Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-03-06
ATTEMPTED ASSAULT AT DEANS
Negro in Jail .iakes Partial Confess.
siOn--Almost a Lynching.

(Anderson Intelligencer, March 1.)
William Reed, a negro, "a years Of
age, was Tuesday lodged in the coun-
ty Jail on the charge of attempting to
criminally assault prominent lady
at her home at Deans Station, this
county, about 10 o'clock Mouday
night. The alleged attempt was
made while the husband Of the lady
was absent from home, having been
called away to sit up with sick
friend
Reed admits he is the negro want
ed, but declares that he had no other
intention but to rob the house.
The first knowledge the lady had
OF the presence Of the negro in her
room was when she felt his hands
touch her. She screamed and the ne
gro made his exit through the win
dow he had forced open in entering.
The lady gave an alarm, and within
few minutes great crowd had col
lected. and considerable excitement
prevailed.
Sherif King and Deputy Martin ar
rived on the scene about midnight,
and after making a hasty investiga-
ton negro named Armstrong was
arrested on suspicion. He was
brought to the jail by Sheriff King,
Deputy Martin remaining to make a
further Investigation. The lady could
not positively identify Armstrong as
being the right negro because her
room was dark, and she didn't see
his face.
Deputy Martin and several men
who had gathered found some tracks
leading from the window. II Sc
tracks led through a newly ploughed
field around hedge and across a
meadow to a cabin. In this cabin
the negro Reed was found. On being
arrested Reed disclaimed any knowl-
edge Of the incident, claiming that he
had not left his cabin since nightfall.
Officers started with him to the jail
here, and on his way he admitted that
he was the man in the house.
Reed was seen in his cell by q
newspaper man. He talked freely
about the incident, but his story was
not plausible. He says that he had
an engagement Monday night with. a
negro man living three miles away
who was to bring him a bushel Of
one dollar. Reed says he wasn't. able
to get the money from Mr.. Scott,
but went any way on the road to
| meet the man with the corn. This
man was not forthcoming as per his
engagement, says Reed, so Reed de-
| cided to go to the mans home to get
| the corn himself. He started down
the road and passed the home Of the
| lady. The notion struck him. he
says, as he passed the house that
maybe he could steal the dollar there
Whereupon Reed says he went to a
window in the rear of the house, and
after forcing it open, entered this
room. He says he searched the room
but found no money. He then de-
cided to try the adjoining room.
Reed says he managed to get through
the door, but as he was walking along
the wall expecting to find the bureau
he fell across chair. Reed says
that he was thrown across the bed
and that the lady screamed. He then
| made rush for the window and
leaped out.
When asked why he was compell-
ed to have a bushel of corn then
even If he had to go three miles on
| foot at 0 o'clock at night to get it,
Reed merely grinned and offered no
explanation other than he just want
| ed the corn for his mule.
The other negro, Armstrong,
has been turned loose, as there was
no evidence against him, and Reed
has admitted that he was the man.
The lady was greatly frightened
and has been under the care of a
physician. Her condition, however, Is
not serious, and it is expected that
there will be no bad results. She was
alone in the house at the time with
her two little children. She Is 26
years, of age and Of prominent and
influential family.
Almost n Lynching.
AS soon as the news of the attack
spread over the county the people in
every section became greatly excited,
| and by 10 o'clock Tuesday night
some 800 people had gathered on the
streets adjacent to the Jail, the pur-
pose evidently being to demand Of
the sheriff and his deputies the ne
gro Reed, and summarily dealing
with him. For some reason, how
ever, the mob dispersed about twelve
O'Clock without attempting anything.
The jail was heavily barricaded, She
riff King having sworn In some eight
or ten deputies. 1t was learned later
that the plans to get the negro from
the jail miscarried; that reinforce
ments were expected from at least
two sections of the county, and that
because these were not forthcoming,
and because the crowd seemed to lack
leader, the storming Of the jail was
not made. Again on Wednesday
night Sheriff King called in several
deputies, thinking possibly there
might be a second attempt to get the
negro Everything was quiet all
night long, however. The negro is
still in the county Jail iii the colored
cell.
Special Court Asked.
Clerk Of Court Pearman went to
Deans and interviewed the lady in