The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-01-09

him by doing this, I could keep In
touch with wnst was going on over
there aud they could call me at any
time, aud would be glad to come,
but he said he would not pay cent
for deputies. I explained to him chat
the county put no funds In my hands
to pay deputies TO station at any one
place but he said be was going to
leave tais with me TO look after and
protect the lives and property at the
Brogon mill. I told him 1t would De
impossible for me to stay there or
keep a regular deputy there all the
time, as we had other parts OF the
county to look after besides the Bro
gon mill, but still he refused to pay
deputy. I have done everything l
could to keep good feelings between
the operatives and the management OF
ths mill, and have succeeded with the
exception Of little row between q.
P. Co6eid and Frank Kellum, which
was fist fight. and only have both
Sofeld called him damn liar, and
Kelfum hit him Mr. Gossett claims
Kelium came up and jumped On Co.
field. Everything was quiet on until
November s, when an outbreak oc-
CURED between $3.50 and D. m. l
do not know who fred the first shots
at the mill that night Some say =.
started on the inside and some say
it started on the outside. The men
IN the mill with Nr. Andrews as fore
MAN say Mr. B. B. Gossett phoned the
mill about dark and said for them
to be careful, that trouble was brew
ing. think II Mr.. Gossett wanted
to cooperate With the sheriff's Office
aad keep down the trouble, II he had
any information that anything was
going to- happen at the Brogon mill,
ae should have notified me- 80 could
have gone to the scene and prevented
anv trouble. In place Of this Mr.
Gossett has already taken the Law In
his own hands, placed men in the mill
under heavy arms. doubled barrel shot
guns, loaded with buck shot and plen-
ty of shells, and large pistols.
On Wednesday night before this
outbreak, Mr.. Gossett came to my
jailer, Mr. J. R. Williams, while j.
Olin Sanders and myself were ON our
way back from Greenwood where we
had been attending United States
court. He wanted Mr. Williams to
go to the mill and bring the men
he had at work inside out of the mill
and to take them to the hotel, when
Nr. Gossett knew that if Williams
went there and attempted to take the
men out of the mill that it would only
give the operatives chance, if they
wanted to beat these people up, and
that WILLIAMS had no influence over
these operatives. Just short while
before l reached the city, he was try
ing to have this done and trying to
get the military company ordere out.
When I got to anderson 1 was in
termed by Mr.. Williams what the
management Of the mill wanted done
and | called Mr.. Gossett and tod him
I would go and get the men out of
the mill, and see that there was no
harm done to them. Still Mr.. Gossett
was trying to get out the military
company. but Mr.. Gossett claimed that
he had been informed that everything
had been postponed and that every
thing was quiet, that he was salts
fed there would be nothing going on
over there Still Mr.. Gossett was
was trying and doing everything in
his power to get the governor to or
dre out the military company to the
Brogon mill, claiming that they were
expecting the men they had there
loading cloth to be lynched or severe
ly beaten that night.
I also called the governor, told him
that would go to Brogou mill and
see that nothing happened over there.
When reached the mill l found ev-
erything quiet. the operatives at the
Brogon mill had been Informed from
hearsays in towu Of the alleged at
tempt to take the men out OF the mill
and Of the attempt to get the militia
placed around the mill. They had put
extra men on picket duty to see that
no one went into the mill came back
to town and reported everything as l
found it to the governor, and told him
at the time that believed 1t was an
attempt by Mr.. Gossett and Messrs.
Bonham, Watkins and Allen to put
something over me while was away
from home and to make it so strong to
the governor that he could not resist
ordering out the.militia.
While all this has been going on
they have continued to load cloth
by my talking to the operatives, and
getting them to keep the peace and
let the mill go ahead and load the
cloth. 1 have been talking with Mr..
Gossett in hopes of getting at some
way Of settling the strike, but he
has held out all the while that he