The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-09
CAPTURE OF cULBREATH
ENDS LONG MAN HUNT
Slayer of Weber Edwards Says
White Men Assisted His Flight
Into Adjoining State

Saluda Standard, 28th.
Exactly eight months after he kill
ed Deputy Sheriff Weber Edwards,
Elliott Culbreath was taken into Gus
tody by Sheriff Flyn, of Chalmers
county, Georgia. Culbreath was ar
rested near Meter Wednesday, July
20, and is now being held in the penl-
tenitary barracks for safe keeping.
Most of our readers. are familiar
with the details of the tragedy that
cost Mr.. Edwards his life. On the
night of November 20 he.sat the head
of "a party, called at the negro's home
in Celestia township for the purpose
of placing him under arrest. Know
ing the character of the negro and
that he was a crack shot with revol-
yer, the party expected trouble. Ar
irving at the house, they Stationed
themselves at strategic points, Mr..
Edwards placing himself between the
main body of the dwelling and part
that ran at right angles. One of the
party called for Culbreath to come
out. His wife replied that he was not
at home. She was told that the party
would make search, and She re-
ouested that the girls be given time
to dress, which the party agreed to.
While they were waiting the door
near where Mr.. Edwards was standing
was quietly opened and Gufbreath'
standing on a trunk at; the opposite
eide of the room began shooting. He
fred threes times. Two shots went
wild; the third struck. Mr.. Edwards
lust aboeV the heart. The officer fired
at the negro twice--once through the
doorway andsagain. as ne fell portal
ly wounded. % -
Culbreatf's story, as told to Sher-
iff Sample, B. Frank Forrest and j.
j. Wheeler, who carried him to the
penitentiary ThursdagFdoe not agree
with this version I'M certain partlcIu-
lars. He says that whea he was call
ed he came out and that as he did so
a white man grabbed him. He says
he then fred. three times, returned
quickly, threw his pistol on the bed,
got some clothes and fled. When he
came out again, he said, he saw no
one but the dead man. No one, chal-
lenged or shot at him, as was report
ed shortly after his fight. Not until
after he had reached the woods near
by did he hear any confusion at his
house, he said. He admits that he did
the killing.
.Culbreath, according to- his own
story, hid out in the woods in the vi
:cinity of his home until Tuesday fol-
lowing the killing Saturday night. On
two occasions the posses were so
close on him that he said he "didn't
know what to do. On Tuesday
morning. according to his story, a
white man carried him to Aiken, and
two others gave him money to travel
on. He went to Georgia, drifted
around for some time, changed his
name to Robinson" and finally got
a job as a day laborer on the farm
of Mr.. Collins, near Meter.
( Our readers will recall that sever
! al weeks ago we printed story that
indicated the likelihood that Cul-
breath was involved in the murder
of a Chinaman in Columbus, Ohio.
Culbreath said he had nothing to do
with this killing, and that he had been
in Georgia since his flight from South
Carolina.
Culbreath was captured through the
perfdy of supposed friend, a hand
on Mr.. Collins place, to whom he had
communicated his guilt of the> slay-
ing of Deputy Edwards. They had a
"falling OUT and to get even with
Culbreath the friend "squealed" to
Mr.. Collins. On Tuesday Mr.. Collins
phoned Sheriff Sample and asked if
Culbreath was wanted, and the sher-
if advised him to have the fugitive
arrested Immediately.
Mr.. Collins then called on Sheriff
Flyn to make the arrest. The Geor-
gia officer and his deputy hastened to
Mr.. Collins farm Wednesday morn
ing and spotted the two negroes at
work pulling fodder The officers ex-
peeted trouble and decided to take
no chances. The sheriff concealed
himself in some tall grass at the end
of the rows toward which the negroes
were going and the deputy stole up