The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-06-24
MURDERED AND ROBBED
DOUBLE TRAGEDY IN GEORGIA
Mearchant and Wife Shot Down by
Negroes-Mob Storms Jail, But
Fails in Attempt to Lynch.

Macon, Ga, June 22.-J. T. HewelI
a county merchant at Long Branch.
near Dublin, and his wife were mur
dered early this morning, after be-
ing called from their beds. Blood
mounds placed on the trail led the
posses to the cabin of three negroes.
smith Harris, Joe May and Henry
hlthchens. These negroes were hur-
rled TO the jail, and, although a
heaVy guard was established, a crowd
ou.numoering the guards formed
outside the Jail and demanded 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 prison-
ers and their lynching is expected.
Hewen was shot down with a
shotgun. The right side of his face
was riddled with No shot. and hia
right eye was shot out. 1t was before
dayhght and he carried lighted
lamp In one hand. The lamp set his
clothing on fire.
Mrs Heweil ran to her husbands
assistance and was ordered back in
the house, it is believed, as her
body was found on the doorstens aa
II trying to enter the house.
Neighbor Notifies Sheriff.
The sheriff and cornor were noti-
hed OF the shooting by neighbor.
VINO on hearing the shots set out for
the city. When the officers and n
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
oelng brought to Dublin by the coro-
ner.
Hewell muttered something about
negro havlng done the shooting
but nothing tangible could be oh
tanned from him. The countv's dopa
were placed on the tracks and they
lea to the cabin of Harris, where
they also found Joe May Both neg
roes were placed under arrest. Har-
rlss tracks are alleged to fit the
tracks found at the Hewell home.
Ihere 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 Kitchens. also
negro. A single barrel shot gun
was found in Kitchens home that
mad been recently fired. He also
was arrested
Robbery Motive of Murder.
The motive for the murder is be-
lieved to have been robbery and tho
theory is that Harris borrowed Kit
chen's gun to commit the deed.
lhey evidently met in the woods
TO divide the spoils. Mrs Hewell's
trunk was ransacked, the suit cases
and grips were thrown into the ward
atter their contents had been search
ed, while small grip in which He
wel Kept his money was found in
the woods near where shoe prints
and barefoot tracks met
Search of the premises of the
negroes failed to disclose any money
that had been obtained. HeweI evil
dently 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 remov-
ed his clothing after it caught fire
and he was practically nude when
| found.
HewelPs son travels out of Macon
for packing firm. The son was To-
Gated at Hawkinsville by phone and
mas gone to the scene of the crime
Hewell was SO years old and his
wife was 80.
Prisoners Spirited Away?
Ihe mob failed in it's effort to get
possession of the negroes at the Duh
lin jail at o'clock tonight and
arranged to make another attack
later in the night. When the crowd
Withdrew for supper they were not
aware of the fact that the sheriff
was holding a passenger train on
the Wrightsville and Tennilee
| Road
The negroes were slippel hurried
ly out of the jail under a heavy
guard and placed aboard this train
and taken 10 Eastman From East
man they are to be taken over the
the Southern Railway to the Jail at
Macon.