Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-26
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.

= Columbia, May "a: John Bell To-
will of Batesburg, a former director
of the South Carolina dispensary, who
has been under $11, 900 bond since 1907
upon a charge of conspiracy to defrauo
the state, appeared In the Richland
sessions court today with his counsel,
Messrs. E. L. Asbill Of Saluda, r II,
Welch and P. III. Nelson of Columbia,
and George tombstone of .Newberry,
and demanded a trial. One Of the
counsel for the defense said the con-
tention of his client was that he was
arrested In 1907 and indicted in 1909.
but had never received a trial, al
though no request for continuance has
been made by the defense and at each
term the state has secured a contln-
uance. Towill was indicted along
with several other former dispensary
officials, the specific transaction on
which this action Is based being the
purchase of a large quantity of liquor
labels.
Colui.b .bia Record, Tuesday: Solic-
itor George Bell Zimmerman, VINO was
in the city Tuesday, brought with him
a report on the Paul Williams murder
case. Mr.. Zimmerman recommends
that George Nichols, the white man
who was convicted with three negroes
for the killing of young Williams on
circus train, last October, be not par
doned or paroled by Gov. Blease. The
Paul williams murder case is Vividly
recalled here and in Lexington coun-
ty, where the trial itself was held,
williams was a very young man ana
in company with a friend boarded the
train of Hagenback- Wallace circus
going toward Augusta after the per.
formance here. In the early hours or
the morning the body of Paul Will
liams was thrown from the train and
at the time of the finding of the body
the murder was a mystery. Weekly,
the companion of Paul Williams,
brough the first story to Columbia OF
the killing. Weekly told how the men
came to the fiat car where he and
Williams were and took their Yalua-
bles, then shooting Williams. Weekly
escaped from the train by hiding and
getting off at a station further on up
the road. Solicitor Zimmerman sue
ceeded in convicting four men for the
murder of Williams. One OF the men
was white, the George Nichols for
whom a pardon is now being sought
on the ground of i'll health and not
having taken part in the actual KILL
ing. George Nichols attorney, Mr.. g..
c. Cunningham of Pekin, ILL.,, was here
Tuesday to see the governor, who is
out of the city. This was the second
appearance of Mr.. Cunningham at the
governors office with the pardon pc
tition. 1t is stated that a large part
of the residents of Pekin have signed
the petition. Speaking informally Of
the case Tuesday, Solicitor Thinner
man told some interesting things in
connection with the murder of Paul
Williams. AS discovered by him the
four men charged with the murder
had at first agreed to stand together"
and hold out that none was guilty.
Later on three of them fixed plan,
II is stated, by which one man was
to have the blame fastened on him.
When this one Of the quartette found
this out he resigned from the ranks OF
the merger and then each of the men
charged went to telling on the others,
shifting the blame. Two were tried
and convicted and the jury recon-
mended them to the mercy OF the
court. This unexpected verdict (with
the recommendation led to the agree
ment that the other two prisoners
plead guilty, which was done, putting
them all on the same footing. Thus all
four men were sentenced to life i'm
prisonment. Attorney Cunningham
appeared today to get hearing in the
matter, but as the governor was away
the petition comes up later.