The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-14

NAN WHO KILLED CHARLEY
MIDDLETON FREED FROM
CHARGE.
story Of What Led Up to Cline as
Told BY Engineer Joe Dunlap
Fine Address Made by Mendel l..
smith.


Dunlap was closed Tuesday night
shorty after 10 o'clock when a Jury
OF his peers brought in verdict of
not guilty to the charge Of murder.
which had been entered against him
and on which he was being tried.
Joe Dunlap was up to the time OF
the shooting. an Atlantic Coast Line
engineer. but was suspended imme-
diateiy after the shooting. up to the
present time. On the night Of April
18th he shot Charley Middleton. a
negro boy. mistaking him for Coll
lie Wood, a white man. for whom
he was on the lookout and whom.
as stated by himself. he had deter
mined to kill. II he came about his
place that night. Charley Middleton
died from the wounds received and
Dunlap was confined In Jail for some
time. while his attorneys were get
ting bail for him.
The story OF what led up TO the
shooting. as told by Dunlap on the
witness stand late Tuesday after
noon. was a pitiful one. His story
was In effect that Wood had first
come to his house to see his (wood's)
sister. He had later come again and
was invited 70 stay there while he
was sick. Wood having stated that
he had no home to 60 to.
Later Wood had come when he
was away and having heard Of II. he
had forbidden him to come to the
house at all. After having received
Information that Wood was continu-
ins 10 come TO the house when he
WAS away. he kept on the lookout for
him and one day found him there
and had him arrested for trespass
after notice. Wood plead guilty ana
was sentenced TO q term In jail. At
this time In order to avoid any fur
ther communication between Wood
and his wife. he had moved his fam
lily TO Columbia to his wife's brothers
house. Here he decided to separate
from his wife. but upon her earnest
protestations Of innocence and the
solicitations OF her brothers. and be-
cause OF the children. he had taken
her back as his wife and come back
TO Sumter. II was while living In
Columbia that he had visited Collie
Wood In Jail who had delivered to
him a lock of hair. which Wood
claimed to be some which his wife
had given him. and also a package
OF envelopes addressed TO his wife in
her own handwriting. After this he
had intercepted several notes from
Wood to his wife. but he believed her
statement that Wood was only writ
ing to her TO try and separate her
from him. Later he had suspected
poisoning and his wife had confess
ed TO him that Wood had tried to
induce her TO give poison. or to place
him In such a position at a window
1919 NscssN etah ho hisnt Dt SflOt Dy
Wood. without anyone knowing who
had done the shooting. He had also
been told by numerous parties Of
threats which Wood had mado
against his life.
IL was thus constantly In feer Of
his life from poison or a shot- from
behind that he lived for the three
weeks prior to the day when. at
home. sick. and hardly able 10 get
out OF bed. he had intercepted that
note from Wood TO his wife. In which
Wood told her to be ready for ha
would come for her that night and
she must go with him. IL was upon
the receipt OF this letter that he at
last finally deurtnined to kill Wood.
IL he came about the place that night
lie got his gun ready and prepared
to wait
About $50 he heard n whistle and
his wife got up and went out on the
front plaza. He followed with his
gun. going out on the street. and saw
Collie Wood pass underneath the
light on the corner farther down.
When he came back into the house
his wife asked him u he was going to
shoot Collie and no told her ne was,
II he saw him there that night. Up
on this she threw her arms around
him and begged him not to de- so.
she then went into one Of her nervous
hts and he had To call assistance to
get her hack To- consciousness. She
was put In bed and he went out on
the back piazza to wait. He heard n
noise and going 10 the gate ne
saw Mr.. Newton Zone of the wit