sheppard, acting purely
rom a humanitarian standpoint F.
ana with desire that truth and
IusLlce might prevail. interested
nltnself in the matter, and caused
several OF the white citizens of the
fnlliippi neighborhood 10 come to
Edgtleld, some OF those the negro
SAID he had known Mr.. Tom
IIoinieS, a nephew of Mr.. Jacob
dtoihleS on whose place he defend
ant SAID ne had lived was first Dues
tloned: He said he remembered Dug
as little boy and recalled the ac-
cident that befell him when he lost
ms arm, and that the lamented DIR
zimmerman had attended him and
that subsequently the father and
son mad moved from the State. Mr.
floihes statement was authenticat-
ca py several others. Mr. Sheppard
olhniunlcated this information to
the Madison attorney, who in turn
delivered his letter to the counsel
Tor the prisoner
On a visit to Atlanta Mr. Shep
Pard CHANGED to meet the defend
ant attorney and acquainted him
more fully with what the several
citlzens of Edgefield county knew
ABOUT his client. 1t was a Question
OF saving an innocent human life
ana or course, these gentlemen vol
tun|arliy went to Madison and at
tended the trial and it was their
testimony that removed the shield
or guilt that hung so ominousIv
over the head of the unfortunate
captive AS test three one arm
negroes, as near lie as could he
round, were placed in a cell and Mr..
holmes was asked to see If he couId
Identity Dug. This he did without a
moments hesitation.
Ihe trial says Mr.. Holmes was in
tense and tragic. The court room
was crowded; there was eagerness
that the innocent blood of the muir
dered man should be avenged. sew
eral of the States witnesses meg