The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-12-11
BEST'S SLAYER TO DIE
SCOTT MADISON TO DIE BEFORE
CHRISTMAS.
Gilbert Miller, Colored, Found Guilty
of Assault and Battery,
Gets 80 Days.

Barnwell, December 8.-Scott
Madison, colored, will pay the death
penalty for the murder of Mr.. E.
Peyton Best in this city on the night
of December 8, between Friday, De-
cember 10, and Monday, December
%, inclusive. Such was the sentence
of Judge Gage late this afternoon,
after the jury had brought in a ver-
dict of guilty of murder as to Madi-
son, and guilty of assault and battery
as to Gilbert Miller, also colored. Ed
Durant, a negro, testified this after
noon, that Mr.. Best pushed Miller,
who was standing in the door of the
restaurant, out of his way, when he
left the building, and that Miller
then threw a bottle at him and ran.
According to the testimony, Mr.. Best
turned and asked Scott Madison who
hit him, the defendant replying that
the man that hit him was the one run
ming down the street. Mr.. Best then
turned to walk away and the fatal
shot was fired.
The testimony of Rufus James,
Mitchell Stroy and Julius Williams,
the proprietor of the restaurant and
pool room in question, all corroborat-
ed in the main the statements made
by Durant.
Major R. Boyd Cole testified to
finding pistol under the depot, upon
information given by Andrew Simms,
the same being, it was alleged, the
one with which the murder was COM
mitted.
Other Witnesses.
DR.. R. c.. Kirkland testified as to
the nature of the gunshot wound on
the body of Mr.. Best-that the bull
let entered from the back and passed
entirely through the body.
Mr.. Alvo Mellett, the undertaken,
testified that there was a small bruise
behind the left ear of the dead man,
which could have been caused by a
blow from bottle.
Mr.. Vince Dunbar, who was stand
ing in the doorway of Kearse's pool
room at the time of the tragedy, testi-
fed to having seen the smoke from
the pistol Immediately after the firing
of the two shots; that Mr.. Best stag
gered towards him and Mr.. A. NJ.
Harden, exc1aiming as he fell, Boys,
I'm shot, That deceased died i'm
mediately thereafter.
Mr.. A. NJ. Harden, who was stand
ing by Mr. Dunbar at the time of the
shooting, testified to having seen the
flash of the pistol in front of the
negro restaurant and that he caught
Mr.. Best in his arms as deceased was
falling.
Andrew Simms, negro section
hand, testified that Scott Madison had
attempted to buy his pistol-a 3S-
calibre. left-hapd wheeler-from
him on the afternoon of the shooting;
that he refused to let defendant sye
it and that it was later stolen em
his trunk, presumably by Madison;
that after the killing Madison return
ed the pistol and said that he had
killed a white man; that witness be-
came frightened and hid the pistol
under the A. C. L. freight depot.
Albert Cave, colored, testified that
negro threw bottle at Mr.. Best,
who turned and asked who hit him.
No one replied, and deceased then
turned and started up the street,
when negro snapped pistol at him
three times. Another negro, he said,
then fired the shots, one of which hit
Mr.. Best in the back. Witness could
not identify the assailants, who were
strangers.
Madison's Story Weak One.
Scott Madison is from Remini. He
was put upon the stand in bis own
defence, and told a story entirely at
variance with the testimony of the
witnesses for the State. So unsupport-
able was his testimony that he got
badly mixed in the telling and no
weight was given to it whatever. He
denied doing the killing, but said that
it was done with the gun that he had
gotten from Andrew Simms. He &C
cused one Seamon Moore of the crime.
Gilbert Miller testified in his own
behalf, and apparently told straight
forward story, impressing his hear
ers with the truth of his statements.
He admitted buying bottle of Whis-
key in the restaurant; stated that
Mr.. Best had pushed him out of the
way, and that he had hit the dead
man with bottle, after which he ran
away, and that he was quite good
distance off when the shots were fired.