The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1921-09-14


his aid. saying, Something's got to be
done" Fox walked around the car
and pulling his knife began stabbing
the boy. The boy begged for his life.
offering to fet them have the. car and
Keep his mouth shut. 81 am dying"
exclaimed the wounded man. "No.
damn you, you are not, but you soon
will be-" said Kirby. r..
The witness said that Kirby want
ed to throw the body in a well or
take 1T to the Savannah river. but he
and Gappins insisted that it be left
on the roadside, where it might he
found by the dead boys. people. This
latter plan was carried out and the
body was carried short distance
from the road and left. The three
men then stopped at,la we'll, teewash
up and clear away the blood from the
car and their clothing. They went
on past Augusta. where they were
finally arrested.
On cross examination Fox stuck to
his story that Kirby and Gappins had
planned the affair and had persuaded
him to join I m. Asked what made
him do the deed. he said, s'The devil
must have got me-" He said he had
never and did not even then realize
that he had killed Brazell and said
that Kirby choked him and had him
alone in the back of the car and he
Nigh, have been the one who actually
did the killing. Questioned about
the attempt to cut out
Brazelrs heart he said he had no
recollection of having tried, to do so.
and said the size of the wound might
have been accounted for by the
weight Of the boy falling while the
knife was still in the wound. He said
that he had cut Brazell once while
he was standing and once while he
was down.
At the conclusion of Fox's testi-
Eony court recessed for dinner.
Gappins Back on Stand.
Gappins then took the stand in his
own behalf. but threw little further
light en- the tragedy. His story did
not seem to carry conviction but ap.
peared more like a we'll rehearsed
version: He told his tale without in
terruption practically as told the day
Ecfole. denying that he knew the car
was to. lie stolen but insisting that
all through that Sunday night he be-
lieVed they Were going to Lexington.
to bring back somo girls. AS on the
day before he painted a black picture
OF Kirby. as n heartless and blood
william. who Dragged Of having
committed crime, saying boastingly
that If he had keen detected in all
Of his crimes they would have to
electrocute six men a day for 12
months to get even with him." He
said that Xirby had told him that he
did not mind trouble he was at
home. in the penitentiary, having
been twice sentenced for life and once
for 80 years. -.. ....
On cross examination he admitted
that he had known of a plot to steal
a car and take it to Florida for sale.
but maintained that on the night in
question he believed they only in
tended coming for some girls. He
stoutly denied holding Brazell's arm,
but on the contrary claimed that he
pleaded with the others to spare the
boys life. SO
State Constable Berley testified Nat
Gappins had confessed to him that
he had held Brazell's arm.
T. c. Sturkie, appointed to repre-
sent Gappins, made a short speech
to the jury. McKendree Barr, counsel
for Fox, also appointed by the court,
waived his right to address the jury.
Solicitor CalisonN briefly addressed
the jury, and after the judges brief
charge the jury at 4:34 retired from
the room, returning just 40 minutes
later. at STA with a verdict of guilty.
The prisoners were then brought
into court and. sentenced to be cleo
trocuted on Friday, October 81, be-
tween the hours of 10 a. IN. and p.
M. Judge Sease spoke briefly but
solemnly to the prisoners. He told
them that if there could be any con-
ISOLATION for them it would lay in the
that the punishment which
they would receive might deter some
other person with a mother, a wife
and baby from, committing a like Of
fence. Their enple might prove
heacnn which would SaNe other.