The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-12-07
WILDON WALKER KILLED.
W. l.. McPhail Charged With the
Observation-Disclosures Guilt.

Wildon w. Walker, we'll known
citizen of Midway, was shot and al
| most instantly killed Saturday night
on the street at Midway. A jury OF
| inquest returned a verdict that ne
died from a wound inflicted by W..
l.. McPhail. The tragedy occurred
Saturday night about II o'clock. The
inquest was held Sunday morning by
Coroner Zeigler. Mr.. McPhail came
to Bamberg Sunday and surrendered
himself to the authorities, and he is
now in the county Jail. Elliott Glov-
er. who was with Mr.. McPhail at the
time of the homicide, is charged with
being an accessory to the crime, and
he was placed under arrest Sunday
by Sheriff Ray, and is also in jail.
The autopsy was performed by the
county physician, Dr.. Robert Black,
| who testified as follows as to the
wound: This is to certify that l
held an autopsy upon the body of MIR.
| Wildon Walker, and found a pistol
| bullet wound behind the left ear, 60
ing backward and downward. l cut
| the ball out in the medium line at
base of skull"
Only one witness testified at the
coroner's inquest, Mrs. Jessie Wal
ker, wife of the deceased. Her YER
sion of the unfortunate affair was as
follows, according to the testimony:
Last night Wildon told me that
he had promised to meet McPhall IN
Bamberg. He was to go up on the
| train and McPhail was to bring him
| home. I persuaded him not to go.
| He went to Ben Lawson's store.
| heard McPhail's car when it came
from Bamberg. I heard loud talk
ing. I opened the door and heard
McPhail threaten to kill Wildon. Will
don hallowed for Will to bring him
his shot gun, that he was about to be
murdered by McPhail. l told Will
not to 60, to stay in the house, and
I would 20 and bring his daddy home.
l ran up there calling Wildon. When
I got there, McPhail had long pis-
tol in Wildon's face. Wildon had
his hand on McPhail's coat begging
him not to shoot. l went up and
laid my hand on McPhails shoulder,
with my other hand hand l took the
pistol out of Wildon's face, and said,
why, Cousin Willie, would you shoot
Wildon?' He said, Yes, -
you both Then l begged him to
tell me what the trouble was about.
Wildon said that McPhail had made
a negro boy call him --
-, and he wants me to take it
| or he would kill me- About that
time the negro jumped out of the
car. called Wildon the same thing
again, stuck his black fist in Wildon S
face and said, Take that or die.
Wildon turned his face towards me,
took my hands in his and said, 'Ba-
by, 20 home, believe McPhail is
going. to kill me- 1 put my arms
around him and told him, no, that
l would not leave him; if he killed
one, he could kill both of us. The
negro jumped in Wildon's face again.
Wildon pulled his pistol and fired ov-
er his head. Just as Wildon turned
his head to shoot the negro, McPhail
shot him. McPhail shot at me.
jumped behind negro man. Nc
Phail shot towards my house. When
the smoke cleared away, l went to
Ben Lawson's house, told him that
McPhail had killed Wildon. I came
straight out of Lawson's house.. and
saw Willie McPhail bending over Will
don's body. don't know either of
the negroes that were present.
The following gentlemen compris-
ed the coroner's jury: D. ]. Delk,
j. C. Moye, D. w. Phillips, P. Med
lin, Dave Robinson, and J. Y. Hicks.
The verdict of the jury was as fol-
lows: THAT H. w. Walker came to
his death by pistol shot wound in
the hands of w. L. McPhail.'
Mr. McPhail was seen at the coun-
ty Jail Monday morning by a repre-
sentative of The Bamberg Herald,
and was asked if he had any state
ment to make about the affair. He
replied that he had none, other than
he was innocent.
| The remains of Mr.. Walker we're
inferred at Midway Monday after
| noon, Rev. w. r. Mcmillan conduct
ing the funeral services. Mr.. Wal
ker was a member of the Bamberg
lodge, knights of Pythias, and he
was buried with the honors of that