The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-07

trast TO the case presented by the
prosecution yesterday was the defence
today i'm the case of Legislator Hugh
Long, who went on trial here for his
life yesterday, charged with the mur-
der at Wagener, this county, last fall
of Pickens y. Gunter.
Among the witnesses were DIR. w.
=. Houston, of Monroe, y. c., who
Is brother TO the Secretary of Agri-
culture; II. w. Lemon. also of Mon
roe, y. C., former Representative,
now clerk of court for the district
from which he halls. X. +. Beasley,
another Monroe man, newspaper edi-
tor and owner, former Senator. more
recently county superintendent Of
schools, and at present q member
with the Governor of North Carolina
and one other individual OF the State
committee on internal improvements;
Col. c. B. Armstrong, of Gastonia, y.
T., and q cotton manufactures, six
years sheriff Of his county, now, and
for two terms past, mayor of Gas
tonia, member of Governor Kitchens
staff and a State delegate to the st.
Louis Democratic Convention. was
another OF the more distinguished
character witnesses. Most of these
were from the territory i'm which the
defendant lived before he identified
himself with the State of South Caro-
lima, and they all united in giving
Long good reputation as to peace
and good order and qualities as
desirable citizen.
Among other character witnesses
were w. p. Etchison, connected with
the advertising department of the CO.
lumbia State, and the Rev. ]. d.
Moore. State secretary for the Bap-
tist sunday school convention Of South
Carolina. These gentlemen also
spoke of the accused as q man above
reproach.
An interesting situation was pre-
sented when l.. b. Gunter, Jr., man.
ager of the Wagener branch Of the
banks of Western Carolina, who is a
nephew of the prosecuting attor-
ney and closely related To the de-
ceased. Pickens Gunter. took the
stand and testified in behalf OF the de-
fendant.
with It's first witnesses the defence
began to establish the fact that, dur
ing the political campaign preceding
the primary Of last summer, a certain
faction of the opposition from Wag-
ener worked to effect the defeat of
the defendants candidacy for the
House of Representatives, to which
office, however, he was elected and
mas served one session since the kill
ing OF Gunter. Numerous witnesses
testified that at the campaign meet
ing at Warrenville. i'm this county,
which is more than thirty miles from
WAGNER, Pickens Gunter. Dr. l.. B.
Etheredge and some other man. from.
Wagener. were present with the
avowed intent. II was alleged, of
breaking up the meeting and howl
ing down Long when he got up to
speak.
The testimony i'm this connection
continued that. while Long was
speaking. he took occasion to charge
that because. as mayor Of Wagener,
he refused to do the bidding OF IA
certain crowd" they were bounding
him all over the county. At this
juncture some one i'm the audience,
1t is alleged. interrupted with the dec
laration that:
That's n d lie!"
Give me your name" Long cried :;
In answer, to which there was this
response. witnesses claim:
Mr.. Pickens y. Gunter, of Wage
ner. South Carolina, and if you'll
come outside here on the grounds, off
NOh''H Spui anu you WON I
come back to Wagener and say that,
either"
Numbers Of witnesses were placed
ON the stand To testify of yelled and
somewhat remote threats against the
defendant by the deceased, while
several told of direct threats on the
part Of Guntcr of dire violence to the
person of Long If ne (Gunter) "ever
got hands ON him" Two of these
were ministers of Wagener. and pro-
tcssed friends Of both Long and
Guntcr. and stated that they had ad.
NiScd the latter To discontinue his
h"stil" attitude toward Long. and
that the deceased finally pledged his
word to do SO: this some time prior
. H. No ft.s,