The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-03-04

The following account Of the double
killing near Allendale is clipped from
the last issue of the Allendale Citi-
zen:
Allie Cone, aged 20, and Aubrey
Cone, aged II, were instantly killed
and John Brant, aged o., was slight
ly wounded, in a gun battle in the
parlor of the home of E. P. Phillips,
a well-known white farmer, residing
four miles from here, about o'clock
Sunday evening. John Brant, and his
brother, Earl, age II, are under arrest
and confined in the BarnWell jail, in
connection with the shooting. The
shooting occurred in the presence of
Miss Ruth Phillips and Miss Sadie
Phillips, upon whom the young men
were calling. Mr.. and Mrs. Phillips
were in the dining room at the time OF
the shooting.
Details as to the cause of the shoot
ing are quite conflicting, and, indeed,
the views of those present at the time
of the shooting as to who fired the
fatal shots differ. John Brant, in an
affidavit submitted with his applica-
ton for bail, swears that he killed
both the Cone boys. However, Miss
Ruth Phillips testified at the coroner's
inquest that John Brant killed Aubrey
Cone and that Earle Brant killed AL
lie Cone. Both of the dead men were
shot through the heart, with, appar-
emily, the same calibre pistol. It is
said that revolvers were found upon
the person of the Cone boys when
searched after the shooting.
1t is declared by men who went to
the scene of the killing Sunday night
that witness to the shooting said
that the killing occurred over the fact
that John Brant iintimated that he
smelled the feet of Aubrey Cone. This
witness said that the following con-
versation Immediately preceded the
shooting:
John Brant: Ito Aubrey Gomez 81
smell something; it must be your
feet"
Aubrey Cone: (to John Brant) "You
don't smell my feet, because I've got
on fathers new shoes. It must be
your own feet
To this the witness said Sunday
night, John Brant replied, Don't you
say that to me-" and began shooting.
Miss Ruth Phillips testified at the
inquest, and later told the editor OF
the Citizen, that, without prelimi-
naries, John Brant walked over to
Aubrey Cone, said: 81 want you to
understand that I am here too," and
began shooting. This version, how
ever, is contradicted in the afidavits
made by Roy Brant and Ben All, who
accompanied the Brant boys to the
Phillips home. They swear, according
to their affidavits attached to the ap-
plication for bail for the Brant boys,
that one of the Cone boys cursed
John Brant and that Allie Cone shot
at John Brant twice and that John
Brant then began shooting.
Mogistrate w. L. Brant, Ulmers,
was Informed of the shooting after it
occurred and he arrested the Brant
boys and held them until the arrival
of Sheriff L. c. Bennett and his depu-
ties. Magistrate Brant, acting coro-
ner, held an inquest at the home OF
Mr.. Phillips early Sunday morning,
and the following were jurors: T. j.
Deer, foreman, John Goodson, Jake
Deer, Percy Lyons, G. B. Dukes, j.
w. Allen, Ed Harter and Ira Bowers
The Brants are members of the
large and well-known family by that
name residing near Ulmers and the
Cone boys were members of an equal
ly large and well-known family resid-
ing in the Jenny section. Both fami-
lies are mostly composed of substan'
tial and highly respected farmers. The
Cone boys were buried at Hickory
Grove cemetery on Monday afternoon
a large crowd attending.
Extracts from the testimony Of E
P. Phillips and Miss Ruth Phillips
given at the coroner's inquest, and
afidavits by the men under arrest at
tached to their application for bail
are printed below. Messrs Harley and
Rlatt, Barnwell, and R. P. Searson
Allendale, have been employed by
the defense.
According to copy Of the pro-
ceedincs of the inquest Mr.. Phillips
in whose home the shooting occurred
testified as follows:
Il live in the above state and coun