The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-26
SHOT WRONG MAN
KILLS COLORED MAN M1STAKING
HIM FOR WHITE MAN.
Engineer Joe Dunlap Shot Charley
Middleton, Colored, Taking Him
For Collie Wood, White.

Quite a sensation was created in
Sumter on Friday night Of last week
when Engineer Joe Dunlap about
eleven o'clock shot Charles Middle
ton, negro, mistaking him for a
white man, Collie Wood, with whom
Dunlap had had some previous diff.
6culties and for whom he was watch
ing.
The trouble that led up to the
shooting several weeks ago when
Collie Wood, a young white man, be-
gan paying attention to Dunlap S
wife while he was out on the road
but was later ordered out Of the
house and told not to come back
on pain of being shot.
However, Wood did come back
sometime later and plans were ar
ranged between him and Dunlap's
wife for an elopement, Dunlap
came home in time to prevent the
elopement, however, and swore out
a warrant for Wood for trespass af-
ter notice. Wood was sent to Jail
rs he was unable to pay off the fine
that was imposed upon him at the
hearing before Magistrate Wells.
It is said that on the day Of the
night of the shooting Dunlap inter
cepted a message from Wood to his
wife in which Wood stated that he
would come around to the house
Friday night while Dunlap was off
on his run and formulate plans for
another elopement. Dunlap at once
got another man in his place for the
night and providing himself with an
pump gun loaded with buck shot
he prepared to wait for Wooo-
After he had waited sometime be
saw someone about the size of Wood
coming down the street and fred six
shots at the person. The person fell.
shot in several places and Dunlap
gave himself up to Policeman Bar
wick and Ward who came up to in
vestigate the cause of the shooting.
1t was only after Dunlap had been
taken to Jail and was asked why he
shot the negro boy that he learned
that he had shot the wrong man.
Assistance was. sent TO the aid of
Middleton and he was hastened to
the hospital where his wounds were
treated.
When Dunlap first started to shoot
the negro Middleton was with two of
his sisters returning from a church
festival, which they had been attend
ing, and when the firing commenced
one of the negro girls ran around
the house of Henry James, who lives
next door to Dunlap, and the other
jumped through the window as did
Middleton.
Inside the house the two negroes
ran upstairs and while the policemen
were looking for the supposed Collie
Wood, and started upstairs for him,
the negro boy and his sister jumped
out Of the upstairs window to the
ground twenty feet below, the boy IL
jumping fell into wire which. broke
! his ankle and prevented him from
getting out of the way before Dun
lap he could shoot four more times at
him.
Dunlap shot six times before the
boy ran into the house and four times
after the boy came out. The two
negro girls were uninjured, except
for fright from which they suffered
great deal. 1t was stated by one
Of Dunlap's neighbors that he had
been sick for some time, and that
he had probably been drinking Fri
day night before the shooting occurr-
ed.
Charley Middleton died Sunday
night as the result Of the wounds re-
ceiyed in the shooting. Coroner
Flowers held the inquest over the
body at the finding of the jury be-
| ing that Middleton came to his
death by gunshot wounds received at
the hands Of Joseph Dunlap.