The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-06-27

Macon, Ga, June 22.-J. T. Hew-
ell, country merchant at Long
Branch near Dublin, and his wife
were murdered early this morning,
after being called from their beds.
Bloodhounds placed on the trail led
the posse to the cabin of three ne
groes, Smith Harris, Joe May and
Henry Kitchens. These negroes
were hurried to the Jail, and, al
though heavy guard was establish
ed, crowd outnumbering the guards
formed outside the Jail and demand
ed the surrender of the prisoners.
At o'clock tonight several hun
dred citizens had joined the forces
outside the Jail and had begun to
storm the Jail. Capture of the pris-
oners and their lynching is expected.
Hewell was shot down with a shot
gun. The right side of his face was
riddled with No. shot, and his right
eye was shot out. 1t was before day.
break and he carried lighted lamp
in one hand. The lamp set his cloth
ing on fire
Mrs. Hewell ran to her husbands
assistance and was ordered back in
the house, it is believed, as her body
was found on the doorstep, as if try
ing to enter the house.
NeighbOr Notifies Sheriff.
The sheriff and coroner were mott
fled of the shooting by a neighbor,
who, on hearing the shots set out for
the city. When the officers and a
quickly summoned posse appeared on
the scene Mrs. Hewell was dead, but
her husband was still breathing and
suffering awful agony from the
wounds and burns. He died while
being brought to Dublin by the coro-
ner.
Hewell muttered something about
a negro having done the shooting,
but nothing tangible could be obtain
ed from him. The county's dogs
were placed on the tracks and they
led to the cabin of Harris, where they
also found Joe May. Both negroes
were placed under arrest. Harris's
tracks are alleged to fit the tracks
found at the Hewell home.
There were barefoot tracks at the
scene of the shooting also and the
county bloodhounds were placed on
these tracks. The dogs went
straight to the home of Henry Kit
chens, also negro. A single barrel
shot gun was found in Kitchens
home that had been recently fired.
He also was arrested.
Robbery Motive of Murder.
The motive for the murder is be-
lieved to have been robbery and the
theory is that Harris borrowed Kit
chen's gun to commit the deed. They
evidently met in the woods to di-
vide the spoils. Mrs. Hewells trunk
was ransacked, the suit cases and
grips were thrown into the yard af-
ter their contents had been searched,
while small grip in which HewcE
kept his money was found in the
woods near where shoe prints and
barefoot tracks met.
Search of the premises of the ne
groes failed to disclose any money
that had been obtained. Howell evil
IDENTIFY put up hard fight with the
negroes as both of his revolvers were
found in the yard near the scene of
the shooting. Hewell had removed
his clothing after it caught fire and
he was practically nude when found.
Hewelrs son travels out of Ma
con for packing firm. The son was
located at Hawkinsville by phone and
has gone to the scene of the crime.
Hewell was 53 years old and his wife
was 30.
Prisoners Spirited Away?
The mob failed in it's efforts to get
possession of the negroes at the Du-
bin Jail at o'clock tonight, and ar
ranged to make another attack later
in the night. When the crowd with
drew for supper they were not aware
of the fact that the sheriff was hold
ing passenger train on the Wright
vile and Tennille Road.
The negroes were slipped hurried
ly out of the Jail under heavy guard
and placed aboard this train and ta-
ken to Eastman. From Eastman
they are to be taken over the South
ern Railway to the iail at Macon