The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-23
ONE OF THREE IS GUILTY.
TESTIMONY OF CORONERS IN
h. QUEST POINTS To BROWN,
M'DoNALD AND CANT
WELL.
Eight witnesses Heard Monday, hut
Little Definite Information as to
Killing l. Observation-Disclosures of
Executive Committee First Put on
Stand.

by the coroner today of eight wit
nesses cleared up but slightly the
question I'm what manner Sidney j.
Cohen received n mortal wound in the
lungs during the riot which broke up
the meeting last Friday of the city
Democratic executive committee, a
meeting called to declare the result of
the hotly contested municipal primary
OF Tuesday. which meeting Mr.. Cohen
attended as n reporter of the Charles
ton Evening Post About all that was
accomplished was to set up the
Likelihood that the young newspaper
man was laid low by a bullet pro-
ceeding from one OF three distinct
eruptions OF gunfire. The consensus
Of the testimony so far advanced
seems TO be that In the centre of the
room was n man some witnesses iden-
dfy as Henry Brown. shooting several
times. more or less promiscuously
while struggles for possession of re-
volvers held by Committeeman Nc
Donald and by Chief Cantwcll resulted
In the discharge Of those weapons.
Evidence developed up to now leaves
the possibility open that Mr.. Cohen
may have been killed by bullet from
any one OF these three sources. Until
today only the statements from the
Grace side among the several broad
sides given publicity had concentrated
suspicion OF gunplay upon Brown and
Mcdonald. who had been held by the
police as principals In the Cohen
homicide and who this morning were
transferred by Judge Smith to the,
custody OF the sheriff to await the
verdict from the inquest, pending
leave To move for bali. but on the re-
sumption today of the inquest testi-
mony regarding these men came from
the Hyde faction also Eight witnesses
were examined. four being Hyde men,
and four Grace men. All OF them
are members OF the executive COM
mittee.
Messrs. Black. Barnwell and Poul-
not. Hyde men. said that man
standing I'm the centre of the room
lred pistol.
This man. AIr. Farnwell said. was
Grown Mr. Michel. a Grace partisan.
said Brown fred foul times. Mr..
Robson. = Hyde man. said that u man
In the centre OF the room, whose fore
arm and hand only were visible to
him. fired rapidly several times at
William Wingate. a Grace supporter.
Mr.. Hancock, a Grace man, said ne
saw Brown shooting at wingate, but
whom Brown was produced before him
admitted he couldn't say" that was
the man who did the shooting.
Mr.. Gosgrove. a Grace man. said he
saw Brown fire upon wingate. He
identified Brown before the coroncr's
jury. Mr.. Riddock. Grace man,
said Brown came i'm pistol I'm hand.
saying. Let's start IL now," and be-
gan firing. lie also identified Brown
at the inquest today.
Some 40 witnesses under subpoena
are yet To be examined but the coro-
ner has hopes of concluding his in
aniry tomorrow evening.
Andrew J. Geer. a wholesale durg-
gist. concerning whose partisan afilia-
ton I'm the recent campaign reports
differ. Is foreman of the jury and
takes an active part I'm the conduct of
the Inquest. The other jurors are: Il.
j. duerard. Samuel G. Stoncy. John
r.. Gibbs. Edward Chisolm and T.
Grange Simmons. Jr.
The sessions are being held i'm the
court room In the county court house
rather than In the hall of records
across Meeting street. known as the
fire proof building. where Il was first
announced the inquest would be re-
sumed. Judge Mcndcl Smith. prcsid-
lag I'm the court of general sessions.
adjourned his court for the day In
order that the court room might be
available for the inquest and that
William III. Grimbail. acting solicitor.
might he free To appear for the State
at the inquest Presumably ne Will
again declare recess for the same
reasons on the rcconvcnlng Of the
court tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.
Coroner Mansfield in this expeeta-
tion has fixed 1915 o'clock as the
hour for reopcnlng his inquest. Wade
Hampton Cobb of Columbia. solicitor
OF the Fifth circuit. Is doing most
OF the talking for the state Mr.. Cobb
was sent by Gov. Manning To assist
Mr.. Grimball. Frank X. Frost and