The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-06-26
DOUBLE MURDER NEAR DUBLIN.
Mob Storms Jail, But Fails to Get
Negroes to Lynch.

Macon, Ca, June 22.-J. T. HeW-
ell, a country merchant at Long
Branch, near Dublin, and his wife
were murdered early this morning,
after being called from their beds.
Bloodhounds placed on the trail led
the posse to the cabin of three ne
groes, Smith Harris, Joe May and
Henry Kitchens. These negroes were
hurried to the Jail, and, although a
heavy guard was blished, crowd
outnumbering the guards formed out
side the jail and demanded the sur
render of the prisoners.
At o'clock tonight several hun
dred citizens had joined the forces
outside the Jail and had begun to
storm the jail. Capture of the pris-
oners and their lynching is expected.
Hewell was shot down with shot
gun. The right side of his face was
riddled with No. 4 shot, and his right
eye was shot out. 1t was before day
light and he carried lighted lamp in
one hand. The lamp set his clothing
on fire.
Mrs. Hewell ran to her husbands
assistance and was ordered back IN
the house, it is believed, as her body
was found on the doorstep, as If try
ing to enter the house.
Neighbor Notifies Sheriff.
The sheriff and coroner were noti-
fed of the shooting by a neighbor,
who, on hearing the shots set out for
the city. When the officers and a
quickly summoned posse appeared On
the scene Mrs. Hewell was dead, but
her husband was still breathing and
suffering awful agony from the
wounds and burns. He died while
being brought to Dublin by the cor
Oner.
Hewell muttered something about
a negro having done the shooting,
but nothing tangible could be obtain
ed from him. The county's dogs We're
placed on the tracks and they led to
the cabin of Harris, where they also
found Joe May. Both negroes were
placed under arrest. Harris's tracks
are alleged to fit the tracks found at
the Hewell home.
There were barefoot tracks at the
scene of the shooting also and the
county bloodhounds we're placed on
these trackes. The dogs went straight
to the home of Henry Kitchens, also
a negro. A single barrel shot gun
was found in Kitchens home that
had been recently fired. He also was
arrested.
Robbery Motive of Murder.
The motive for the murder is be-
lieved to have been robbery and the
theory is that Harris borrowed Kitch-
ems gun to commit the deed. They
evidently met in the woods to divide
the spoils. Mrs. Hewell's trunk was
ransacked, the suit cases and grips
were thrown into the yard after their
contents had been searched, while
small grip in which Hewell kept his
money was found in the woods near
where shoe prints and barefoot tracks
met.
Search of the premises of the ne
groes failed to disclose any money
that had been obtained Hewell evil
dently put up a hard fight with the
negroes as both of his revolvers were
found in the yard near the scene OF
the shooting. Hewell had removed
his clothing after it caught fire and
he was practically nude when found.
Hewell's son travels out of Macon
for a packing firm. The son was To-
Gated at Hawkinsville by phone and
has gone to the scene Of the crime.
Hewell was SO years old and his wife
was 80.
Prisoners Spirited Away?
The mob failed in it's effort to get
possession of the negroes at the Dub
lin jail at o'clock tonight, and ar
ranged to make another attack later
in the night. When the crowd with
drew for supper they were not aware
of the fact that the sheriff was hold
ing a passenger train on the Wrights-
vile and Tenniile Road.
The negroes were slipped hurried
ly out of the Jail under heavy guard
and placed aboard this train and ta-
ken to Eastman. From Eastman
they are to be taken over the South