The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-06
HOLDS INQUEST
Inquiry Into Death of Clyde IsenhOwer
Hear Many Witnesses.

Winnsboro, June 30.-The coroner
, inquest was held here today in tn
court house over the body of Clyd
Isenhower, who was fatally WOUNDED
On June IA when Sheriff Hood ami
lis deputies were fred upon b!
members of the Isenhower famil!
and immediate relatives and friend!
while leading the negro prisoner
Jules Smith up the stairs of the cour
house.
DR.. Jas. S. Beatty, physician, was
the first witness. He described Hle
wounds of the deceased Isenhower
There were 13 entrances and exits
made by pistol shots. DR.. Beatty as
: serted that he saw Sheriff Hood shoot
once.
y w. T. Rains and R. C. Stevenson
were nearly corroboratiFe of each
otter in their evidence. Both were
\ in the sheriff's Office when the shoot
\ ing commenced and heard Clyde Isen-
.A,hower say, 81 nave been shot and
shot to pieces by Sheriff Hood" Rains
said he asked Isenhower, who STUN
bled in the sneriff's office in a dying
condition, what had become of the
negro and Isenhower replied, He
must be dead
]. M. Stone, one of the deputies
who was slightly wounded in the af-
fray, swore he saw Clyde Isennower
push his pistol between the balusters
: of the stairway leading up to the
court house door and fire. Mean
while Sheriff Hood warned Isen-
hover three or four times to desist.
He paid no attention to the officers
plea, but opened fire, said Stone.
: Testimony relative to Ernest Isen-
hower's part in the tragedy was in
= troduced when W. L. Dickey, book
keeper at the Fairfield cotton mills,
&testiied that l1e saw Isenhower shoot
mis- pistol four or five times.
B. F.. Kelley, the second of the
deputies examined, said the fusillade
was opened with the exclamation by
one of the attacking party, Pour
it in them," evidently referring to
tie negro, the witness thought, and
AClyde Isenhower began firing. At the
Ssame time Sheriff Hood exclaimed,
NO, you won't" Kelley was wound
ed in the thumb and arm, the latter
hurt rendering his arm useless.
Two mill operatives, P. G.. Burly
and Charles w. Pearson, testified, but
their testimony was only mere state
ment Icat they saw the shooting.
APearson and Burly concluded their
testimony with the addition that they
did not know any of the participants
in the shooting. They did not see
Sheriff Hood.
Sensational evidence was brought
out in the examination of Rural Po-
liceman Austin Scott which tended to
show that the affair was partly pre-
meditated. Policeman Scott said that
Clyde Isenhower, Jesse Morrison
md Ernest Isenhower followed the
eriff's posse across the street to the
court house. Several times, said
Scott, the dead Isenhower attempted
to get in front of the party but was
pushed back. When Sheriff Hood
and his crowd reached the Landing
of I5e stairs he tried to force his
>Way anead again, but was showed
back once more.
That Clyde Isenhower fred the Sec
ond shot of the tragedy was asserted
on the examination of George Ha-
good, a farmer. Mr.. Hogood said
he did not know who fired the open
ing shot, but the sheriff returned the
FIRE from Isenhower;s pistol which
was protruding through the balusters
Aof the stairway. Judge W. L. Holley
hnd Deputy j. c. Joyner testified.
Nothing but duplication of the story
of the killing was given by the two
except that Mp Joyner said his fellow
deputy, Beckham, saved his own life
with the plea, ''I am shot; can't do
any harm"
The inquest adjourned at o'clock.