The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-04-01

front of the Corbett home seems to
have precipitated the trouble. Con-
flicting reports are given as to how
the fire was started.
The story as told by the Salley boy
who escaped and by residents of the
community who were in Columbia
yesterday was that the pumice caught
from the exhaust of the automobile
driven by the dead men. 1t is con-
tended that the machine was choked
down in this filling and that an ex-
haust spark started the blaze.
Points at Issue.
Corbett's contention as set out by
other parties, is that the men in the
machine applied a match to the pum-
ice put in the road to fill in a gully,
drove down the road short distance
until Corbett came out of his house
and then went back and entered into
an alteration with him.
AS the tragedy occurred just across
the Aiken county line in Orangeburg
county, the inquest yesterday was con-
Quoted by w. R. Kirkland, magistrate
at Norway, Orangeburg county, who
acted in the absence of the Orange
burg coroner who was out of the
state. The verdict was that the men
came to their death from gunshot
wounds in the hands or Carlos Cor
bett.
The five men left Salley at 10:30
O'Clock Saturday night for a drive
about six miles into the country to
the home Of the parents of Julian
Cooper, whose wife and two children
were supposed to be there. The Cor
bett home is on the highway between
Salley and Cooper home, and
the fire was started in the
outgoing trip. Finding that
in the outgoing trip. Finding that
Mrs. Cooper and the children were
not at the Coopers but at the home
of a neighbor back between Corbett's
place and Salley, it is stated they then
started back and upon arriving at
the Corbett place were halted by
Corbett. Testimony yesterday at the
inquest was that Corbett began swear
ing and declared he chad been run
over enough by people from Salley."
Effort to reason, it is said, was of no
avail, and the shooting was begun
after few words had been exchanged,
according to the testimony Of the wit
ness.
It is claimed by some that the ma
chine went only short distance be-
yond the Corbett home and stopped,
waiting there until Corbett came out
to the fire.
Many Shots Fired.
Young Salley, who escaped, saw
two of his companions shot down and
threw himself to the ground as if he
too had been killed. After emptying
his revolver, Corbett is said to have
stepped over the young man while re-
turning to the house. Young Salley
then scurried off to call for aid. He
heard shots as he made his get away,
but was not sure any of the bullets
we're fired at him. The wounded man
at the hospital says he was shot in
the head after Corbett had gone back
to the house, and returned to the car.
Mrs. Corbett spent the night in the
barn. When the shooting was over,
her husband informed her of what
had happened and advised her to go
to a neighbors house as he was 60
| ing to Columbia to surrender by the
| first automobile he could hire. Mrs.
| Corbett was so frightened that she
was unable to get to the house and
consequently spent the night in the
barn. Corbett drove through the
country and arrived in Columbia at
an early hour yesterday morning.
All parties are white and belong to
prominent families in and around
| Salley.
Claims He Shot in Self-Defense.