The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-09
SHOPMAN
ASSAULTED AT
FLORENCE
Strike Breaker Captured by
Four Men and Severely
Beaten

FIOrence, Aug. 3.-Searcn is De-
ing made today for four white men
who are charged by J. A. Jones,
who came here yesterday morning
to work in the Atlantic Coast Line
shops, with having forced him into
an automobile, taken him. outside
of the city, and then beaten him
UP and thrown him into ditch OF
water yesterday afternoon. This
morning Mr., Jones made the fol-
lowing sworn statement to the Of
fcials of the Atlantic Coast Line
railroad company:
'State of South Carolina, County Of
Florence.
Personally appeared before me
j. A. Jones, who on oath says:
'I live in Branchville. and came
to Florence this morning, august
p for the purpose Of going TO work
for the Atlantic Coast Line Rail-
road company, on instructions Of
Supt. r. B. Hare. was instruct
ed to report to Master Mechanic
E. J. Smith who gave me letter
TO Foreman Hedgepath in Colun1-
bia under whom I was assigned for
work. About 1880 a. M, I went
to a boarding house for dinner. one
of the strikers who did not know
saw my tool chest and of course
suspected that I was going to WORK
with the railroad. This man then
went to the proprietor of the board
ing house, whose name I. do not
know, and after he conversed with
him few minutes, the propric-
tor came to me and told me that
he could not keep me any longer.
was later picked UP by four
white, w1rd took me in an automo-
bile down the road out of town,
when T was taken from the car
and beaten and then thrown in d
ditch of water. I am stranger in
Florence, and do not know any Of
my assailants.
81. A. Jones.
@Sworn to and subscribed befcYe
me this End day Of August, 1922.
"R. c. King,
Notary Public for South Caro-
lima"
This is the first disorder of this
kind authenticity reported in
Florence in connection with the
strike Of the shopmen. No founda-
ton could be found for other re-
ports Of disorders Of this kind.
Other points have had such dis
orders and much worse. 70 date
the. only other trouble arising froci
the strike was the shooting at Capt.
George Rollins by two men alleged
to be Alvin Broach and R. j.
ReveE, strikers, who are under
bond now charged with the. attack.
investigators of the Jones case
state today they had identified
the boarding house where Jones
had stopped as the place belong
ing to John Scarborough, who is
among the striking shopmen. F.
w. Wilcox, attorney, made the in
vestigation at the house. He said
when he called he found Mr.. Scar
borough away from home but talk
ed to Mrs. Scarborough. He says
she told him Mr.. Jones had stop
ped there yesterday morning on
arriving in the city and that la
ter he had become known as a
strikebreaker, when her husband
told him he could not remain long
er.
Mr.. Jones told Mr.. Wilcox that
on leaving the house he took his
kit of tools across the street 20
a store. operated by Mr.. Gasque,
and left them there till he should
be able to find another boarding
house. While he was out looking
for another place, he says, his
tools disappeared. He says Mr..
Gasque informed him that crowd
Of white men came into the store
and got the tools and carried
them away. He has not recovered
them. While looking for the tools.
he says, the four men with an auto
mobile took him into custody, with
the results stated in his affidavit.