The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-10-27
WHO SHOT COHEN?
CHAM ESTON C0RONER'S JURY
CONDUCTING INQUIRY
MILITIA STANDS GUARD

Witnesses Tell Conflicting Stories as
to Scene in Death Chamber-Mc-
Donald A Accused-Brown Accused
But Accuser Fails to Identify Him
What Others Said.
Only the coroner, counsel for the
state and the jurors are allowed TO
question witnesses, the coroner haT-
ing at the outset announced ne
would follow the law, which regards
an inquest as merely an ex parte pro-
eeeding by the state.
Nc spectators except three news
paper men~ and two members of the
family OF the deceased are present,
only attorneys and witnesses beng
admitted besides these. Every per
SON entering the building, except SOL
diers in uniform, is searched from
scalp to heel and any article that
might be considered a weapon is
taken from him by the sentries. All
the witnesses are held in segregation
under guard.
John P. Grace, mayor of Charles
ton, arrived at the court house IN
company with Mr.. Logan and said ne
was present as an attorney. He was
admitted after he had been searched.
The mayor as he handed over re-
volyer which he took from his hip
pocket turned to Col. Blythe, COM
manding the troops, and said: i
want you to bear witness that gave
this up before being searched.
~ AS he left the building the mayor
reclaimed his revolver and replaced 4
in his pocket James r. Cantwell,
chief Of police, appeared with pack
age Of papers and other property
which he said had been removed
from the persons of Henry J. Brown
; and Edward r. Mcdonald at the time
Of their arrest last Friday.
The chief, after he had been dis
armed, was escorted by Capt. Meyer
to the court room, but when he had
delivered his parcel and an oral mes
sage to Mayor Grace he was excluded
! on the ground that he, was witness
Capt. Meyer took the package from
him and examined it before he would
permit it to pass into Mr.. Grace's
hands, in order to satisfy himself il
did not contain weapon.
Half a dozen pistols, mostly OF the
magazine type, with holsters were
produced by the coroner as weapons
recovered from the committee room
where Fridays affray occurred. An.
other interesting exhibit was a col.
lection Of hats left behind by tneii
owners in the hurried wholesale exit
from the room when the shooting
s commenced.
Joseph A. Black, the county chair
man, was the first witness. His tes-
tsmony was in substance the state
ment from him already summarized
except that he described as a "tal
man with . little black hct" the per
son who he said aimed pistol al
him. saying, ''I'll get the ---.'
Mr.. Black ayerred that when he ap
peaied TO Police Sergt- Quinn the lat
ter drew a gun on him.
'eI am almost positive he snapped
IT. the witness declared. 81 threw
my hand over my face" he. went on
expecting to be killed instantly. Mr.
TX
then the crack Of a pistol from where
! the tall man with the little hat was
standing and looking down saw MI
Cohen on the floor at my feet. Pre-
5 viousay shot had rung out in the
anteroom. Starting out saw CHIEF
CantweIl with his pistol drawn upon
man whom two other men were
5 holding. Nr. Cohen grabbed my leg
( but T ierked free and went on, as
threats were being made in the room
5 against me. After the shot that kill.
ed Cohen there was 8 fusillcde. Two
more shots sounded as I went
through a window. Mr. Cohen die
not speak. / an positive he was kill
ed by the large man with the small!
hat"
The witness said he saw no other
persons with reyolverS out except
Z Chief Cantweu and q man over in the
! corner whom he did not recognize
z Coroner Mansfield on Mr.. Cobo's ad'
vice refused to let Mr.. Grace cross,
examine Chairman Black.
Lee Holmes, member Of the
Hyde majority in the committee
heard, he said, shout in the ante.
room. 'Put up that gun" followed
BY a shot. He heard Committeeman
: Mcdonald, inside the committee
room, say to man named Brouth'
ers, "You can't intimidate Us" Nc.
Donald, as BroutherS advanced to
ward him, drew q pistol About thai
time the witness started for a win
: dow. Just them nan standing in
the centre Of the room and within his
view raised pistol and fred three or
: four times in a northerly direction
He believed he would recognize the
man if he saw him again. He did not
see Mr.. Cohen and did not see Nc.
Donald fire.
n. B. Barnwell, a Hyde committee
ran, heard in the anteroom, he said
8 commotion in which Goldman'S
name was mentioned, then shot
followed by rush into the commit
tee room. William Wingate crowded
In. He saw pistol in Henry Browns
hand. Chief CantweN, gun in hand
entered and joined a group scuffling
: ~ a corner, from which presently
shot sounded. He saw pistol in Nc:
Donald's hand.
Other persons had pistols out also
but the witness does not remember
who they were. A man whom he
understood to be Brown and who had
been in the room fred towards the
north. He saw no shots toward
where Cohen fell. All those who Leo
the rush into the room were in citi-
zens' clothes He believes Wingate
was among those who flourished pis-
tolls. He thinks all the weapons he
saw were magazine pistols.
Dan S. Lesesne, another Hyde COM
mitteeman, said he sprang between
Brouthers and Mcdonald to prevent
trouble and as he did so shot was
fred over his shoulder by somebody
toward Mcdonald. He did not at any
time see pistol and did not see Mr.
Cohen after the latter had taken his
seat prior to the opening of the meet:
ing. The witness departed through
a window.
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