The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-17
FATAL ACCIDENT
PEOPLES KILLS COLUMBIA NEGRO
UAINTENTIONALLY
IN PUTTING Up PISTOL
Attorney General Explains to Coro-
ner's Jury the Circumstances Lead
ing up to Deplorable Af1air-There
Was No Difficulty Between Him
and nea6 Nppro

and Dead Negro.
Robert Marshall, colored. was kill
ed Saturday night by Attorney Gen.
eral Thomas H. Peoples at the Elks'
Club in Columbia, where the negro
was employed as chef. According to
those at the club the shooting was
entirely accidental and Mr.. Peoples
is sorry beyond expression, at the
happening.
Sheriff Mccain, Of Richland coun-
ty, was on hand personally at the
club soon after the shooting and on
the sus gestion that Mr.. Peoples get a
good nights rest at the Mansion he
sent deputy with him Sheriff Nc
Cain was heard to express the opinion
that this was matter Of form. al
though the shooting was explained as
accidental.
The investigation by the coroner's
jury was held Sunday night and re-
suited in the verdict that Robert Mar
shall, the negro cook at the Elks'
Club, came to his death Saturday
night from the accidental discharge
of pisto! in the hands OF Attorney
General Thomas H. Peoples. This
means that the Attorney General will
be brought to trial at the January
term Of court for accidental himicide.
All the testimony brought out at
the inquest tended to show that the
shooting was an accident. Attorney
General Peoples himself made a
statement to the jury in which he ex-
planned the discharge Of the pistol.
his reason for having it and all the
matters leading up to the unfortunate
occurrence at the club.
In effect Mr.. Peoples stated that he
had placed the pistol in his automo-
bile Saturday when his mother went
with her brother to Lexington. The
return trip was made by Mrs. Peoples
with a strange chauffeur and he de-
sired that she should have the pistol
for protection. When he went to the
Elks' CLUB at 10 o'clock Saturday
night he took the pistol ont OF the
car and carried it upstairs to the club
rooms with the intention of leaving
it there.
81 do not carry a pistol" said Mr.
Peoples, "and wanted to leave the
weapon at the club" He said that
as he walked behind the buffet to
place the weapon near the cash reg
lister Capt. J. H. Weaver, who was
standing behind the counter, asked
him to let him see the pistol. He
stated that he was handing it over
when the pistol discharged, killing
the negro cock, who was standing in
front Of the buffet at the monument
From the testimony of other wit
nesses it was brought out that the
pistol was cooked Mr.. Peoples stat
ed that he did not know Of this.
",My God, what have I done!" ex-
claimed Mr.. Peoples when he saw the
negro fall after the discharge of the
gun. 81 felt like blowing out my own
brains," he said. All witnesses tes-
tilted the Attorney General was dis
tressed and Sheriff Mccain said he
wept as he told him Of the shooting a
few minutes after it happened.
The supposition is that the ham
mer of the gun struck the counter as
Mr.. Peoples handed the gun to Mr..
Weaves, and it was thereby dischars-
ed. Sheriff Mccain made an exam
ination Of the room that bore out the
statements of witnesses with refer
ence to the range Of the bullet. and
the doctors testimony also confirm
ed this.
A brother of the dead negro was
present at the shooting. He after
wards stated that he had heard no
words pass between his brother and
Mr.. Peoples, and the first thing he
knew was the pistols report which
he was very much surprised to hear.
The brother is an employee Of the
club also.
All witnesses agreed that no words
passed between Mr.. Peoples and the
negro before the shooting. The 9TH
er negro help in the club also testi-
fed TO this.
Can't. J. H. Weaver, conductor on
the Southern railway. bore out Mr..
Peoples statements with regard to
the discharge of the gun. Capt.
Weaver says he was standing right
neyt to the Attorney General.
Assistant Attorney General Fred
H. Dominick appeared as counsel for
Mr.. Peoples and questioned wit
nesses briefly. Solicitor Wade Hamp-
ton Cobb appeared for the State. He
will be the prosecuting officer at the
trial.