The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-03-26
NEGRO MAN KILLED
IN CENTER OF CITY
Tom Hunter Shot Down by Sam Price
as He Crossed the Threshold of his


Own Home.
Tom Hunter, lawabiding and hard
working negro Of the city, was shot
down Saturday night as he was about
to enter his own home by Sam Price,
another negro man. The bullet en-
tered the abdomen of the negro in
front, raging downward and to the
left, lodging just underneath the skin
in the rear. He lived until Sunday
about 2 o'clock, when he died. Before
his death he made statement of the
affair and made disposition Of two in
surance policies which he carried on
his life, changing the beneficiary from
his wife to his mother. The trouble
arose over the wife or the deceased
who was being shown attentions by
Sam Price.
The ante-mortem statement of the
dead negro is as follows:
Went home from market Saturday
night. Didn't see any light in house
| Went round to back door to get key
and 1 heard somebody speak and run
Went on round to the other back door
and met Sam Price and he shot me-
says to Sam "Taint no use in that"
and Sam shot me.
when I got home the front door
was locked and couldn't get in front
door, so went round to back door to
get key where my wife always leaves
it and met Sam. My wife was in the
house with Sam Price
81 realize that it is probable that
| may die from this wound and this
is my dying statement.
There was nothing Immediately be-
tween Sam and myself but had been
| week or so ago. Sam said he had
heard that | was carrying a pistol for
him, but we had shook hands and made
up.
81 desire to state that want to
change the provision of my will as to
my policies in Carolina Insurance Co.
! child and in the knights of Pythias
Laurens Lodge No. 3O-that is, de
sire that the beneficiary of my will be
my mother, Laura Hunter, instead of
my wife, Carrie Hunter.
Tom Hunter.
j. c. Owings, W. T. Crews,
| j. r.. Reid Magistrate
| G. b. Franklin
| The full story of the tragedy is CON
tanned in the short statement of the
deceased. There were no other eye
witnesses of the shooting, except Sam
Price, himself, and so far he has elud-
cd arrest. Carrie Hunter, the wife
of the dead man, who was in the house
when her husband arrived, testified
that she ran to the front door when
she heard Tom go around to the back
and ran out when the shot was fired
Several other negro men and women
| testified to seeing Sam Price in Tie
vicinity and on the premises just pre-
ceding the shooting but none of them
| were witnesses to the affair Others
testified that Carrie Hunter first de-
MED any knowledge of the crime and
tried to persuade other OF her neigh
bors to aid her in escaping any con-
nection with it. However. at the in
quest she gave in and told her con-
nection with the case and admitted
that Sam Price did the shooting
The coroner's jury, of which Mr..
Geo. S. McCravy was foreman, rem
dered the following verdict: The said
Tom Hunter came to his death by a
gun-shot wound inflicted by Sam Price
on the 22nd day of March, 1918, to
/ wit, a pistol.
Tom Hunter had been employed in
! the meat market OF Mr. s. G.. Mcdaniel
for a number of years and was consid-
cred faithful, humble and hardwork-
/ ing negro. Sam Price is brick
layer and plaster and has been before
the mayor for unlawful conduct ON
( another occasion.
Letters and notices have been sent
out describing the escaped negro and
the sheriff is making every effort to
apprehcnd him He is a ycllowish
looking negro, about % or 81 wears Of
/ age ana weighs about lG5 pounds Ills
teeth protude somewhat and lie has
a coarse voice When last acon, he
was wearing q brown suit tan shoes