The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-05-23
One NEGRO KILLED AND
THREE OTHERS WOUNDED
NEGRO CHURCH SCENE OF 4 Pts.
TOL BATTLE.
Negroes Walking Into Society Meeting
With His Hat on Was CasuS
Belli

With His Hat on Was Casus
Belli.
Rocky Zion (colored) church. on
Mr.. I. Nc. Smiths place, just on the
Newberry side of the line between
! Newberry and Laurens counties, was
the scene of bloody pistol battle
which ragged for a few minutes on
Sunday afternoon, in which one negro
was killed. and at least three others
more or less seriously wounded. An
inquest has been held over the dead
negro, but the details of the affair are
exceedingly hard to ascertain in any
connected way.
The shooting was the result o. a
fuss which started in the church,
where a society meeting was being
held. when Henry Baxter walked
into the meeting with his hat on, one
of the negroes taking offence at this
seeming lack of respect on Henry's
part. When the difficulty arose there
was a stampede to the grounds out
side, and a number of pistols were put
into action.
Henry Baxter, who had failed to un-
cover when he went into the meeting
was killed. John Robinson was shot
in the head. the bullet entering
through the ear, and his condition is
regarded as serious. Jim Workman
was shot in the right arm. A negro
woman, whose name has not been
learned, was shot in the thigh. It is
thought there We're possibly others
slightly injured.
Verge Williams is said to be the
negro who started the difficulty with
Baxter in the church. When the ad-
journment to the grounds was taken
it is said that Ephraim Williams, a
brother of Verge, secured Verge's pis-
tol and ran up to Baxter firing, and
that Baxter returned the fire. BY this
time there was a general fusilade in
progress, with a number of negroes
shooting.
Sheriff Buford went to the scene on
Sunday afternoon and returned Sun
day night with Ephraim Williams and
Jim Workman. These two negroes
had been arrested by Mr.. ". Pink
Smith, and were teing held for him
when he arrived. Later Sunday night
Deputy Sheriff Pope Buford arrested
jim Williams. on Mr.. Ben Abrams
place. Verge Will%alA Gould not be
found, and had not been located yes
terday afternoon.
Coroner Felker also went to the
scene Of the killing on Sunday after
noon, and remained Sunday night and
Monday until the afternoon. doing
some hard work upon the case. He
held the inquest on Monday. The ver-
dict Of the jury was to the effect that
Baxter came to his death by gun shot
wounds at the hands OF Ephralm Will
Hams and Jim Workman, with Verge
Williams as accessory.
This verdict, of course, does not
hold Jim Williams, who was arrested
on Sunday night
1t is stated that there was a big
gathering of Newberry and Laurens
negroes at the church. In a telephone
communication from Coroner Felker
yesterday afternoon, the coroner stat
ed that it was difficult to ferret out
the truth of the affair." With the s.eao
number of Shots fired by the several
negroes participating and the confus-
ion attending the rush of negroes from
the church, the witnesses of the affair
ale confused as to the facts, and it is
doubtful if all the facts can ever be
brought to light.
In his Investigations, which requir-
ed a great deal of work, Coroner Eel
ker had the assistance OF Deputy
Sheriff Pope Buford and of Magis-
trate Dorroh and Constable Carey
Johnson.
Coroner Felker and Deputy Sheriff
Pope Buord returned to the city yes
terday afternoon.