Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-30
SHOOTING OF AUSTIN
Details of Capture Of Negro Murder
or Near Savannah.

Savannah, Ga, May 2S.-Lying on a
rude stretcher of three planks nailed
together, with his abdomen torn open
by nine buckshot wounds and his left
arm broken nearly off by rifle bullet
Richard Henry Austin, the alleged
murderer Of DR.. S. c. Moore, Magis-
trate Edenfleld and Mr.. Victor Bowers
in Hampton county, South Carolina,
on the 30th of April, was brought to
o'clock by the men who shot and cap
tured him at Newington last night.
The month. old man-hunt for Austin
ended last night when Sheriff J. B.
Morris, Of Barnwell county, South
Carolina, fired both barrels Of his
shotgun and brought Austin to earth
in the vegetable garden of Mr.. Marion
Jarrel, a farmer living near Newing-
ton, after Austin had come UP to the
back door of Jarrels home and asked
Mrs. Jarrel for food, declaring that he
was wet and perishing.
Sheriff Morris, together with five
rel home from among the posse in
search Of Austin, had reached the
house shortly before the negro arrived
and asked for food. Three of the men
had just left In buggy to take up
their posts at some distance from the
house, and Austin, as he afterwards
said, came up to the back entrance
upon the departure Of these three, be-
lieving the place to be free from his
pursuers. ...g
Mrs. Jarrel, knowing that the sheriff
was in the front part Of the lot, called
out There's the negro! There's AUS
TIM" ....... ... .... .... .....
Sheriff Morris, despite the two rush.
"A ha1 80 tha h.,
into the kitchen, and opening the back
ing in the garden. Austin, thinking
that the sheriff was Mr.. Jarrel, for
mer employer Of his, called out to Mr..
Morris to come to him, saying that he
was perishing. .a, i.'.-tu ,Ii.
Sheriff Morris, despite the two shot
guns that the negro held, one in each
hand, walked through the back door
and toward the man. Then, when he
was about tr7enty-six PAGES from him,
the sheriff fired twice, the two loads Of
buckshot both taking effect in Austin's
abdomen. ....-. '.-
The negro fell to the ground among
the vegetables Of the garden, his two
guns falling some distance from him.
Immediately the wounded man crawl
ed toward the guns, Sheriff Morris ad-
vanced upon him, and when within fif-
teen PAGES the negro had reached one
Of the shotguns and was raising II to
fire. But, unseen by the desperado, Mr..
Lutte Stivenger had come from his post
around the back corner Of the garden
and when the negro raised his gun to
fire at Mr.. Morris, Stivenger, a crack
shot, fired the rifle bullet that shat
tered Austin's left arm. ,f..... ....
The man fell back to earth, begging
his captors not to shoot again. I'm
mediately he was picked up and car
ried to an clubhouse in Mr.. Jarrers yard
and then the other members Of the
posse were summoned.
When seen in the express car Of the
train, where he was lying on the floor
covered with a rough piece Of sacking,
with his head propped upon card
board cracker box and flies buzzing
around his wounds, the negro declar-
ed that he was innocent of shooting
his alleged victims near Luray, 8. c.,
on the 30th of April. ...... -.--...
81 didn't do It," said the man, his
voice barely audible above the rattle
of the moving train. II didn't shoot
them white men. They was firing from
both sides at me In the bay, from all
around, and they shot each other. I
did not shoot them, boss, honest to
God" .... .....- . . sa,' -
II just runned and ruined until I
was tired, so tired that I could run no
more" said the negro. II slept in the
swamps: slept in the mud most all the
time. The dogs didn't worry me none,
except when they saw me. Then they
ran after me. But they couldn't get
after me from trailing. They didn't
worry me at all. ..' .r 80,
II didn't shoot at none of the white
men that were after me. When / shot
on Monday in the swamp the gun went
off by accident. came into Mr.. JAR
rers house because was perishing."
Austin was put on boat at Savan-
nah in the hopes Of getting him to
South Carolina soil alive at Bluffton;
but he died on the way. From Bluff
ton the body was taken to Hampton
in an automobile, which arrived about
2 o'clock. A. big crowd which had been
collecting since the day before, met the
automobile, took the body away from
the officers, cut off the head, fingers
and toes and otherwise mutilated it.
The body was then singed and hanged
from a tree in front Of the court
house. 1t Is stated that II Austin had
reached Hampton alive, his body was
n ha va baap hurpad