The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-14

'"'Heu anu tne negro n RODDinS
fired at about the same time. Both
fell and Robbins at once rose again
and fired a second time and then fell
In the bushes. The negro fired again
and disappeared in the bushes. Il
again called to Robbins to look out"
said Mr.. Hough, when he called to me
ED, come here. hat Niger has brok-
Ell my leg" Despite the warning of
others in the party Hough went to
Robbins, although he was unarmed,
picked up Robbins pistol and looked
for the negro. but he had disappear
ed. He then called for aid and Rob-
pins was brought out the swamp and
placed in an automobile to be taken
back to Pinewood. Il gave up the
case them" said Mr.. Hough, wand
turned the dogs over to someone else
to continue it, while 1 went back with
Robbins. 1t was while / was gone
that the dog was killed." MI. Hough
told how Robbins was cared for at
Pinewood and Sumter and then SEM
on to Columbia on the night train
when he went back to Pinewood.
There were about thirty of us
aroun the negro's house all night
said Hou8h. THE negro had entered
it early in the night before my ar
rival there. it being impossible in
the dark to tell him from members of
the posse" All during the night shots
were being interchanged, fusillades
occurring every short while. The ne
gro had a small flee dog which gave
him the alarm by barking every time
anyone approached close to his cabin,
which was q little hut built of slabs
in the edge Of the swamp among
the bushes. Every now and then he
would open the door and look out.
Once he lit a fire and started to cook
his supper, while the firing was going
on on the outside. Once he left the
and came up close to a men,
Der Of the posse, who did not recog-
nize him at first, but who called on
him to halt and surrender when he
saw who 1t was. The negro's reply
was a shot which narrowly missed it's
mark. The man could have killed the
negro at the time had he chosen to
do so without giving him a chance to
surrender.
1t was a few minutes later that the
negro made his escape. There was q
heavy fog and it was hard to distin-
guish objects. Several times the ne
gro was seen and called on to halt,
but his only reply was a shot and to
in the bushes. He man.
aged TO pass through the posse Watch
surrounded the house and make his
way deeper into the swamp.
As soon at it became sufficiently
clear ~ distinguish objects the dogs
were set on the trail again and the
hunt was renewed. II fully expected
at this time that he would kill one
or more Of the dogs said Hough,
before he was killed, for we had de-
termined now to take him at any cost.
alive II possible, but dead If he would
not surrender. We pushed on into
the swamp, finally locating him and
surrounding him in the bushes. The
dogs were hot behind him and he was
saving his shells, being nearly out
now. He tried to beat off the dogs
with his gun, but they would not stay
back. Suddenly he came up to several
members Of the posse, who were wait
ing for him. They called on him to
surrender, but he endeavored to raise
his u and they fired on him. His
body was riddled by bullets. He was
then hauled out of the water, where
he was shot. placed in an automobile
and taken to Pinewood. The spot
was not more than twenty feet away
from where the body Of the dog
which he had killed the day before
was lying"
Mr.. Hough stated that the negro
had shot several persons. two white
men among them, before he shot Rob-
bins and he had been lodging the Of
ficers for several years, this being the
reason he was living in the hut in
the swamp, where he could escape
IL anyone came for him. He was an
outlaw and this was probably the rea-
son he had taken to flight at first,
for nothing was found about him or
at his hut to connect him with the
robbery of Thursday night. although
he had had time to move the things
out or the way. When killed he had