The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-01-25
CONFLICTING STORIES
OF WALKERS DEATH
Question of Aggressor is
i'm Dispute
DEATH BLOW
BEHIND EAR
Local Men Attending Funeral OF
Frank Walker in Blackyille Hear
Inherent Stories Of Encounter from
That Given to the Daily Press.


Crank j. Owings and Hicks f.. Ow.
lngS, fathcr-in-law and brother-iu-law.
respectively, of w, Frank Walker, who
died in Columbia hospital Saturday
morning as the result of a difficulty
On Blackville Friday afternoon. re-
turned to the city Monday after at
tending the funeral Of Mr.. Walker in
|Blackville.
The story of the killing, as brought
pack from Blackyille by these men,
conflict at various points with the
versions given in interviews in the
daily press.
Mr.. Frank Owings was in the city
yesterday and talked freely Of what he
had heard in Columbia. According to
his statements, the death OF Mr..
Walker was due to blow behind the
ear instead Of over the temple ana
was evidently dealt from behind.
Bad feeling had existed between Col
lum and Walker, said Mr.. Owings.
since Walker, acting as deputy for
the sheriff of the county, had prose-
cuted Collum for violation Of the pro-
hibition law. Some time after this
took place continued Mr. Owings, Mr..
Walker was asked by the sheriff to
give up his badge as an officer and did
so. Only the day before the killing.
he said, Collum had met up with
Walker and agreed to bury their diff
terences and be friends. But Friday
afternoon, Mr.. Owings said he was
told by prominent citizens of Black
vile, when Walker was passing along
the street Collum called him in the
store and as he passed in Tanning,
columns brother-inlaw, grabbed him
from the back while Collum attacked
him with a bottle in front There is
a difference of opinion in Blackyille,
said Mr. Owings, as to whether the
death blow behind the ear was deliv-
cred with bottle or with the knucks
alleged to have been found after the
fight. Mr.. Walker, according to Mr..
Owings, never carried knucks and his
wife had never seen him with any.
Mr.. Walker, said Mr.. Owings, had
been elected member OF the city
council on law and order ticket fol-
lowing strenuous campaign in which
the women took prominent part.
The first wife OF the deceased was
a daughter of Mr.. Owings. She died
! number Of years ago and Mr.. Walker
later married in Blackville. He is sur
vived by his wife and three children.
at one time he was a member of the
police force OF Laurens. For con-
spicuous bravery at the time Police
man McDuffie Stone was killed by
yeggman in the local freight yards,
Policeman Walker was given gold
watch by citizens Of the town, In a
pistol duel between him and the yegg-
man, the yeggman was killed
The following account Of the Walk
er killing occurred in The State Sat-
urday:
w. Frank Walker, prominent farm
~ ohu AiShioSl VI lHc CITY COuuCll OF
Blackville, died at the Baptist hospital
at about l o'clock this morning Of in
juries received, according to informa-
ton reaching Columbia, in fight with
A. v. Collum, Blackville merchant, and
Bolton Tanning, Columns brother-in-
law. Walker was said to have been
struck with cold drink bottle.
Mr.. Walker was brought to Colum-
bia at about 10 o'clock last night and
was Immediately carried to the hospi.
tai where he was operated upon in a
vain effort to save his life.
Details as to the difficulty were
meager and the cause Of tho fight
shrOuded in a maze of conflicting
stories. The affray, which occurred
just in front Of Mr.. Collum's store on
the main street Of Blackville at about
Q O'clock yesterday afternoon, accord
ing to Sheriff G.. X. Sanders OF Barn
well, who was reached at his home by
telephone last night was said by some
4 to be the elimination OF long standing
differences between the two men, 1t
was not known who was the aggres-
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