The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-08
SHOCK TO YORK COUNTY.
GRAND JURY WILL BE CALLED no
INVESTIGATE LYNOHING OF
NEGRO PREACHER.
C0roner's Jury, With little Evidence
Before II, Finds unknown Parties"
Verdict"


York, Sept. 3.-"W. r. Sims ame
to his death at the hands Of parties
unknown to the jury" Such was the
verdict Of the jury of inquest into the
killing Of Rev. Watson Sims. a ne
gro. near here August %. which was
rendered at 6.45 this afternoon. The
coroner's jury was dismissed and an
nouncement was made that the grand
jury would be called to meet Monday
morning to continue the investigation
A crowd of more than 500 people.
most Of them from the community in
which the tragedy occurred. filed the
court house here long before the in
quest was resumed this morning. Prac-
tically every business man in Sharon
closed his place of business for the
day and came here. More han 200
negroes were present.
The ninth arrest in connection with
the affair was made this afternoon
when +. r. Penninger. q blacksmith
Of Sharon. and q man who has many
friends. was lodged in Jail. He is the
father Of Fred Penninger. who was
placed In jail the morning the dead
body Of Sims was found. What evil
dence there IL against the senior PEN
ninger has not been divulged.
Little testimony Of value came out
at the hearing today. Solicitor Henry
was present and he put In busy day.
The authorities are confident now they
know every man in the crowd who
killed Sims and all will probably be
arrested before the grand jury meets
Monday. They say they know every
essential detail connected with the
tragedy.
The whole county will undergo more
or less OF q shock when announcement
Of arrests yet to be made is published.
Men In positions Of trust will likely
have TO clear themselves of the charge
Of being parties to the lynching.
Nobody was surprised at the inquest
jury's verdict today. With what little
evidence was before them they could
not have done otherwise. The grand
jury's investigation next Monday will
be more searching and thorough.
T. F. McDow. Esq. of this place. has
been retained to defend the nine men
now In jail charged with completely
In the lynching.
York. Sept. 6.-Another surprise
was registered In the now celebrated
Sims lynching case today when Dick
Norman. well known young man.
who was arrested shortly after tho
tragedy occurred. announced his inten.
tion to turn States evidence. accord
Ing to the authorities and in COM
pany with DR.. ]. H. Haye and his faith
or. Hose Norman. the youth was
taken to Chester by auto this after
noon and there he is said to have made
full confession Ut the whole affair to
Solicitor Henry. The alleged confess
SION. Of course. was not made public
but It Is stated that 1t was largely d
confirmation Of evidence the solicitor
already had.
1t had been rumored here for sever
al days that Norman would confess
and q number of people were expect
Ing It. The News and Courier corre-
spondent has 1t on good authority that
there are others among the eight
prisoners now in Jail who are willing
to tell what they knew about the
lynching. In ar effort to save them
selves. II the. are given an opror-
tunity.
Young Norman was returned here
shortly after o'clock this afternoon
and with his bond fixed at $1,000, is
being held as material witness. He
had little trouble in obtaining bonds
men. He may or may not tell his
story before the grand jury Monday.
No further arrests have been made
and probably will not be until after
the meeting of the grand jury Monday.
Several others who are alleged to
have been in the mob which put the
negro preacher to death early on the
morning OF August "a. will then be
taken into custody. There is pos
sibility that some may flee the State
before arrests come. but that is hardly
probable.
washington, Sept. 6.-Several let
ters written by President Wilson re-