The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-06-21
MOB LYNCHES NEGRO
AFTER LONG SEARCH
PLEAS TO DESIST STRIKE DEAF
EARS
Crowds Joint in Hunt Near Plum
Branch. Thousands of
Shots Fired
The State

SnO(S TiEeO
The State
| Mccormick, June 19.-The posse
which yesterday morning began the
hunt for Herbert Quarles, negro,
charged with criminally assaulting
white woman, one mile west of Plum
Branch, caught the negro at 3 o'clock
this afternoon and put him to death.
There were probably two thousand
men in the search. The negro was
found hiding under some brush, about
fifteen miles from the place where
he committed the crime and about
one mile from where he was raised.
When those finding him were in about
ten feet of him, he jumped out Of the
brush, holding his hands up in an ef-
fort to keep from being shot. Hun
dreds of shots were fired in the air as
an alarm by those near the spot. The
news spread rapidly and the posse
soon gathered on the scene. Men from
Greenwood, Saluda, Edgefeld, Aiken,
Abbeville, Newperry and Lincoln
county, Georgia, joined in thc hunt.
From the spot where Queries was
found he was taken to the home of
his victim, and while there was no
doubt on the part Of those finding
him about his being the right party,
the crowd was cool ard orderly and
they Immediately agreed to take him
back to the scene Of the crime and to
the victim for her Identification. Not
ONLY were those in charge of him sure
of his identity, but the negro himself
admitted having committed the crime
and while he gave no reason for COM
hitting the deed, he said: 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 | tried
After being identified By his vic
tim and making full confession, the
negro vas taken to a point within The
Robinson graveyard, in the clump of
bushes wnere the deed was committed
lust 100 yards from his home and
about two hundred yards from the
home Of his victim, and with pl0W
line around his neck and 4 trace chain
around his body he vas directed to
climb cedar tree. He broke the
limbs and climbed the tree about fif
teen feet. When he had reached this
point, some one went up and chained
and tied him to the tree. When al!
was IN readiness a volley of probably
five thousand shots was fired. He
was left hanging to the tree.
This is the first lynching that has
ever occurred in Mccormick county,
and although the regular June term
iof the court of general sessions for
Mccormick county commences here
tomorrow, the appeal of the officers
and those who do not favor Iynchn2
fell on deaf ears, as the men went
about their work In fact, rot more
than half the number in the hunt
were present wher the negro was put
to death. Those in charge of the ne
gro, who had taken him from the
town Of Plum Branch to the home Of
his victim to be- identified, had stated
that they would return to the town
before going about the work of lynch
ing him. This statement was relied
Uncn by several hundred who remain
ed in the town Of Plum Branch
awaiting the return Of the men with
the culprit. and when all of sudden
a volcy of shots rang out, everybody
made a rush for the scene, the crowd
present having left by other and VAR
Gus roads before those waiting in the
town could reach the scene.
The shooting took lace at 4 O'Clock.
The clothing worn by the negro and
the body were mutilated for souve-
Mrs
As rule the negroes Of McCor-
mick county are polite and obiiging
and cutie number took part in the
search fer the negro. There is no