The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-07-26
ANOTHER NEGRO KILLING
AT A COUNTRY STORE
MIR. Holland Ruff's Store Scene OF
Tragedy, One Negro Shooting
and Killing Another

/ On the Pomaria road, close to st.
Philips. there was enacted on Wednes-
day night one more Of those bloody
deeds so common to humanity, es-
pecially among the colored race. The
wounded man was taken to the Sa-
maritan hospital in Columbia, where
he died on Friday. His body was
shipped to Newberry on the Cannon
Ball train Saturday morning and the
inquest held at the depot. The fol-
lowing testimony will show the partic-
ulars of the killing:
| H. H. Ruff, sworn, says: The
shooting happened at my store We'd
nesday night, July goth, 1921. j. P.
Young was standing in the front door.
John Gaines and Bossy Gaines walk
ed up. J.AP. said, "Mr. Holland, there
is John Gaines. He drew his pistol
on me down at my house," and John
says, you tell damn ie," and re-
peated it two or three times. l went
to the door then and told John and
Bossy to hush up and get away. John
walked up towards the door on one
side and Bossy on. the other side, and
both had their right hands on their
pockets, and Bossy said, "You get
back and let me have him. and |
pushed J. P. back in the store and my
pistol was lying on the shelf back of
the counter. J. P. picked up the pis-
tol and ran across the store and shut
!! side of front door and threw his hand
out and shot. When he shot John
said, 81 am shot all right" J. P. shot
once. The pistol was a 32 S. & W.
pistol.
H. H. Ruff
Henry Henderson, sworn, says:
John Gaines was my half brother. l
was with him Wednesday night about
dusk at Mr. Holland Ruff's store, and
he told me to come on and go down to
J. P. Young's house, and | went with
him. He called j. P. out and | walk
ed in the house and sat down with
his woman. He and j. were out there
chatting. l could not understand
what they said. After while }.
started to cursing, and Maggie Lee
Wilson, who was sitting on Amos
Ruff's porch, called John Gaines, and
as she called him again and ). kept
cursing, and John went over there
and called me, and went over there
too. We came back to Mr.. Hollands
store and my brother stopped in the
road and called John Henry Jones and
asked him was he ready to go down
the road. J. P. said to Mr.. Holland,
Here is John Gaines out here; he
was down at my house and drew
pistol on me, and my brother hit back
on a stick and said, y. P. would you
tell that kind of lie on me-" and |
said to him, Hush, hush" That
time J. P. opened his knife and Mr..
Holland came to the door and pushed
him back he came to the door with
pistol and threw one hand out the
door and shot. My brother ran up
towards the door and l grabbed him
and said, Come on, les go down the
road" My brother said to J. P. after
he was shot, "You better kill me-"
Nv brother and neither one hal cur
hands on our pockets. We did not
follow ]. P. up here to get in fuss
with. him.
Henry Henderson (His Mark)
Nose Brown, sworn, says: My
home is in West Virginia. | work
with Mr.. J. r. Carew on the road
crew. We are camped about mile
from the store. l was talking III the
store and did not pay much attention
to them. First thing that attracted
me was when the fellow what done
the shooting made at pistol. he
came from behind the counter with
pistol in his hand Mr.. Ruff grabbed
his hand and pushed him back. Then
Mr.. Ruff jumped aside and then he
shot out the door. l knew nothing