Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-11-24
ACQUITTED PEoNAGE CHARGE.
Mcclure Found "NOt Guilty" by Fed
cral Court--OtEIcr Cases Dropped.
Greenwood Journal. 17thD

The jury in the case OF the United
States government against William
Il. Mcclure, of OConee county, charg-
ed with peOnage, rcudered verdict
OF not guilty at l.l0 this afternoon.
Tie evidence was begun and COnClud-
Cd at the afternoon session Of court
yesterday and the jury heard argu-
mCntS by counsel and Judge John
sons charge this morning, receiving
the case at l2.20 o'clock. Argu-
mCntS were maGc by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Mays and District At
torney Thurmond, for the govern
ment, and by Messrs. Watkins and
FcathcrstOnc Tor the defendant.
There were separate charges also
| against +. +. Mahoney and ID. J.
Hicks, Of OConce county, in Il second
case, and against E. T.. Mahoncy and
Robert Kcese in third It is un-
derstood that these cases will not be
tried, as MIR. Mcclure was found not
guilty. They are charged with
bringing Parker Bowers, the prose
cutor, from Georgia to Oconec
! county.
Bowers, comparatively young
negro. who has worked both in this
state and Gtorgia, charged iii gene
pi N'i iIIS NlIii ilS was utlNl III INV Ol-
| untary scrvitude and whipped by
Mr.. Mcclure. He alleged further
that he was arrested in Georgia and
| brought back to this State against
| his will on a charge OF which he was
not guilty-that Of stealing a
charge from which. Mr.. Mcclure
| later Sworc, the negro was relieved
! after Mcclure paid his fine on prom
isc that the negro work for him.
Many Witnesses.
| There were many witnesses from
| this State and Georgia, the Georgia
men tCStifying that Bowers was
negro OF very bad reputation. Among
these were w. NJ. Kidd, former She
riff of Hart county, now Deputy Uni
| ted States Marshal for the Northeast
Georgia District; A. ~ SlatOn. con-
stable, Of Lavonia; J. w. WanSlcy
Sheriff OF Franklin county Only
one witness, a colored man, testified
that there were any marks on Bow
crs' 5 body as the result OF a whip
ping.
Bowers Claim.
Parker Bowers, the negro prose
cutor, claimed that he was brought
from Georgia by the several defend
ants, against his will, and was, in a
| sehHS' DouSHt ny VII. Mcclure
from Mr.. Reese. lie Sworc that Mr..
lMcClure whipped him more than
once, never paid him anything and
IL ne had ever signed contract he
did not know it. lie did recall sign
ing "some sort Of paper" which, he
said, was not read to ri:h. The ne
gro denied positively that he had ever
received any money
AS TO the charge Of stealing thp
cIothlhS, boWCrs also entered nat
uehlai' de'lallh% that II" had Dor
roW"o some ciotheS from ahother ne
Sio Oh 'he pace ne ulu ackhoWl-
euS"' no"'Ner' Ihat Mr. Mcclure mad
NlN'h MN palF oI shoeS ana palr
ol o'er'liS' re stated upon cross
examination, iha' ne h"" never D""h
,"'i' 'r'e" o' Hle"i'"E amy nIh@' ou'
"a" pee" lhu''''u '"r I'k'hS some
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