The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-18
HORROR OF TRAGEDY
GROWS With time
THE DEATH TOLL so FAR NUM-
BERS THREE
The People of Fairfield Stunned by
Affair That Stained Their Tenn
pie of Justice.

aWfulness of the tragedy at Winns-
boro, yesterday, when Sheriff A. D.
Hood was shot down while taking a
negro up the court house steps to
place !tim on trial on a charge of as
sault. That the negro lost his life is
mere incident, for standing out in
all it's horror is the toll enacted by
men who gave vent to their passions
and took the law into their own hands,
staining the portals of the Fairfield
Temple of Justice with the blood OF
their own sheriff and his deputies,
and all because these men did their
sworn duty and upneld the law.
All that is mortal of Sheriff A. D.
Hood lies today in Winnsboro, while
two juries-tae coroner's jury and the
grand jury of Fairfield county-are
probing into the tragedy with the de-
termination to bring those responsible
USlOTG IuS DdI VI JuSIICC.
Trio in Jail.
Locked up in jail in Winnsboro,
which is directly across the street
from the court house, the scene Of the
tragedy, are Ernest Isenhower, Jesse
Morrison, and jim Rawls, charged
with being members of the mob and
participants in the shooting. Ernest
Isenhower is a brother of Clyde Isen-
hover, who is said to have been the
leader of tie mob, and the man who
fired the first shot. Jesse Morrison is
brother-in-law. Clyde Isenhower,
himself, would have faced charge Of
murder had he recovered.
The attacking party is said to have
been composed of only five, and the
consensus of opinion is that the whole
affair was planned in advance. The
suddenness with which TIE attack was
made and the quickness with which
it was all over, together with the evil
dences left by bullets which hit the
court house, strengthen tie belief in
the conspiracy. This matter is receiv-
ing attention at Il e hands Of the Fair
field grand jury, which began an in
vestigation yesterday afternoon as
soon as Judge Wilson made his
vigorous charge to them, in which ne
denounced the affair as an "assassi-
nation"
First Shot Hit Negro.
Sheriff Hood had started up the
steps with the negro prisoner between
Tim and Policeman Haynes with his
deputies in the rear, and the crowds
following behind, when the first pistol
shot was fired. Clyde Isenhower is
said to have been standing within less
than dozen feet of the sheriff, and it
is said that his shot was the first to
be fired, tie bullet entering the
stomach of the negro and killing him.
The sheriff received several bullets, it
is stated, in his body before ne could
pull his gun which he emptied at the
aggressor. The deputies Joined in re-
turning the fire of the assailants and
it all happened before anyone could
realize what was going on.
Bravery of Sheriff Hood
Standing out from the awfulness Of
the tragedy is the matchless bravery
and the dauntless devotion to duty of
Sheriff Hood, who gave up his life in
defence of the wretched negro rather
than surrender him to the vengeance
of the mob. Although mortally wound
ed shot through and through, and
with blood pouring from the many
perforations, Sheriff Hood dragged the
dying negro up the steps of the court
house and pushed him into TIE dock
before ne fell to the hoor. Ihe negro
died within few minutes. The
sheriff was propped up against the
WALL saying to Solicitor Henry at the
time "they have got me at last" All
during the time before the special
, train reached Winnsboro from Colum-
bia not a word escaped TIE lips of the
dying man, although he must nave
been in great agony. He as brought
here and for several hours surgeons
worked over him on the operating
table hoping to save the brave life,
but in vain. Nearly a score of per-
forations were found in his intestines.
After all that was possible had been
done for him, it was seen that his
! case was hopeless and he knew it nim-
self. He died just before 8 o'clock,
and died like he had lived, uncon1-
planning and unafraid, man to the