The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-12-01
LInder MCGOWAN, Sworn officer
or Police Force, Suffers AL
most Fatal Beafing-Charges
Marvin ChaHes With Beinq
me Observation-Disclosures De-
nies Any knowledge of DC.
currence.

On Saturday evening Linder Me-
Gowan, who has been serving the citv
OF Union as sworn officer since Novem-
Der 9th, was assaulted and left for
dead by hlghwaymen. Marvin Charles
mas been arrested, charged by Nc
Gowan as being the man who per-
formed the lawless act. MCGOWAN
was attacked as he was walking the
streets opposite the Presbyterian
cemetery, carried in an automobile to
the Hanging Ground" severely heat.
en- and left for dead early Saturday
evening, perhaps or 9 o'clock. Nc
Gowan, who is able to be up and out
Thursday morning has given the fol-
lowing account of the affair to The
Times representative: He said he
had gone to the County Home Satur-
day afternoon on the Carolina Spec
lal," where his wife and children are
visiting Mrs. McGowan's father, Mr..
Baldwin, manager of the county farm.
He says, LAS 1 was on my way walk
ing back to town, I got just about op-
posite Charles home, car passed
with no lights, stopped at Charles
gate. The car was headed out of
town; I walked on and when I got
to the cemetery, about midway of it,
| was overtaken by Charles, who was
also walking. He walked up behind
me and as he got directly behind me,
I looked back and recognized him and
spoke to him. Charles spoke to me
very pleasantly, walked up beside me,
and walked two or three steps before
saying anything more than speaking.
He then said, 'Linder, I have been told
you are carrying a gun for me-
said, No, was not carrying q gun;
for anybody Z, When he said this to
me l put my hand on my gun in my
outside coat pocket; he pulled his and
grabbed my wrist of the hand I had
in my pocket. He said, IF you don't
take your hand out of your pocket,
will kill you I took my hand out,
for he had his gun on me. He then
run his hand in my pocket and snatch
ed my gun out. He cursed around
about the whiskey business and the
whiskey case. I started to walk off
after he got my gun. He caught hold
of me and showed me down in the
streets. BY that time the same car
that had stopped at Charles house.
and still without lights, came up oppo-
site where we were, but headed to-
wards town. Charles ordered me to
get in the car, and said he was going
to carry me before man and
straighten this thing out. I told him
I would not do it; and did not then.
He grabbed me and said, We'll, maybe
you got a knife and felt over me
again, he then said, IF you do not
get in that car, I'll kill YOU I got
in; he also got in. He ordered the
man who was driving the car to turn
round, and he did so. Charles said,
Go to the Hanging Ground-there we
went, and as we passed the Iron
Foundry, somebody in the dark hol-
lored at us and asked, Where are
you going?' Charles said, Il am going
to the Hanging Ground to kill this
--, and will be back in few
minutes We went on up the road
to the Hanging Ground and turned
out to the right through the pines and
nearly to the Meansville road. Here
Charles got out and told me to get
out, that we would settle this thing.
The man who was driving the car told
Charles not to hurt me, that maybe I
would compromise with him and would
not swear against him. Charles said,
No, I'll fix the - so he
won't swear He then hit ma in the
temple, the lick knocked me down
he kept striking me heavy blows, and
at one time he was down astride of
me. He beat me until could not get
up. The scuffle began in the edge of
the pines, and when he left me, I was
on the opposite side of the road. The
driver twice told Charles, do not kill
him. Charles said, I'm going to kill
the -. The fellow in the car
finally said, Come on, you have done
enough to him. Charles then got up
and said, The -- will not be
able to get back to town noway.' I
finally got up and staggered along,
and when | came fully to my senses,
and found I was not bleeding quite so
much, / went on towards the county
farm-finally l reached there and gave
the alarm to Chief Evans over the
phone"
Chief of Police, Milo H. Evans i'm
mediately got busy after he got the
message from MCGOWAN, but thinking
that the assault occurred over the line
of the city limits, notified the rural
policeman, as matter of fact the
place was not quite over the line, but
this was not ascertained until later.
Chief Evans, from investigating the
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