The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-17
STORY OF
BRAz!ELL
MURDER
Kirby, the One Arm
Eiend Tells How He
and Companions
Killed Boy to
Secure Auto
mobile

matte recital gesticulating with his
lone arm at every word and his thin
almost sinister, swarthy features,
polgnantly tragic, j. S. Kirby, on
trial here as one of the trio accus-
ed Of stabbing to death William
BraZen. youthful taxi driver, of
sGalumbia, on the highway about
Ten miles from here near Leesville
during the early hours Of August
9adnaitted that I've concocted
the plot to steal Brazell's car, and
swpre that he helped hold the
ssruggling automobile driver while
o. Fox, a co-defendant. was
driving home the knife
throughout the testimony, Kir-
by reiterated, ST know I have got
70 die. gentlemen. =
He charged Jesse Gappins, the
other member OF the trio, with
being the leader in the enter
psise have not got long to
live. said Kirby TO the jury, 1tand if
Ram killed for this crime, all the
request Chat have to make is that
God viii take care of my wife and
little child. =
Jesse Gappins was placed on the
stand by the State to give testi-
naony against Kirby and he declar-
ed that the older man was the real
leader and engineered the whole
pa5t and that Gappins was forced
TO play his part, an inactive one as
far as the actual killing was con-
cerned, by threats of violence from
the older man: There was one
thing in which there was no con-
flict in the testimony Of either Kir-
By or Gappins, that Fox was the
one VINO stabbed Brazen to death
and who 49Blackjacked" him across
the head.
ss @. Fox and Jesse Gappins. yac-
cording to the plan of T. C. CALI
sson solicitor of the Eleventh circuit
who is conducting the prosecution,
will be tried Jointly tomorrow after
the case of Kirby is disposed of.
They viii probably be placed on
trial tomorrow morning, as court
closed tonight with Kirby on the
stand and when his cross examina-
ton is completed and the argu-
ments are heard, the case viii go
TO the jury. No trouble was ex-
perienced IN getting the three 2ris-
eners to Lexington from the State
-Iisss:sentiary, nor was there any
anaaResllation of hostility from
q sEhe Immense crowd which jammed
the court house, and oyerflowed in
80 the street. Judge Thomas s.
Sease, who presided, sternly pro-
nounced that he would tolerate no
effort at lynching and his charge
TO the grand jury, excoriated as
mnrderers those persons who pacti-
scipated in the shooting to death
several weeks ago at Chaplin OF
sWilI Aiken, the negro who killed
Noah F. Frick.
Prisoners Closely Guarded.
Governor Cooper left nothing to
chance guarding Of Fox, Kirby and
Gappins. They were taken from
the State penitentiary this morning
at o'clock under heavy. guard,
arriving here lthirty-five minutes
later: The prisoners were in an
automobile in charge OF Thomas
a. Beriy. State constable; j. D.
Bunaway, chief of Richmond
County, rural police: and Peniten-
tsary Guards Ramsay and Town 5.
Two other cars in which we State
sConstabies J. L. Poppenheim, OF
charleston; W. C. Eichelberger, of
Florence, and J. S. Smyrl, Of Co
Junnbia; Deputy L. C. Knox, of CO.
.mmbia, and Columbia City Detec-
tiyes S. S. Shorter, J. p. Broom, E.
b. Carter and NJ. c. Allen, We're in
the other automobiles. As an'extra
:precaution, rural policemen Of
Lexington and Richmond Coun-
ties were scattered about the court
room. The three prisoners, under
heavy guard, were sent to Colum-
hia tonight and placed back in the
State penitentiary about 7:3o
o'clock. The bill Of indictment
against Kirby, Fox and Gappins
was presented to the grand jury at
s3:3g O'Clock this afternoon and ap-
proyal was given by that body in a
few minutes. The accused man was
Immediately placed on trial. The
three men were arraigned at 1880
O'Clock this morning. and the court
appointed attorneys of the local
bar to represent them. T; O.
Stuckey was named as counsel for
Gappins; McKinlay Barr, for Fox,
and E. D. Martin for Kirby. Fol
lowing a lengthy conference they
decided to go on trial Immediately
without. asking a continuance of
three days, as was thai. right, and
Solicitor Callison asked for a
severance Of the cases, which was
granted by Judge Sease.
Columbia, Sept. 13.-Guilty YER
diet returned by jury in case Of S.
j. Kirby, first Of the three men to
be tried for the murder on August
8. Of William Brazell, taxi driver.