The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-07-24
TWO OTHERS, WHITE MEN, SERI-
OUSLY WOUNDED.
Many Shots Were Fired
Henry Murray Ray, Bystander, and
Two Negroes kiHed.-Follows
Magistrate Court Case.

The most deplorable tragedy that
has occurred in Bamberg county in
many years was pistol duel on Main
street in Denmark Thursday after
noon, as result of which three men,
one white and two negroes, are dead,
and two others, both white, are seri-
ously wounded The dead are:
Henry Murray Ray, son of Sheriff
Ray.
Agent Brown, negro.
Elmer Loper, negro.
Seriously wounded:
Carroll Mobley, white.
j. Ralph Thompson, white.
The affair took place Immediately
after a trial in the court of N1agis-
trate Hightower, in which Carroll
Mobley and negro, George Stevens,
had been accused by Agent Brown
of stealing watermelon from
Browns field. The decision had been
reserved by Magistrate Hightower
and court had been adjourned. The
crowd, some fifty or more, mostly
white men, had left or we're leaving
the court room, when Brown opened
fire on Mobley, who was struck once.
Mobley at the time did not have ...s
pistol in his hand and ran behind a
tree until he could pull it, after
which he stepped out and fired on
Brown, who fell to the ground, but
later raised up and fired other shots.
Henry Murray Ray was bystand
er and had nothing to do with the
affair. He was struck by one shot,
which penetrated his neck and al
most severed the spinal cord. He
fingered until Sunday when he died
at hospital in Columbia.
Whether or not Brown intended
killing Mr.. Ray is not clear and per-
haps will never be known. The ne
gro Loper was with Mobley at the
time, he being member of a tele-
phone gang which Mobley was work
ing, and appears to have been killed
when he went to Mobley's assistance.
Lopez received one bullet which
caused instant death, and it is not
entirely clear whether he was shot
by Brown or by Browns brother-in-
law, Ozell Anderson, who was with
Brown at the time and appears to
have been the party who brought on
the difficulty. One witness testified
at the inquest that Loper was
shot by Anderson and others testi-
fed that Anderson was armed wit b
pistol. Anderson had told Brown
before leaving the court room to do
as he told him, or words to that
effect.
Thompson was shot while trying
to get away from the scene of the
shooting. He had nothing to do with
the affair.
Anderson was arrested Saturday
morning by Mr.. w. B. Smoak and
some other citizens. At the time
Anderson was near his home some
few miles from Denmark and was
in a tbuggy in a drunken condition.
He was armed with an old rifle, but
was too drunk to make any serious
attempt to use it and was taken
without trouble. He had evidently
intended leaving the neighborhood
in the buggy, but was so much under
the influence of liquor that he did
not realize what he was doing, as
it appeared he had driven around in
a circle without getting anywhere.
AS measure of safety and precau-
ton the authorities had Anderson
carried to the penitentiary in Co.
lumbia to avert further trouble.
Brown has bad reputation. It
is said that he killed another negro
some years ago near Blackville, that
he had served seven years in the peni-
tentiary, and that he had been par
doned by former governor Brown
is said to have accumulated some
money in the last few years and was
in good financial circumstances.
It appears likely that Brown and
Anderson had arranged previously to
wreak vengeance on the telephone
gang for the alleged stealing of a
watermelon, about which the trial
was held. While nothing of the
watermelon incident was brought
out at the inquest, from what can
be learned the circumstances we're:
While doing some telephone line re-
pairing, Carroll Mobley's gang of
men were near the place of Brown.