The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-10-11
NEWBERRY FARMER IS
KILLED BY ASSASSIN
SPURGEON VI. JOHNSON SHOT
THROUGH WINDOW.
Was in Room of His Home With Fam.
ily-L0ad of Shot Penetrated
His Head.

Jim Hill place, northwest of Newber-
Try, not far from the Laurens line, was
assassinated at about $50 o'clock on
Monday night, as he sat in room of
his home, in company with li7 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 win
dow. Mr.. Johnson died instantly.
The peace officers in Newberry re-
ceived 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 requested
from Columbia The blood hounds
were brought to Newberry by Mr.. G..
C. Robins, a 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,
in 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
were seen, and it is the opinion Of
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 a
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
Hailstock, a negro, with rations this
year, and on the day of the shooting
| had sent over and taken some seed
cotton from Nose. Nose was 1ot lccat-
ed in the neighborhood by the officers,
and his wife states that ne his 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 tha. she said
Nose was at a house nearby, and it
is stated that she piIoted Ma2is+ ate
! William Dorroh and a party to this
house. 1t was at this house chat an
other incident occurred at about day
I light on Tuesday NOR ling.
Magistrate Dorroh and his party de-
manded to enter this house IL search
of Nose Hailstock, when they Were fir
ed 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 feshy
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 Hail
stock had been in the house and had
left or not.
Nose Hailstock's wife, it appears, be-
came frightened while the case was
| 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
2.4S, 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 Mr. 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
to do some figuring While he was at