The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-10-16
NE:WBERRY FARMER is
KILLED BY ASSASSIN
SpurgeOn NJ. johnson Shot Through
WiDdOw-Was in Room of His Home
with Family-LOad of Shot Pene-
trated his Head.

'NAASOh' "ho llNCu On tile
known as the old Jim Hill place.
northwest of Newberry, not far from
the Laurens line was assassinated at
about $50 o'clock on Monday night, as
he sat in a room of his home. i'm COM
pany with his wife and her aunt and
his little son, who was in bed. Mr.
Johnson was shot on the left side Of
the head. about the region of the ear,
with shot gun. The assassin fired
through .an open window. Mr.. John
son died instantly.
The peace officers in Newberry re-
celVed telephone messages telling of
the tragedy at about o'clock on Tues
day morning. Sheriff Buford, accom-
panied by his two rural policemen, left
Immediately for the scene, in an auto
mobile driven by Mr.. Forrest Summer.
Constable and Sheriff. elect Cannon
G. Blease waited in Newberry until
about o'clock Tuesday morning for
blood hounds which had been request.
ed from Columbia The blood hounds
were brought to Newberry by MIR. c.
C. Robins, guard at the State peni-
tentiary Mr.. Robbins came up on
the early mixed train on the c., N. &
l.. road, and, driven by Mr.. Waldrop.
III Mr.. Blease's car, he and Mr.. Blease
and Coroner Jno. Henry Chappell went
to the scene.
The blood hounds trailed from the
house to a road, where mule tracks
some of those who were at the scene
that the dogs were on the track of the
assassin, and that after firing the shot
he went to the road and left on
mule. 1t was impossible to follow
the mule track
Rumors connected the name of a
negro, Billy Thomas, with the affair,
and he was found by Sheriff Buford,
but was not detained when it was
shown that he had been 'possum hunt
ing with white men at the time of the
killing.
Mr.. Johnson was furnishing Nose
year, and on the day of the shooting
had sent over and taken some seed
cotton from Nose. Nose was not locat-
ed in the neighborhood by the officers.
and his wife states that he has been
at Cross Hill for several weeks under
the care Of physicians. When Moses
wife was first asked about the af-
fair, however, it appears that she said
Nose was at a house nearby, and it
is stated that she piloted Magistrate
William Dorroh and a party to this
house. 1t was at this house that an
other incident occurred at about day
light on Tuesday morning.
Magistrate Dorroh and his party de-
manded to enter this house in search
of Nose Hailstock when they were
fired upon by negroes in the house.
The fire was returned by 'the party,
and Os Atkins, colored, and his son,
were both wounded Both were shot
in the fieshy parts of their legs. and
neither wound is serious. 1t was some
time before the party could enter the
house. and it was not known whether
Nose Hailstock had been in the house
and had left or not.
Nose Hailstock's wife, it appears,
became frightened while the case wa
being investigated, and some time ear
ly Tuesday morning she left. She was
later secured by Sheriff Buford. how
ever, and for several reasons which
appeared to the sheriff sufficient, she
was brought to the Newberry Jail by
Sheriff Buford on Tuesday night. She
is not charged with the killing, but is
detained pending the Investigation.
Sheriff Buford returned to the city
on Tuesday afternoon, but went back
to the scene on the Southern train at
2:bS, and continued his investigations
Tuesday afternoon, returning to New,
berry on the Southern Tuesday night,
bringing the woman with him. Con-
stable Blease and Mr.. Robbins return
ed to the city with the dogs Tuesday
afternoon, and MIR. Robbins took the
dogs back to Columbia.
Coroner John Henry Chappell held
the inquest on Tuesday morning. The
affair was shrouded in mystery, and
very few facts were ELECTED. Mr..
Johnson had come in from hauling
cotton, and had sat down at the table
tn do coma 6onrino NVI,uo ~ ,,o ..