The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-06-03
MUTE EVIDENCE OF
PEOPLES VENGEANCE
ATSTIN'S MULTILATED BODY DAN.
GLED FROM LIMB OF OAK.
Gruesome Sight on Court House
Square at Hampton Viewed by
Hundreds

Hampton, May 29.-sherif ]. R,
Morris, of Barnwell county, entered
Hampton county last night with the
dead body of Richard Henry Austin
the negro desperate who had killed
,1ree white men and wounded two
others. and attempted criminal as
sault upon the wife Of a prominent
HAMPTON county farmer, tucked Sc
surely away in an automobile. The
Hampton populace turned out in full
force to welcome the return Of the men
sAwho had fought so long and worked so
lard to effect the capture OF the negro
Sdesperado. Their welcome was truly
royal and was merited by the able con-
duct of the search for Austin. Today
on the beautiful and spacious court
house square. the body of Austin with
the head and right arm severed, ana
with the toes and fingers cut on, the
skin of the body singed and burnt,
swings from the limb Of large oak
/ Tree, a symbol of the spirit of revenge
1 in the human breast of the white man
when crime, such as those perpetrated
by Austin, are committed in this coun-
try.
Body Taken from Sherif's Auto.
In the early hours Of this morning
while Sheriff Morris was eating at Es-
till, the body of Austin was transferred
by unknown men from the machine OF
the sheriff into another automobile and
was brought to Hampton, where prob
ably two hundred men had gathered.
TTpon arrival at Hampton, about 2
o'clock. the body of Austin was taken
from the machine and viewed by the
waiting body of men. The toes and
fingers we're first cut off as mementoes,
then the head was severed from the
body, the right arm was taken Off, the
body was placed on fire, singed and
burnt. Next ropes we're fastened to the
body, it was suspended from the limb
of an oak tree, where it now swings,
All night long people came, viewed the
body of the desperate, and then quiet
" went to their homes. The men were
unusually quiet and orderly. No ex-
citement prevailed. sherifs Morris
and Lightsey arrived from Estill soon
after this, and in an interview with
these two men the following detailed
account of the hunt and capture was
elected:
Story of Hunt and Capture.
After being fed on the South Caro-
lima side of the Savannah river, be-
tween the time of the killing of the
three white men, by negro on the
Martin place, in Hampton county, as
Austin himself related, which negro
was minutely described and the farm
on which the negro worked was also
7 described, until the time Austin cross
ed the river, Austin went to Hutson's
Ferry and talked to some white men,
who, as Austin stated, told him to
cross at that place. The ferryman, one
Coker, told Mr.. Parr, and he in turn
wired the authorities.
Upon receipt of the information Sher-
ifs Morris and Lightsey rushed to the
river and their dogs trailed Austin for
one mile. This was on Friday. The
posse then went to the house at which
Austin had lived in Georgia and there
found that Austin had just eluded
them, there being a cup, in which
greens in hot water we're cooking, the
mans shoes and the sack in the house
These belongings were found on the
persen of the desperate when he was
captured The dogs could not pick up
the trail at the house.
100 Yards from Posse.
Austin afterwards stated that he was
in asmall patch of gall berry bushes
in small patch of gall berry bushes
when the men entered Other neighbor-
ing houses were then searched without
avail. Then the searching party re-
turned to the house and saw that the
cup, shoes and sack had disappeared.
Absolutely no trail could be found. On
Saturday word reached the searchers
{ that the negro had been seen at Mr..
Marvin Jarrell's house, where he went
to get something to eat on Friday. On
Sunday the fact that Austin had ap-