The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-21

Curtis McClary was sitting OH tho
bank. Capt. Holland came up and
said. Put Curtis in Curtis jumped
and ran and Capt. Holland put his
pistol on him and told Jim Patterson
to catch him. Jimmie brought him
to edge of the dirt and Curtis said
he couldn't swim-'lll drown JIM
mie turned him loose and walked of.
Then Capt. Holland told John Davis
and George Grant to catch him and
carry him in. They caught him and
carried him out to water about to my
neck, but Curtis was taller than am
and 1t would come quite to his neck
Curtis fioated back into deep water
and caught me. 1 hollered for help
Robert Grant carried me out. MY
back was then to Curtis and when ]
got to bank Ben and Curtis had
sunk. There is hole right near
where they turned Curtis loose an(
he must have stepped back i'm it. Cur
tbs McClary had on his shoes-they
were on his feet when he was pulled
out"
Robert Grant. sworn, says:
Five of US went in the water af-
ter dinner. Ben Murray was one o.
five. Curtis was oh the bank and ]
was i'm water about up to my waist
said 1 was on bottom. Curtis said.
q am on t"p and am going to stay
Chpt. Holland says, Catch Curtis and
put him in Patterson started after
him and he started off. Capt. Holland
pulled his pistol ana told him to stop.
Jimmie brought him back to bank
Curtis told Jim he couldn't swim and
Jim turned him loose. About that
time Capt. Holland told me and
Georgetown to bring him in. We led
him In the water \ piece-the water
was about waist deep. 1 turned him
loose and Ben Murray and George.
town carried him out further. Curtis
grabbed John Robertson. He hol-
Tered. i went and helped John Rob-
ertson. When / got him to the bank
and looked back Ben Murray was
turning over and over. Curtis mad
gone under. didn't see Curtis any
more until ne was pulled out of wa
ter. This is about all know. l turn
ed Curtis loose in water about waist
deep. Georgetown and Ben Murray
carried him further out and where
Georgetown turned him loose the wa
ter was about ten or fifteen feet
deep. Murray never did get loose
from Curtis until he was drowned"
John Davis. known as Georgetown.
sworn. says:
six of us went I'm swimming. Ben
Murray was one Of the six. Curtis
couldn't swim-he was on the bank
Capt. Holland told me. John Patter-
.son and Robert Grant tornt Curtis ir,
the water. We put him In where j
turned him loose the water was abou
to my arm pits. Curtis was a little
taller than I am. Ben Murray go.
loose In water about neck deep. It
wasn't in the stream exactly. Ben Muir
ray and Curtis McClary got drowned
in water about neck deep. When we
had Curtis going in the water Capt.
Holland told us to come out and 60 20
work. I turned him loose and cane
out. Ben Murray carried him on"
j. Fl. Holland. sworn, says:
II am the superintendent of Sumte,
County Chaingang and was working
crew Of ten at Ca, Savannah bridge
yesterday We stopped for dinner
about 10.45. We all washed and
fixed to eat dinner. was lying down
by some timber after dinner and the
hands were sitting by the stream.
12.45 ! came back to the bank. Sew
eral Of the hands were in the water
Georgetown and Robert Grant had
Curtis McClary in the water right at
the sheeting. I hollered and told
them 10 como out and get to work.
Some turned loose and two went to
backing i'm and l saw it was getting
deep and / hollered to some Of the
others to get those boys out The las;
/ saw was four men together-two
turned loose and two went under. !
sent for help at once to fish out tho
bodies. I got Curtis out in fifteen
minutes and tried everything 1 knew
to bring him to- but failed. l didn't
order Curtis to be put in water. When
l saw him after lying down, as stated
above. he was in the water. The onl,
order 1 gave was for the mon &c
come out and go to work."
The verdict of tho jury was: "Rc.
Murray and Curtis McClary came t,