The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-18

puuuy tTieu W get the gun away
from him, but could not. Pye ther
again started into the house and tn,
man called to him to stop and throw
up his hands. Pye turned and as he
did SO the man shot. There was nc
quarrel, but they were talking abou,
the Bradleys. She stated that the
man was q white preacher and that
he had q paper for Mrs. Bradley. She
said that Bradley knew the man, as
he had stayed at his house one night
Loney Pye stated that the man
dared Pa to go in the house and drew
the gun on all of them. His story of
the shooting was the same as that of
the others.
The verdict of the coroner's jury
was that Frank Pye came to his
death by gunshot wounds in the hands
of q man whose name was unknown
to the jury and that j. w. Bradley
was an accessory before and after the
fact and that Mrs. Bradley was an
accessory before the fact.
On this finding the sheriff and his
officers kept on the lookout for Brad
ley. but did not find him until he came
in and gave himself up this morn
ing. Sheriff Bradford's theory con-
corning the killing is that Bradley
got the unknown man. alleged to be
q preacher, to do the killing for him,
in case Pye would not consent to
Bradley's wife coming back to live
with him. Bradley. Bradley waited
in the woods until the killing was
over and then assisted the man to
escape. Sheriff Bradford's search of
last night was unavailing, although he
has notified surrounding points Of the
killing and to keep a lookout for the
man, who Is said to be medium
sized man Of foreign appearance,
about thirty years Of age and when
last seen, wearing brown overalls.
This morning Bradley and his wife
were seen by reporter for the Item
and questioned concerning the af-
fair. Their story of the killing is
very different from that Of those who
testified at the inquest.
Bradley declared that Wednesday
he came to Magistrate Wells to get
a warrant from him. requiring Pye
to allow his wife to come back to
him. Bradley. Magistrate Wells gave
him paper which he told him to
read to his wife in the presence of q
witness. the paper, according to Brad
ley's testimony. being for the purpose
of having the woman come up to
Judge Wells to state in his presence
that she wanted to leave Pye and go
back to her husband. Armed with
this paper. Bradley started home,
when he met up with the man who Is
alleged to have done the killing.
This man, Bradley claims, he had seen
before. last spring, when he passed by
his place. He spoke to him near the
cotton platform. where the man was
resting on the railroad track talking
about religion to a negro woman.
Bradley claims that the preacher had
the gun at this time and that his
own gun has been away from his
home for over three weeks. He told
this man, who said he was q preach
er, his troubles. and the man offered
to help him. saying that he was a
preacher and this was his business
to help other people when they were
in trouble.
They then went on home along the
railroad track. going on foot. He
was afraid to go to Pye's house, a.
that morning he had been there and
Charlie Floyd had drawn a knife OH
him and all Of them had threatened
his life. il he came back there. He
therefore, remained out in the road,
while the preacher went to Pye's
house with the paper from Judge
Wells to read to his, Bradley's, wife.
At the same time he was to per-
suade Pye to allow his wife to come
back to him. Bradley. IL he could do
so. After short time the man re-
turned and told him that his wifi,
would come back to him. She couldn't
come then, but that she would come
the next day. Bradley asked the
stranger how he had accomplished this
and was told that the man shot Pye.
IL asked him If he had killed him"
said Bradley, "and he said that he
didn't know, but that he shot at his
heart and that he fell when the shot
took effect" I'VE then started up
the road towards Mayesville. / went
with the man for about hundred
yards, when / left him. The last