Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-06-13
AFTER II YEARS or LIBERTY,
Sloan Whitncr, Colorcd, Is Awaiting
Trial In Oconce Jail.

Some seventeen years ago, In 1900,
Sloan Whitner, colored. was charged
with making an assault on w. T..
Bowers, Of this county, and a warrant
for the arrest Of Whitner was sworn
out. but the negro escaped and was
never located. The assault took
place over on the Keowee river side
of the county, In which section both
Mr. Bowers and the negro resided.
Search was made for the darkey, but
no trace OF him was found
Last week, however. Sloan, follow
ing the longings OF nature, returned
to his home, doubtless thinking that
in II years he and the offense with
which he was charged had been long
forgotten. But In this he was mis-
taken. Nor was the warrant out Of
existence. One r. A. Alexander has
carried tha. warrant in his pockets at
times and at times has kept 1t care
fully preserved in his home, and when
he saw the darkey on his return he
came to Walhalla and notified the
Sheriff's office Of the negro's pres
ence, producing the warrant. and
upon the Information contained
therein new one was issued. The
old warrant was issued by w. o.
White, OF Walhalla, then Magistrate,
but now Master. w. w. Moss was
Oconee's Sheriff at that time and
Boone r. Moss was his deputy. Alex
ander. who located the negro the
negro the other day, was at the time
deputized to make the arrest. To-
day, seventeen years from the time
the original warrant was issued, Jas.
M. Moss, son of the late w. w. Mosn,
Is the Sheriff OF Oconee, and Boone
r. Moss, his brother, is his official
deputy and jailer. All of the wit
nesses named in the warrant are still
living.
Whitner is now in jail to await
trial for the old offense charged
against him. The direct charge Is
assault and battery
| When the deputy sheriff and his
assistants went to the home Of Whit
ner they found him In peculiar state
of mind. He feared that he would be
lynched, and in anticipation Of such
outcome begged time in which to dis
pose Of some of his personal effects.
bsgaIs 81 giNing stot eyone@of .il,is
daughters HIS watch, and to others of
the family he distributed various be-
longings. He was in bed when the
officers arrived at his place. He told
| them that he would put on only his
shoes If lie was to be Strung up"
close by, but the officers assured him
o:Hiis absolute safety, and finally he
put on his socks and shoes in regula-
ton style. He seemed to be more at
ease when he was escorted out Of the
house and placed in an automobile,
and he came to the county Jail with
| no protest or effort to escape,
He has, so far as we have been
abe to find out, given no indication
as to where he has been all these
years, or what has been his occuna-
ton. From his general bearing, how
ever, and from the polish and polite
manners that he has acquired, it Is
surmised that he has very probably
been Pullman porter or railway
employee In some capacity in the pas
senger service. His general bearing,
1t Is said, comports with the charac-
teristics Of darkies in such positions.
| He Is large, well-groomed negro
and makes himself quite agreeable
| on all occasions.
| W. q. Bowers, the gentleman who
Is alleged to have been assaulted, Is
! one Of the prominent farmers of his
| section, and lives with his family in
the same community in which the as
sault occurred seventeen years ago.