The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-05-07

Hampton, April 30.-Pursued into
a swamp by a hurriedly organized
posse of determined men, Richard
Henry Austin, a negro, charged with
attempted criminal assault upon the
wife of prominent citizens of Luray,
turned upon the hunters and fired
shot after shot from his buckshot-
loaded gun, two of the loads finding
fatal lodgment in the bodies of f. H.
Edentield, magistrate of Allendale,
and j. Frank Bowers, farmer Of the
Luray section. Four other men-Dr
s. c. Moore of Hampton county, Nc
Teer Bowers, George Hanna and an
unidentified white man-were wound
ed. Late this evening the negro broke
through the line and make his es-
cape. He is still being pursued.
Mr.. Bowers was killed and the other
three were wounded about o'clock
this afternoon, when they attempted
to capture the negro, who had been
chased into patch of woods, a low
marshy tract Of about five acres, four
miles from Hampton. Thither they
had pursued the negro after he had
attempted to assault the wife of a
farmer at Luray.
After the first fatal attempt, he
pursuers decided wait for rein
forcements. Late this evening more
men, led by Magistrate Edenfield, ar
.;u
on the negro's hiding place, but shot
rang out and the leader fell dead.
Then the hunters settled down to
wait. In the gathering darkness, how
ever, the negro broke through the
line, while the guns Of the pursuers
1barked in vain.
About o'clock today news reach
ed Allendale that negro, Henry Aus
tin, had attempted an assault upon
the wife of farmer near Luray, in
Hampton county. After the negro
was frightened away the intended
victim telephoned to neighbor, Gus
Folk, who at once went to her assist
ance. On meeting the negro on the
road, Mr.. Folk attempted 10 arrest
him. The negro, heavily armed,
threatened Mr. Folks life, saying he
had come from Georgia for the pur-
pose Of killing several white men.
Mr.. Folk gave the alarm among
his neighbors and posse was quick
ly formed by men of that section.
They trailed the negro and had him
located in small swamp.
They announced that they needed
help and bloodhounds. Before Judge
Edenfield got off with his posse, the
news came that j. Frank Bowers had
been killed and three others wound
ed in their attempt to approach the
negro In his hiding place.
On arriving on the scene, Judge
Bdenfield formed skirmish line of
seven volunteers, with himself as the
leader. They were proceeding eau
tiously through the dense growth of
the swamp when suddenly shot
from the desperado's gun rang out
and the brave Edenfield lay dead.
An unidentified white man, who
was with the magistrate, is said to
have been seriously wounded. How he
Joined in the pursuit has not been
learned, nor has the extent of his
wounds been discovered. Other mem
bers Of the posse shot in the direc-
tion of the negro, but on account of
the thick swamp none of the shots
took effect.
The body of Judge Edenfield being
in range Of the negro's gun, 1t was
suicidal for the men to attempt to re-
move it. The body of Frank Bowers
also was left in the swamp.
DIR. Moore was hurried to a hospital
in Columbia
Sheriff j. b. Morris of Barnwell
passed through Allendale tonight in
an automobile with his blood hounds,
bound for the scene.
Two or three hundred men had
the swamp surrounded and there