The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-09

post riders, of the killing and rob-
bing Of Lemeul Lane. Mr. Lane was
worthy and wealthy citizen and was
known to keep a large amount OF
specie in his house, there being no
banks in the State at that time. The
report was that he had been killed
and robbed of fourteen thousand Eve
hundred and sixty dollars by mob
of negroes led by white man, said
afterwards to have been BILLY Will
son." No one knew this man.
One man Cureton a few months be-
fore had been murdered and robbed
by the same crowd few miles out
from Newberry. so also had a Mr..
Walker, of Chester, and the question
on every lip was, who next" The
people had a right to believe regu-
lar band of murderers were rowing
over the country, 36r these very people
who killed Mr.. Lane said they were
going to kill Gen. Koon had they not
been frightened away.
Mr.. Lane had employed two young
men as guard around his house, Wash
Gaines and Theodore Keller, of Fair
field. In addition to this precaution
he kept a brace of vicious dogs chain
ed during the day and turned loose
at night. This very night one of the
young men had gone away and the
dogs were not unclaimed as usual,
This was at first thought to be merely
coincident but it developed later that
Hilliard Dawkins, Mr.. Lanes foreman,
and confidential servant, had the gang
of assassins concealed in thicket
for more than two weeks awaiting the
time when the guard was away and
he, whose duty was to nnuse the dogs
and loose them. h,,d lift them chained
up to further his plan.
John Lane, his eldest son, JEFF, his
next, lad then about thirteen years
of age, with Keller, we're sleeping in
the front piazza, while Mr.. Lane and
his youngest son were lying on a cot,
between his dwelling and the meat
house. From the evidence at the trial,
it seems that Hilliard Dawkins as
sembled the gang b:,h'nd the garden,
himself crept stealthily upon his sleep
ing victim and Drained him with
hand axe. So quietly was it done that
the young sen, sleeping by his side,
knew nothing of it until next morning.
A wild rush was now made by the
gang for the front piazza, firing their
pistols as they came in, bound John
Lane, and Keller with stout thongs,
ready at hand. These two they rush
ed to the spring, tied them to tree
and left a negro, with a gun to guard
them.
It appeared Hilliard Dawkins knew
of the places where the money was
concealed. Out of a mattress on which
was sleeping Mrs. Lane, they got $10,-
600 in gold and from other places
lot of silver. The young daughter had
$1,000 in gold in shot bag entrusted
TO her keeping and was in the act of
leaving the house with it when one of
the party hearing the sound Of the
metal in the folds of her dress, caught
her and took the money away.
After the party had gotten all of the
money they retired behind the garden
to divide the spoils. Whether it was
a preconcerted plot between the lead
ers among the negroes and Billy Will
son, to stimulate fright, each grab
what he could, leaving the stool pig
4 cons" without anythings, or whether it
was the fact that John Lane had made
y his escape, anyway someone said,
''Yonder comes somebody" and wild
8 grab was made and the crowd precip-
Itably dispersed.
There was supposed to bs about Il
in the gang, but those who we're real
" known and convicted wers, Hilliard
Dawkins, Lon Jones, Beltoa Cline,
Tom Cline, Burr sondley, Joan Counts
and a negro by the name q Thomas,
said to have been from Edge ED, His
tale was that while working in the
! aeld at his home several st ange ne
groes came along and persuaded him
to accompany them.
Now became fevered nan hunt.
More than twenty-five or tGirty sus-