The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-18
|BAMbERG TRAGEDY
WITNESSES RELATE DETAILS OF
THE Sad AFFAIR
HOW RILEY WAS KILLED

HOW RILEY WAS kILLE[
! According to the Testimony He Wa
Shot to Death by G. Moys Diekin
son on His Premises About On
O'clock Friday Morning In tn
Town Of Bamberg.
As stated in our last issue thu
most terrible and mysterious TRACED!
ever enacted in Bamberg occurred
there about half-past eleven o'clocs
Thursday night when W. Paul Rile!
was shot to death by G. Moye Dlekl
son, on the premises OF the latter
The two men were representatives
of the motsorpminent and Influential
families Of the town and both stooc
high in social as we'll as business cir
cles, Mr.. Riley being cashier OF the
PEOPLES Bank, and Mr.. DickersoI
manager Of the local cotton oil mill.
They had not been on friendly
terms for several years and 1t is hare
to imagine what induced Mr.. Riley
TO visit the premises Of Mr.. Dickin'
son at such an hour OF the night. He
was not a drinking man and had been
seen on Main street only about one
hour before the tragedy occurred
and at that time he was in his usual
iovial and happy mood. Some think
he must have suddenly become men
tally unbalanced and while in that
condition wandered into the premises
where he was killed.
The whole community Is deeply
grieved over the unfortunate AFFAIR,
| for there were few men in Bamberg
more universally loved and respected
than W. Paul Riley and his slayer
Mrs. Riley and their only son were IN
Hendersonville N. c., at the time OF
the tragedy and expected to return
home to join him next week. Mr..
Dickinson surrendered to the sheriff
immediately after the shooting anu
Is now in custody. He Is much
grieyed over the occurrence and Is IN
a highly nervous state.
The details of the affair are best
told by the witnesses who testified
at the coroner's inquest, their state
ments as recorded are given below.
Mayfield and Free have been retain
ed to defend Mr.. Dickerdson, and will
make application tor bail before
Rice at Aiken. Solicitor Gunter ap-
peared at the inquest to represent
the state. The following affidavit
made by Mr.. Dickinson will be used
in the effort to obtain bail and con-
tains his version Of the affair:
Dickinson's Statement.
"Personaly appeared before me G..
NJ. Dickinson, defendant in the above
emitted action, (of the State VS.. G. NJ.
Dickinson,) who, being duly sworn
deposes and says:
THAT on the night of September
IL, 1912 he carried his little son to
vaudeville show in the town of Bam-
berg, S. c., and returned therefrom
at about 10 O'Clock at night, going to
his home situated in the county and
State fo-esaid, on the intersection
Of two streets within the corporate
limits of the own of Bamberg.
"That upon returning home, he, to-
gether with the other members OF
his family, retired. A guest, Miss
Olar Leighton, occupied a front bed
room.
THAT shortly after retiring, depo-
nent does not know how long, as he
was browsing and perhaps sleeping,
lightly, his daughter, Rebecca, a girl
Of about - years OF age, who, to-
gether with his little son and wife,
were occupying the room with depo-
nent, said to deronent that "a tramp
is at the window Deponent think
ing that his daughter possibly had
been dreaming, told her there was no
one there, but u2op being assured by
his frightened child that there was
someone near the window, looked
out and saw the shadow and the out
lines of a person creeping along the
ground on his hands ad knees.
"That thereupon deponent In his
night clothes unarmed, went through
his back door and out inte his back
yard and saw the figure Of this man
still hurriedly going in a stopped and
crawling position toward the gate
leading into deponent's barn yard.
THAT deponent twice called to this
man to stop and hold up his hands
deponent running after him, but that
this man instead of needing this sum-
mons rushed into the back yard; at
the gate deponent stopped. At this
moment deponent's wife called to him
to get his gun.
THAT deponent thereupon hurried
ly secured his gun from his house
and loading the same, again returned
to his back yard, and ran to his
barnyard gate and stood there in his
night clothes some moments trying
to see the man, but in the meantime
waiting for his wife to bring a light
so that search could be made OF de-
ponents premises, and II possible to
arrest the supposed felon.
"That after waiting some time de-
ponent's wife not having appeared
with the light he called to her to
bring him the lantern, which she did
after some minutes.
"That upon the appearance OF his
wife with the lighted lantern, he, to-
gether with his wife, approached his
barn and examined part OF the sta
bles, finding no one.
"That deponent preceding his wife
then went to another stall, leaving
her with the light some distance, and
calling upon her to bring the light,
and as deponent entered the door
way Of the stall the man hiding there
in struck a terrific blow at depon-
ent, and deponent evading the same
was rushed upon by the man. who
seized deponent's breach-loadine
shotgun with which deponent was
armed, and attempted to wrest it
from deponent's grasp, but failing in
this, either sprang off from depon.
ent or in the struggle was showed of