The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-23
LYNCHED BY MOB
HAMPTON JAIL ATTACKED IN
MIDDLE OF night
Was ACCUSED OF ASSAULT

Negro's Body Found In the Afternoon
of Following Day-Lynching Part.
Worked In Secrecy and There il
Little Information as to Wher
They Came From
Allen Seymour, who was accused
of attempting to criminally assault
young white girl, was taken from tht
Jail at Hampton Wednesday about
o'clock In the morning by mob o1
probably 40 or so men, and lynched
The bullet riddled body Of the man
was found lying almost across by
road leading from Hampton to the
home Of his alleged would-be victim
about two miles from this place, by
Sheriff Williams apd his party OF
searchers, about 2 o'clock wednesday
afternoon. It Is supposed that the
mob turned the negro loose and told
him to run and then proceeded to
shoot him down, literally riddEng
his body with bullets.
None Of the people living in the
vicinity seems to know anything
about the killing Of the prisoner.
One man stated to the sheriff that he
heard shots in the direction Of the
place where the body was found. but
this is the only statement made by
any one as yet concerning the killing.
Acting Coroner Murdaugh and DR..
J. B. Harvey left Hampton after noti-
fication Of the finding Of the body,
for the purpose Of holding an inquest.
Seymour was at the time of the
alleged attempted assault, and at the
time of his arrest, in the employ OF
Gypsies travelling in that section. 1t
was suggested that instead Of lynch
ing, the taking the prisoner from the
Jail might have been rescue by his
friends, but this was rejected by the
authorities as hardly probable, be-
cause it was known that at least one
automobile was at the jail at the
time.
The fact that an attempted crimi-
nal assault was alleged to have been
committed did not become generally
known until Wednesday morning, al
though the affair that caused the ar
rest of Seymour occurred last Thurs
day within four miles Of Hampton.
The alleged would-be victim is Is
years old, the daughter OF white
farmer.
It seems, from statements made
by relatives Of the young lady, that
Seymour was in hiding in pen near
a house In the rear of the residence,
which house the young lady had en-
tered; that he jumped up from the
pig zen and also started toward the
house, where the young lady was,
when she saw him coming she ran.
The. man, It seems, followed her,
running after her, when the screams
Of the girl attracted the attention Of
her sister.
Upon seeing that he had been OBJ
served and that assistance would be
giver his alleged would-be victim, it
is said that Seymour ran of. He
was arrested by four white men, rel
atives Of the girl, and turned over to
Deputy Sheriff Lightsey and lodged
in Jail On 8 charge Of attempted Grim
inal assault.
He made several statements to the
jailer and to Deputy Lightsey, the
most important Of which was an al
legged confession that he was going
after the girl, when he started to-
wards the house in which she was.
He also made statements, It Is said.
to the effect that his purpose IN go
ing to the house where the girl was
visiting was to steal clothing. When
the man was arrested he did not have
any clothing except shirt, he stat
ing that his employers had taken his
other clothing and that he was freez-
ing.
At 1 o'clock Jailer J. P. Bewers
was awakened by some one IN his
room who demanded the keys to the
Jail. Mr.. Bowers struck a match to
ascertain the identity Of the person,
and as the light flared up the intrud-
er saw the keys on the. bureau at the
head OF the bed Of the jailer' and
snatchint; them up, he rushed from
the room., closed the door leading to
the hall and warned the jailer not
to open the door. Seymour was tax
en- BY the mob from the second story
Of the Jail and the keys left on a
table in the hall Of the jail down
stairs.
Jailer Bowers states that as the
crowd was leaving be. opened his
room door and saw at. least 40 men
He heard an automobile start and
leave. He did not see whether OF
not the persons were masked, as II
was very dark. He was shut up In
his room and the door was guarded
until the purpose for which the crowd
came was accomplished. The sher'
if, Capt. Ben s. Williams, and his
deputy, ]. Herman Lightsey, were
notified Of the taking Of Seymour
and they Immediately got busy. Wed
nesday morning the authorities
searched the county for some tangi
BILE clue to the whereabouts OF the
prisoner and the identity of mis- cap
tors. Their activities resulted in the
finding Of the body, but so far there
seems to be no clue to aid in the ap
prehension Of the lynchers.
The alleged attempted assault oc
Cured about sunset last THURSDAY
December 10, at Lawton's, or Hairs
mill, about four miles from Hamp
ton and two miles from Brunson
where the young girl was visiting
relatives, her home being about fou
miles in the country, toward Crocket
Vile, from that place. The camp o
I the Gypsies, for whom Seymou
worked, was near the scene, Tn
man stated to the jailer that nj
home was at Ashton, In Colleto'
county, which is about twenty mile
from Hampton. He was about z
years old and weighed about Is
pounds. There were six prisoners
/ the Jail. Only Seymour was take
out. The cells and outer doors q
the Jail were securely locked by tn
.e&o~ cavpoo11r w9G removed