The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-10-17
CHESTER YOUTHS FREED
OF ROBBERY CHARGE
Fraser-Bigham Hearing Held i'm
Fairfield County.
DECIDES AGAINST STATE.
Failed to Make Out Case Against
Young Men Charged With Com
plicity i'm Recent Hold-Up.

Wlnnsboro Special to Charleston
News and Courier, Oct. 15.-The pre-
llminary hearing in the case of the
state against ]. B. Fraser, Jr., and
Bissell Bigham OF Chester, charged
with robbing the paymaster of
$4,000 at Parr Shoals, was held
today before Magistrate F. K. Mann.
and resulted In the magistrate hold
ing that there was a failure on the
grant of the prosecution to make out
probable case against the defend
ants, who therefore were discharged.
The attorneys for the defence ex-
pected to have the hearing in Winns-
boro and a large crowd had gathered
TO hear the testimony, when w. II.
Lyles, attorney for the prosecution,
made the point that Magistrate Mann
was without jurisdiction to hear the
case in No Township, when he was
magistrate of No II Township.
He was sustained in this motion by
the magistrate and the officer stated
he would go within his territory and
have the preliminary.
At B O'Clock the crowd assembled
at Ashford's Cross Roads, 10 miles
southwest of Winnsboro, and the case
was called.
The prosecution offered only the
III,
master OF the j. G.. White COMPANY.
and A. T. Hancock, camp boss of the
construction camp at Parr Shoals, Mr..
Maham testified in substance as
follows:
PAYMASTER'S TESTIMONY. -
He was on train No. 13 that left
Columbia about 1.20 O'Clock, and that
he arrived at Parr Shoals at 2:3O
O'Clock, that 1t was after he had re-
ceipted for the money and started
towards the camp that he saw three
men with blackened faces: that thev
came up and ordered the negro, Bill
Renger to beat 1t and drop the money
he carried in canvas bag. The men
he said, shot twice over his head and
shot Joyner in the nip, when he NOV
ed his hand toward his hip pocket.
The witness could not identify the
persons, but stated one of the men
was OF the build of Fraser and one
about the size of Bigham. Witness
would not swear either of them was
the guilty party.
SAYS RECOGNIZED THEM.
Mr.. Hancock testified to having
seen Fraser on the works at Parr
Shoals in February and June and saw
! Bigham in the month of June: that
! he was about eleven feet away when
/ ne saw three men near the mail
/ crane and heard them hollering at
the paymaster and his assistants
/ Their faces were blackened, he said
but the disguise had rubbed off their
! hands and he knew they we're white
men. Witnesses said he recognized
/ Bigham as the man on the right when
they came up to him, and the stout
man In the centre as Fraser Witness
/ SAID he went to Chester and after
staying there four or five days took
seat in Wylie and Anderson's stab
/ les, where he was told he would prob
ably see the man he was looking for.
He said he thought Mr.. Wylie knew
whom he was looking for because
he was in Chief OF Police Sanders
oftice and heard the purpose of his
trip. witness recognized Fraser when
ne came through the stable.
WOULD SWEAR TO IDENTITY.
Asked the question whether he told
his employer that Fraser was the per-
son who held them up the witness
answered he had not Said he saw
/ Bigham in an eating house and that
Bigham went out when he came in
and left his meal. Witness stated he
would swear positively that Fraser
and Bigham were two of the persons
who held the men up, regardless of
what a number of citizens Of Chester
would say as to their being in Ches-
ter at the time the robbery was COM
mitted.
The attorneys representing the de-
PENDANTS were ]. r. Mcdonald, S. ].
McFadden Giles Patterson 7
/ CASTOR and Malcolm Marion. After
the decision was announced the large
number OF Chester citizens whe had
: tourneyed to the hearing in automo-
bfles applauded the magistrate and a
number shook his hand.