The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-21
CRIMINAL COURT PROCEEDINGS
From the Daily Item, Oct. Is.

from the Daily Item, Oct. 1S
The case Of William Vaughn for
arson. which was heard Monday,
was terminated late in the evening
when the jury brought in a verdict
of guilty with recommendation to
mercy.
Mr.. l.. ID. Jennings represented the
defendant and Mr.. j. B. MCLAUGHLIN
and the Solicitor represented the
State.
The building burned was gin
, house belonging to Mr. j. b. Nc
L.auchlin. The case has been hang
ing over for some time.
The case Of W. G.. Pierson for as
sault and battery of a high and as
gravated nature was taken up Tues
day morning by the court of general
sessions, after long wait to secure
the attendance of witnesses and in
order that other matters might be
attended to.
After several objections, a full jury
was secured and Mr.. Fishburne was
put on the stand to testify to the in =.
juries he had received at the hands
OF Mr.. PiersOn. He stated that w.
ID. Plerson, son of the defendant
had come to him on the morning Of
September 10Th with some cotton TO
be ginned and that he had given him
tickets on what Pierson had said
was his place in line. Later he had
found that Pierson was wrong. and
he had taken back two of the tickets
and had given them to two negroes.
Later in the day w. G. Pierson
had come in and asked him about
the matter and he had told him that
after he had found that Pierson was
incorrect he had changed the tic
kets. Pierson had said som, hing
about he would see that his cotton
was ginned and went out of the Of
nee. Later on Mr.. Pierson stated to
him that there would be trouble il
his cotton was not ginned on the
tickets first given his son. He had
telephone to Police headquarters
upon this threat being made and
short time later when he was
crossing to the gin house, Pierson
had suddenly grabbed him about
the throat and commenced to choke
him, at the same time gouglng his
eyes and later throwing him to the
ground and pummeling him with his
fists. He had tried to push Mr..
Pierson off and his hand had in
some way got into Mr.. Persons
mouth. Mr.. Pierson biting it several
times.
AFTER Mr.. Pierson was pulled OF
him. me- had been taken home, stop
ping on the way to be treated at the
drug store and later on receiving
treatment at the hands or IJr. Cnina.
There were numerou scrat hes
about his face and nee thc tlme
and his eyes were red and swc len.
Later he had been trouhl-d ur his
fingers and he had gone 10 DR..
China, who had dresse them. Sew
eral days afterwards h usi oeen
taken to the hospital where the
hand was operated on.
At this point in his narrative the
wound was undressed by Dr china
and shown to the jurv. Trpon cross
examination Mr. Fishburne IA lifted
having cursed Mr. Piersor repeated-
ly after Pierson had attacked him.
Other witnesses were chen put up to,
tell Of the fight. Dr. China DID Of
the wounds which hsd eauscd blood
poison. Witnesses were stl being
examined when court al.ournsd for
its noon recess.
All Of Tuesday afternoon and sew
eral hours Wednesday morning were
taken in completing the case.
Mr.. Pierson put up a plea Of self
defense, which was testified to by
number Of witnesses who were put
on the stand Tuesday afternoon. The
testimony offered by the defense diff
fered In many respects from that set
up by the State especially in the
matter Of how the fight began.
The testimony offered on the wit
ness stand by the defense was prac-
tics lly as follows: