The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-06-23
NEGRO PAYS FOR
CRIME With LIFE
MOB RIDDLES FUGITIVE WITH
BULLETS.
Hundreds in Search.
Herbert Quarles identified BY Victim.
Forced to Climb Tree, Then
Chained and Eolley Fired.

Mccormick, June ia posse of
citizens this afternoon lynched Her
bert Quarles, a negro, charged with
criminal assault on white woman
of this county. The negro was iden-
tilted by the victim and was ordered
to climb tree. His body was then
riddled with bullets.
The posse was hourly increased in
number and at the time Quarles was
caught at o'clock this afternoon
there were probably 1000 men en-
gagged in the search.
The negro was found hiding un-
der some brush about fifteen miles
from the place where the crime was
committed and about one mile from
where he was reared.
When a party of men was in
about ten feet of him he jumped up
out of the brush. Hundreds of shots
were fired in the air as an alarm and
the news spread faster than the
local telephone company could get it
through the country. Members of the
posse soon gathered On the scene.
Edgefeld, Aiken, Abbeville, New
berry and Lincoln county joined
Mccormick county in the hunt.
From the spot where The was
found Quarles was taken to the home
of the victim.
Says "This is Wrong"
The negro himself, it is declared,
admitted having committed the
crime and while he gave no reason
for committing the deed he issued
this statement:
s'Tell all the colored people that
this is the wrong thing and tell them
to try and be better people and
never try the deed that I tried.'
After being identified by the vic
tim and making a full confession
the negro was taken to a point with
in the Robinson graveyard in the
slump of woods where the deed was
committed, about 100 yards from his
home, and with plow line around
his neck and a trace chain around
his body he was ordered to climb
cedar tree.
With the same degree Of GOODNESS
he might have gone about climbing
for an o'possum, he broke the limbs
and climbed the tree about fifteen
feet. When he had reached this
point someone went up and chained
and tied him to the tree. When all
was in readiness volley of prob
ably 5000 shots was fired. He was
left hanging to the tree by the posse.
This is the first lynching that has
ever occurred in Mccormick county
and although the regular June term
of the court of general sessions for
Mccormick county is to begin here
tomorrow, the appeal of the officers
and those who do not favor lynch
ings fell on deaf ears as the quiet,
undemonstrative assemblage of men
went about their work.
In fact, not more than half the
number in the hunt were present
when the negro was put to death, 1t
is said. Those in charge of the ne
gro. who had taken him to the home
of his victim to be Identified, had
stated, it is alleged, that they would
return to the town before going
about the work of lynching him.
The victim lives in sparcely set
tied community between the town of
Plum Branch and Savannah river
about one hundred yards from her
mail box and it is reliably stated
that she went to the mail box yes
\terday morning about O'Clock and
the negro, Herbert Quarles, who also
lives near by and VINO was d. IHe
time working in field near by, lett
the work and in some way caught
the lady and Immediately chokeo
her and dragged her to a nearby
wood
The victim is married and about
thirty years of age. Her husband
was not at home at the time and she
was choked. strangled or frightened
into unconsciousness by the brute,
who, after committing the crime.
went to his own home, obtained his
best clothes and immediately left
with them under his arm. wearing
the owe rs in which he had been
working.