The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-08-13

peared to answer to the description
given by the lady. He was quickly
carried by automobile before his in
tended victim, but she could not posi-
tive identify him. She was almost
certain that this was the negro, but
she could not recognize the clothes
he was wearing. 1t later turned out
that he had change to cleaner clothes
after working in the mud or possibly
to avoid detection.
AS the lady's identification was not
complete, the negro was hurried 20
the county Jail for protection until
further evidence could be secured and
until the blood hounds arrived. Dur
ing the long wait for the arrival of
the blood hounds, which had been sent
by automobile through the country,
the jail was closely watched by silent
and determined men who saw to 1t
that no avenue of escape was left by
which the sheriff or his officers could
spirit the prisoner away.
The crowd of men anxiously but
patiently waited for further evidence
against the negro until about seven
o'clock, when the dogs from Column
bia arrived. They were carried to the
scene of the crime and placed in the
road where the attack was made. They
took up the trail at once and followed
CT ip1 To
Puckett had been found. From the
house, they followed trail to the
place where Rich Puckett was placed
in the buggy to be carried off. 1t was
then that all the crowd turned to-
wards the county Jail convncer that
the right man was in Jail
In the meantime the crowd from
the surrounding country grew larger
and larger and by ninc-thrty it was
ready to do it's work Demands be-
gan to be made for the prisoner and
the crowd took on the aspect of dis
orderly mob The sheriff appeared at
the front and opportuned the mob to
desist, Solicitor Cooper got up and
promised to do his best to secure
speedy trial for the negro and stated
that the lady herself would not be
brought to the court room. The crowd
contnued to call for the negro. Mr..
Cooper asked them to wait while he
telephoned the governor to ask for an
immediate trial, or while he could
confer with close relatives of the lady
to see If they favored lynching the
negro. Nothing would appease the
anger of the crowd. In spite of the
protestations of the solicitor, the
sheriff and several others who want
ed to hear from the governor and from
the ladys relatives, the mob began to
storm the side gate of the Jail. After
this was broken in and the sheriff
oVerpowered, some of the leaders
went into the jail itself and in short
order broke into the cage where Puck
EFT was confined. He was dragged out
and down the steps into the iail-yard
beneath and from there he was car
ried through the public square to the
scene of the lynching. Hundreds of
shots were fred when the fusilade be-
gan, but comparatively few took effect
Richard Puckett bore bad repu-
tation and had just been released
from the county chaingang. At a re-
cent term Of court he was convicted
on the technical charge of burglary,
having been accused of trcspassing at
night and spying on the promises Of
prominent Laurens citizens. His case
was appealed to the supreme court,
where the lower court was reversed.
The county authorities thereupon
turned him at liberty and it is said