Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-10-02
CRGUNTER SHOT by LONG.
Mob hreatens Lynching-Oflcers
Save Prisoner by Clever Rusc.
(Special to Charleston News and
R COurier.)


Et3YA,S.t t' ---------
(Special to Charleston News and
Courier.)
AikeGl Sept. 28.-News was re-
ceiyed here late this afternoon that
HughS hgLong, Of Wagner, in this
countysSwho was recently nominated
IN the Aecond Democratic primary to
the HguBe of Representatives, had
shot iHitkens Gunter, a prominent
citizenfDf his home town. 1t is stated
that the shooting Is result of
threatsagainst Mr.. Long Immediately
folloWiDgGhis nomination.
1t E8recalled that the News and
.CourieE unpublished an interview re-
Gently bn (which Mr.. Long confirmed
rumQgsito,, the effect that he would
be seYetely dealt with If he attempted
to gOs sbadk to his home town, of
which, hssis mayor. Mr.. Long at the
time stAted that he did not fear trou-
bic, aiSagWas most certainly going
back t8ssWagener SO soon as he fin
ished ms business in Aiken.
The homination Of Mr.. Long was
after ashard contest, in which great
dealnofHactional feeling entered.
LoGg Lodged in Aiken Jail.
Aiken, Sept. 29.-After eluding a
mob Off Gdetermined men bent upon
wreaking vengeance upon him after
he had sshot Pickens H. Gunter, pres
ident ofthe Bank Of Wagner, on the
streets of that town yesterday after
noon, and after sucering many hard
ships ndtraveling under serious diff
ficultiessmore than 25 miles through
the iysraiH last night, Hugh Long.
M a IN
tive-eleetSs was brought to Aiken this
morn1ngSby two rural policemen and
placeds in3iail. Muscoe Samuels and
S. p. Hplley, the officers who accom-
plished zone of the cleyerest ruses
ever4Worked in this county to protect
q prisOner from violence, arrived in
Aiken, {haggard and worn out with
the Ihardships Of wild night, at 7
When Sheriff RADON and his depu-
ties REACHED Wagner last night they
found ait angry mob surrounding the
house, I'M lioh Long had barricaded
himself X Il bong q {W h'o5l was; "a apparently
very 81 l#dh to see of ilcers Of tho
law Wist sta one d Sols ise& 4 eeond /! Dor
of Ia of .S fia ar4
row stairway, armed with two loaded
revolvers and shotgun, and holding
his ground with determination that
convinced the officers beyond doubt
that If he had been attacked by the
mob he would have sold his life dear.
Prepared for Battle.
According to the sheriff, Long had
taken up a position which he could
have held against the onslaught of
the crowd until his ammunition was
exhausted, and before he could have
been killed, it was apparent that he
could have shot down at least a
dozen Of the attacking party.
Longs wife and child. and another
family, were in the house with him.
Upon his arrival Sheriff RADON ad-
dressed the crowd, but his words of
advice were unavailing. In gin
house few yards away were gath
cred large number Of men. These
Long could see through a window
from his station at the head Of the
stairs. Their dark forms were moy-
ing about continuously, and OCCASION
ally the glow Of their cigars and Gig
arettes resembled the dspaly of so
many firefies.
Other men formed Gordon around
the house in which Long had taken
refuge, and the mob kept their eyes
upon the big black automobile in
which the sheriff and his men made
the trip from Aiken, thinking that
the officers would attempt to carry
him away in the machine, when they
would have a better opportunity to
make an attack.
The sheriff, however, had no such
intention. Realizing that to attempt
to carry Long away in the face Of the
mob would mean, at the very least,
the death Of his prisoner, he asked
the leaders of the mob what they de-
manded. They answered that they
would be satisfied If Long were kept
In WAGNER until daylight-presum
bly, to await word from the bedside
OF Gunter, the desperately wounded
man.
At last. about midnight, one of
the deputies, finding that the guard
at the rear of the house had relaxed
its vigilance, he reported the matter
to the sheriff, and the sheriff. realiZ-
ing that this was his opportunity,
told Long to go with the two depu-
ties.
a Clever Rusc.
Long kissed his wife good bye, and
in the custody Of the officers, who
themselves were heavily armed, Slip
ped out Of the back door and into the
woods. For twelve miles the three
men walked through the rain and
the darkness, keeping away from the
public roads and following by-paths
through the woods. They lost their
way, and were near Salley when one
Of sthe officers realized their location.
Thirteen miles from Aiken they Sc
cured buggy, and, wet to the skin,
worn and fatigucd, they drove the
remainder Of the way.
At Wagner, however, the sheriff
and his other deputies maintained
thnir OH q I'd Of Tho hnucn In ,uhinh LII o