Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-07-23
DENsIAsI1's TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
Two Negroes Dead; Three White Mon
Seriously Wounded.

following the trial Of case before
Magistrate Herbert Hightower, in
which a negro named Agent Brown
sued a party for taking watermelon
from his patch.
The case went gainst Brown and
as the crowd was leaving the court
room Brown opened fire on Oarl
Mobley, Henry Ray Murray and
young man BY the name OF Thomp-
son. One bullet entered Mobley's
breast near the heart and another
shot through shoulder Henry NJ.
Ray, son Of Sheriff Ray, was shot
through the neck.
Mobley returned the fire when
Brown began the fusillade, and it is
claimed shot by him proved fatal
10 the negro who was prosecuting
the case. A negro In the employ of
the telephone company, whose name
could not be learned, jumped before
Mobley to protect him in the melee,
and received a wound that proved
| fatal.
| The three white men were rushed
to Columbia to hospital.
| 1t is not known positively IL any
other negro beside Brown fired, but
II was generally believed that shots
| WIZ III GU uS OIHcIS.
1t is said that Mobley was work
ing gang OF men for the telephone
company recently near a watermelon
ratch owned by Agent Brown, and
that Brown claimed one of the men
from the gang went into the field
ana picked melon. This Is said to
have resulted in the suit, the trial
or which was followed by the terri
| Die tragedy as the parties were leay-
Ing the court room.
Feeling ran high and 1t was feared
for time that a general rn 4 ~iot
might. result. At late hour to-
night Sheriff Ray and Police Officer
W.. j. Hutto had the situation we'll
in hand and all was apparently quiet.
Further Details.
Columbia, July 1S.-To obviate
any chance Of renewal Of racial
trouble, at Denmark, of which he
has no fear, Sheriff Ray has sworn
in six determined and trustworthy
deputies and has sent them to Den
mark to preserve order, according
TO information received here to-
| night. He instructed them to pre-
vent lynching at all hazards
AT late hour tonight Henry NJ
Kay, who was seriously wounded,
with two otho. white men in the
tragedy at Denmark Thursday even
| ing. and who was brought to the
| Columbia Hospital for treatment
was still alive. James r. Thomp-
son, who was also brought to Colum-
bia FOR treatment Of his wounds, was
reported to be getting along nicely.
| Carol Mobley, the third man shot
was not sent to Columbia for treat
ment Of his wounds.
Do,
Cooper from the bedside of his son
that the doctors give no hope for the
young mans recovery, as his spinal
column had been cut.
Governor Ready to Aid.
Governor Cooper told Sheriff Ray
| tonight that in case trouble arose in
| Bambery county, which could not be
handled by his peace officers, the full
power Of the Executive office, with
all the assistance necessary, would
be behind him.
OZell Anderson, one Of the negroes
! alleged to have been implicated in
the shooting affray, was brought to
| Columbia to-day by w. Hutto,
chief Of police Of Denmark, and
| placed In the State penitentiary for
safekeeping. Chief Hutto captured
| Anderson about one and three-uuar-
| ing. The negro was armed with
| Winchester rifle and was partly
drunk, said the officer The negro
made no effort to resist arrest.
No Attempt to Lynch.
While there was a great de.l Of
excitement because Of the shooting.
said Mr.. llutto, there was no effort
at violence toward the prisoner. but
he thought is wise to bring the
negro to Columbia. Mr.. Hutto.
who has been chief of police at
Denmark off and on for the past
fifteen years. was an eyewitness to
the shooting affray.
According to his version a gang
of telephone workers were strinpinr
wires at Denmark when one of the
negro laborers, George Stevens,
raided the watermelon patch of
Agent Brown, another negro, who
pursued Stevens until they came up
to the white telephone workers, who
protected Stevens, it is said. Brown
then took the matter to the maeis
trate's court and Stevens was ac
quilted, Carol Mobley, q white
man, being the chief witness for the
defendant.
Shooting Begins.
When the party got outside Of the
magistrates court on the street, said
Mr.. Hutto, some words, in his opin
ion. passed and the shooting began.
lie stated that Agent Brown com
menced firing at Mr.. Mobley with an
automatic revolver, which held nine
steel coated bullets. Two shots en-
tered the chest Of Mr.. Mobley, one
on the right and the other on tho