The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-12-16
J. v. HARPER SURRENDERS.
GAVE HIMSELF UP TO JA1LER
OWENS FRIDAY EVENING
AND Is NOW TN JAIL.
Hearing for Habeas Corpus Proceed
ings to Take Place Before Judge
Gary at Columbia Thursday-Mat-
ter Kept Very Quiet-NO State
ment Given Out.
From The Daily Item, Dec. II.

]. w. Harper the alleged slayer
| of Eddie Bossard on the evening Of
last Christmas Day has surrendered
himself to Jailor Owens and is now
in Jail awaiting trial. This is the in
formation learned on the streets, to-
day and it is probably correct as
Mr.. Geo. D. Levy, who, with Mr.. j.
Fl. Clifton, is to represent Harper,
stated in effect that it was correct.
| The surrender Of Harper has been
kept secret and only very few had
learned Of the fact until today. Those
who were questioned about the mat
i ter stated that they had been told
that Harper had surrendered and
that he was now in Jail, but that
they had been given their informa-
ton as a dead secret and they were
not responsible for the information.
Mr. Geo. D. Levy, when asked about
the matter at first evaded a direct
answer. then stated that it was a
fact that Harper had given himself
up and was now in Jail to await
trial at the next term Of court. He
stated further that notice had been
given the Solicitor to appear before
Judge Eugene B. Gary Thursday in
chambers at Columbia, where mo-
ton would be made to have Harper
released on bail. He said that ne
could not at this time give out any
information as to Harper's where
abouts since the time Of the alleged
murder last Christmas, but that prob
ably this information would be given
out after the petition for release on
bail had been passed upon by Judge
| Gary. He refused a direct answer to
the question, why the matter had
been kept so quiet since Harper's sur
render.
The fact THAI Harper surrendered
himself last Friday evening and has
been a prisoner ever since without
the knowledge of II becoming public
is in Itself a surprise, and even this
morning those who saw the name on
the jail book were asked not to give
any publicity to the fact. This fact
in itself seems very peculiar, as pub
lie documents like this are supposed
to be open for public inspection.
| What has been learned about the
surrender Of Mr.. Harper has not
come through the sheriff's office,
however, and has been pickle up
here and there from various sources.
The best information obtainable Is
that Friday evening Mr.. Harper went
to the jail and surrendered himself
to Jalior Owens. Later in the even
ing his attorneys, Messrs. Clifton and
Levy, hal talk with him, at which
time he made his statement and pa
pers were prepared which are to bc
used in the habeas corpus proceed
ings.-or at least the preparation Of
them was commenced.
Jailor Owens, when questioned
about the matter of Mr.. Harper's sur
render, would say nothing definite on
the subject. 1t is supposed that the
effort to keep the matter secret was
made in order hat it might not he
known that Harper was in jail until
papers for his release had been
filed.
1t will be remembered that r. NJ.
Bateman, who was held as an ac-
cessory to the shooting. was tried at
the last term of court and acquitted
Of the charge by the jury. What
caused Mr.. Harper to surrender
himself, after he had apparently
gotten off Scott free" is a matter
of conjecture among those who were
heard talking about the matter es-
pecially as no effort was made to cap
ture him after he sent his letter TO
the sheriff from Cuba and there has
been no apparent effort to bring him
to justice since that time. There
were many who stated that it was a
big surprise to them that he should
| give himself up at all, although he
might have done it at the time the
shooting occurred.
1t will be remembered that at
that time report was spread that
Harper had shot Bossard in self-de-
fense after Bossard had Knocked
/ him down with his buggy whip. This
was the statement made by Bateman
when he was tried and will probably
| be made when HarDer comes 10 trial