The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-10
A BRUTAL MURDER
PROMINENT MERCHANT OF BARN.
WELL SHOT down

MELL 1NUE UUHN
negroes Did KILLING
The Cold-Blooded Murder, Which
Was Committed O. One Of the
Principai Streets VI INC Town, and
the Negroes Who Did it Are in
Jail.
Mr.. E. Peyton Best, we'll known
merchant Of Barnwell, was shot and
almost instantly killed there Wednes-
day night between nine and ten
O'Clock while on his way home from
his store. The shooting was done on
Wall Street, only some fifty yards
from Mr. Best's grocery store, which
Is in sight Of the court house. Two
shots were fred, only one Of which
took effect. The bullet entered the
back and passed through the body
near the heart, the wounded man
dying in two minutes after he was
shot.
The shots were fred at $40
o'clock. Mr.. Best had been to q
restaurant for supper and was walk
ing up the street when two shots
we're fred. Vince Dunbar and Ar
thur Harden were standing IN the
door Of a pool room, few yards
away, and toward them the wounded
man staggered, excls'ming: "Oh,
Lord, boys, I'm shot. AS he FELL
Mr.. Harden caught hir Ind he was
carried into the pool -. where he
died in two minutes.
Officers at once Beg. a hunt for
the man or men who fred the shots,
and soon between fifteen and twenty
negroes were arrested as suspects
After the wholesale roundup OF sus-
poets another negro was brought IN
and placed in Jail. 1t is said that
against this negro strong circumstan-
tial evidence is directed.
It is believed that the shots came
from q crowd of negroes standing
behind Mr.. Best. 1t Is said that Mr..
Best had been jostled by negroes on
the streets as he passed them, and
that trouble had then been narrowly
ayerted. A negro is said to have
drawn a revolver and three times at
tempted to fire at Mr.. Best, the wea-
pon missing fire each time. This oc-
currence makes it certain that the
fatal shot was fred by some negro
IN this gang.
Barnwell was greatly excited over
the brutal killing Of one OF her prin-
cipal merchants, on one Of the most
public streets, and no efforts will be
spored to run the gang down who
committed the foul, Gistolical muir
der. Mr.. Best was ttlsTss-six years
OF age and a native e. BarnWeil
county. He leaves 8 EtsSa and FIVE
small children. Mrs. Fest was pros
trated when the news reached her OF
the brutal murder Of her husband.
There is no doubt but that the foul
deed was done by bad negro.
Three Negroes Did Crime.
The coroner's jury, after full in
vestigation Of the murder, rendered
verdict that Mr.. Best "came to his
death from gunshot wounds in the
hands Of Scott Madison, and that
Mitchell Stroy and Gilbert Miller
were accessories before and after the
fact. Fearing tha- the prisoners
would be lynched If allowed to re-
main in the county jail, Sheriff J. B.
Morris and a deputy took the accused
men to Columbia, having left Barn
well about noon Thursday in an au-
tomobile. There was some talk at
Barnwell Thursday, it is said, about
3 proposed lynching bee, and hearing
Of this the governor Instructed the
captain of the local militia to assem-
bic his men and "do what is neces-
sary to preserve the peace" of Barn
we'll.
From the testimony brought out at
the inquest the nurGec Of Mr.. Best
is one Of the most colS-Slooded that
has ever darksnsd the pages Of GRIM
inal history of BarnTell county.
There was absolutely no proVocation,
it seems, other than that Mr.. Best
had pushed one Of the negroes out Of
his way as he was leaving the res
taurant where he had been for sup
per. This negro, Gilbert Miller, 1t
was testified, threw an empty bottle
at Mr.. Best and then ran. Mr. Best
turned around to Scott Madison.
who was standing in front Of the res
taurant and asked what he meant by
hitting him. Madison replied that
he did not hit him-that the man
that threw the bottle had run off.
Mr.. Best replied that he was not
hurt, and turning around. start
ed OF up the street in the direction
Of his store. He had gone only few
steps and was In the full glare Of an
electric light, when two shots were
fred. One took effect in his back
near the heart, and passed entirely
through the body. The other shot
went wild. Mr.. Best staggered to the
open door, Of Kearse'- -~ol room and
fell, dying in the ar~s e Mr.. Arthur
Harden. The excitsRe-& Wednesday
night was intense AK there is nc
doubt that the nesrcec would have
been lynched had tESy been caught
shortly after the kiln
The arrest Of the tused men, all
Of whom are negroes lployed by the
Atlantic Coast Line railroad com.