The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-04-07
JOE STEWART HUNG
TO CEMETERY BRIDGE
Lynching of Negro Thurs.
day Night
NEGRO SPIRITED
FROM Lookup

Away DS Duhu vi Aucll lHuTSutS ~
Night and Hung to Cemetery Bridge
on South Harper Street. No Clue of
LyncherS.
Joe Stewart, a negro with several
other aliases who had the reputation
Of carrying around chip on his
shoulder for white people, was found
hanging by the neck under the Little
River bridge at the end Of cemetery !
hill Friday morning following dii :
Guilty which he had with young whi,e
boys the night before. His face and
body were cut in several places and
deep cash was in his neck, but there
were no other evidences Of foul play.
He had evidently been carried to the
bridge, moose fixed around his neck,
given a shove over the side and left to
his fate. The body was taken down
and removed ta ltcnncdv's undertake
ing establishment about 8 o'clock Fri
day morning and Friday afternoon he
was buried in the colored cemetery.
According to reports circulated on
the streets the trouble started on the
steps Of the local picture show. which
has gallery set apart for negroes
but steps used in common. Two or
three young white boys were coming
down the steps when they had a col
lision with young negro man, still un-
identified, coming up. III the exchange
Of words which followed the negro
cursed the white boys and later, went
behind the opera house. The white
boys. with several friends. followed
shortly afterwards with the object Of
chastising him for the insult, but were
not able to locate him. Instead they
were met by Joe Stewart, who applied
the viest epithets to them and said
If they were looking for his "budde"
he was ready to clean up with the
whole crowd, or something to that ef-
feet Brandishing a long knife said
to have been brought back from
France, he dared the white boys to
come on. About this time one Of tho
boys struck him on the head with q
stick and regular free-for-all fight
ensued, considerable crowd Of ne
groes looking on and q few other
white boys standing by awaiting de-
velopments. The other negroes made
no move to interfere, but in the fight
which continued for some time three
of the white boys, Roy Ohildress, Car
Putnam and Fred Little, were severe.
ly cut. Fred Little having his arm en-
tirely pierced by the negroes knife
Being finally laid out by one Of Tho
boys the negro was so seriously GU
that he was hardly able to get up from
the ground. With all parties to th'
melee prosusely bleeding, the troubl,
persed. Joe Stewart was carried b.
some OF his friends to negro drul
store for treatment and here he wa
later arrested and carried to the cit
ing for the original negro who start
ed the trouble, a supposedly small
crowd OF men entered the station
house unobscrved. carried Stewart t
the bridge and pitched him over. Eve
those in front of the building are sal
to have been surprised when the
learned that the negro had been cal
ried off.
Coroner Owings empaneled jur
about noon and after viewing the bod
in the undertaker's establishment bt
gan a hearing In the court house, Sc
!citor Blackwell representing tn
state. Police officers and several me
who were on the public qsuare aftC
the lynching were put on the stand, b,
no definite clue as to the identity Of tt
lynchcrs was secured. Chief Blak,
ly testified that when he left I'll
square to look for the original negl
who was in the difficulty he told She
If Reid to look after the prisone
When he returned he learned Of Il
lynching. but could not recall who to
him OF It, Sheriff Reid testlfyin
said that he told Chief Blakely
would be around the place but TIL
he was not near the lookup when IL
negro was carried away. Dr.. w.
Ferguson, who made the post morte
examination, said that none of Il