The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-01-29
DESPERATE IN SUMTER
SHOOTS NIGHT RAIDERS
AFTER KILLING O. NE AND
WOUNDING TWO NEGRO ES-
CAPES FROM HIS CABIN.
FIGHT WITH RIFLES AND GUNS
Regulators Were From Crisp Side OF
River, and Went to Administer
Punishment for Impudence and
Threats to One of Men.

AMERICUS, Ga.-Ed Barber is
dead, DR.. Carl Williams, a Cordele
dentist. is seriously wounded with a
bullet in his right lung, James Rus
sell is slightly wounded and Paul
Wood has a bullet hole through his
clothing, following night foray con-
Quoted by a band of white men on the
cabin Of Oscar Clark, negro, on who
they were seeking to administer dis
ciplinary punishment.
A battle with rifles and shotguns
ragged before the negro escaped, after
desperate resistance to the forces
which besieged his home.
Clark was tenant farmer on the
plantation OF DR.. H. c. Bagley, near
the line of Sumter and Crisp counties.
Negro Barricaded
Approaching the cabin, they found
that Clark had been forewarned of
their coming and had barricaded him
self in his home. No shots were fired
until the party reached the door, when
Clark opened hostilities and firing be-
came general.
First information OF the affair
reached Americas in a telephone mes
sage from Sheriff Mobiles, OF Crisp
county. telling Of the arrival at Cor
dele OF members of the party OF whites
who escaped, including the two injured
men. A little later negro woman
came into Americas, saying she was
in the Clark house at the time OF the
attack, and that because OF the shoot
ing she feared for her own safety.
According to this woman the white
man was killed by cross-fre from the
guns OF his companions, who fired INTO
the cabin from all sides. She did not
know anything about whether Oscar
Clark had been injured in the firing.
Another report is that Barber was
] killed with the first shot from Clark
gun. He fell face forward into { lark
bedroom. He had first entered the
negro's house. The negro kept up the
fire apparently bent on Staying every
man in reach. No member OF the
posse fred a single shot. The revol-
yer in the hands of the dead man lay
under his BODY with all chambers tull
! Others were hit before they had an
opportunitv to shoot, and the negro
made an effort to get each member OF
| the party.
Deputy Sheriff T. L. Summers, who
returned to Americas after a visit to
! the farm. said he found the body OF
Barber lying inside the negro S cabin
stretched at full length upon the floor
at point between the kitchen and
bedroom. it being indicated that he
was shot while inside the house and
seeking to enter the bedroom
There were no negroes or anyone
who knew anything regarding the
shooting at the scene when Deputy
Summers arrived, and he found it diftl-
cult to secure authentic information
concerning the i'll fated raid.
Barber was shot in the head, the
fldl charge from a shotgun having en-
tered his brain and causing almost IN
slant death. There were other evi-
dences that a desperate hight had
occurred.
Information brought back to Amer
icus by Deputy Summers IS to the
effect that man named Holiday,
who lives near Cordele and operates
saw mill on the Bagley place, had
some trouble with a son OF Oscar
Clark, one OF his employees. later,
according to the information, Oscar
Clark met and abused the white man.
Holiday is alleged then to have gone
over into Crisp county and reported
the affair. The visit OF the regulators
followed within a few hours.