The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-11-26
MASKED MOB TOOK HIM
FROM The CONSTABLE
IYNCHING WAS IA MILES ABOVE
NEWBERRY.
Will Thomas, the Negro, Was Charseu
With Murder OF Mr.. SpurseOh
Johnson.

will Thomas, a negro, was taken
from magistrates constaDle oS
nartv of masked men at point apou'
fourteen miles above NeWberry al
oho,+ 10 o'clock on Friday night, and
vas chained to a tree and his Dooy
..ad,od with hullets. The negro was
heing brought to the NeWberry jail ny
Constable Cary G. Johnson, on war
rant charging Thomas with the mur-
der of spurgeon Johnson, Wnlte man
who was assassinated in the upper Sec
tion of the county, near the LaurenS
line during the first OF October Inc
warrant had been issued by MaglS-
+ro+e William Dorroh, and the negro
was arrested in the community III
which Johnson was killed.
Constable Johnson was naiteo ny
+,o n,oh at . point in some thick woods
i,s+ heyond Little River bridge. he
COWS when the mob approached hin
thew demanded the prisoner, and that
ba refused to deliver him over and snot
off his ssstol, thinking to bluff the
r,ob He SAYS he was told that if he
did that again he would be killed. and
+bo4 he was then entirely surrounded
NV the masked men and had to surren-
der He said the mob then told MIN 70
get down the road quickly, and mat
he obeyed. They struck his mule ne
saws and before he had got very Tar
he heard the firing of guns and pistols
Bo saws he thinks he heard over a
hundred shots.
4e and Magistrate Dorroh went 10
the scene on Saturday morning ana
: fonnd the dead body OF the negro sun
chained to the tree, the same cham
heino nsed with which Constable john
soo had the negro secured on the
tourney to Newberry. Magistrate Dor
roh then Immediately notified Sherin
Ruford. The sheriff had just returned
from a trip in the lower part OF the
county, and in and around Peak
where there was considerable disturb
ance Friday night, and in company
with Constable Cannon G. Blease, MI.
r. c. Boyleston and Mr.. R. M I1o-
marsh. he left Immediately for the
scene. It was impossible to elicit any
y further facts than those given by the
magistrates constable. Coroner Jonn
Henry Chappell held an inquest the
verdict being that the negro cane 10
his death at the hands OF unknown
parties.
Following is the testimony OF Con-
stable Johnson at the inquest:
&C. G. Johnson, sworn, says: l am
constable for William Dorroh, and had
a warrant given to get Billy Thomas
10 convey him to Jail for the murder
OF spurgeon Johnson, and when got
to this spot a party of masked men
halted me and demanded the prisoner
who | had arrested. l refused and
shot off my pistol, thinking that could
bluff them off. They told me that IL
| did that again they would shoot me,
was then entirely surrounded Dy
masked men and had to surrender.
They then told me to get down the road
ouick and | obeyed. They struck my
mnle and | heard the shot of guns aac
pistols before l had got very Tar al''i
MAGISTRATE Dorroh and myself ccme
over here this morning and found BIZ
" Thomas dead did not know any
of the masked men. This was about
10 o'clock last night. 1t vas in Nv
berry county, S. c."
II will be recalled that Spurgeon
johnson. the white man With hose
murder Thomas was charged, was
shot through window OF his horne,
after nightfall, as he was sitting in a
room with his family On the day toll
lowing the shooting, while Sheriff Bu-
ford was investigating it, he examined
Thomas, the negro who was lynched
on Friday night, but released MIN when
it appeared that Thomas had been out