The broad ax., 1926-11-13
SOUTH CAROLINA SHERIFF
ACCUSED OF COMPLETELY
WITH LYNCHERS
preston News Service)

Al years, was accused Thursday OF de-
Iivering to the mob which lynched
three Negroes, one woman, on the
morning of October 9.
Robinson is the man who was hailed
in newspaper dispatches in April 1925,
as the savior of Negroes when another
mob sought to lynch them. They had
been arrested and charged with killing
sheriff. 1t is said that a mob of sew
eral hundred surrounded the Aiken jail
and he threatened to shoot the first
man who made an effort to seize the
Negroes and the crowd broke up and
went away.
Before the coroner's jury Robinson
testified that he was overpowered sud-
denly by men who had gained access
to the jailer's house after he had
pleaded with them to dispense. He
swore that he recognized none Of them
and fired two shots in the struggle be-
fore he was disarmed. The jury took
his word and returned a verdict that
the lynchings had been done "by per-
sons unknown" The grand jury met
and questioned a few witnesses and
reached the same verdict.
On last Thursday there appeared
before two of the men who have been
most outspoken in their criticism of
the lynchings-Austin H. Johnson, a
defeated candidate for sheriff, and
James L. Quirnby, an eccentric gen.
tleman Of middle age-two prisoners
who were in jail at the time the three
Lowman Negroes were taken from the
building and lynched.
The two prisoners were Mrs. Lucy
Mooney (white), of Augusta, Ca, and
Charles E. Lee (whlte), Of Savannah,
Ga. The first, girl about l9 years
old, occupied cell on the same floor
as that of Bertha Lowman. The
Mooney woman said she was being
held there as State witness in a
liquor case, having been caught by
Robinson's deputies walking away
from an automobile in which they
found liquor.
She said the cell she occupied is a
part of separate tier from that for
Negro women prisoners, but through
the bars of the aperture in the big
steel door shutting off that tier she
could watch the steps down which
Bertha Lowman could have been
brought by the lynchers. 1t is also
said that the steel flap over the aper-
ture in the steel door was not closed
on the night of the lynching.
Georgia Woman Makes Affidavit
OF what the Georgia woman says
she saw, she swore in an affidavit
Thursday before Mr.. Quimby, as a
notary public, her affidavit states:
Il was put in Aiken jail the latter
part of September, 1926, by Officer
John Salley as State witness in a
Prohibition case and was released last
Friday P. NJ, October %. On the
morning of October 8 / was in my
cell and was awakened by the doorbell
ringing downstairs. / saw four cars
outside on the bridge-two Fords, one
Chevrolet The group Of men stayed
down stairs about twenty-five minutes
to the best of my knowledge. The
crowd was laughing and talking.
During the twenty-five minute.
| they had secured the two Lowman Ne,
1 groes-that is the two boys (whoss
cells were on the lower hoor)-anc
then FIVE men came upstairs to ge
Bertha Lowman. / was standing W
at the door. Jailer Taylor had a Ian
tern and it was Taylor that unlocked
the door of the cell Of Bertha Low
man. Sheriff Robinson took her from
her cell. He was accompanied by A
D. Sheppard Zone of his deupties), ]
Percy Hart Constable to Gov. Nc
Leod of South Carolina), and Roac
Officer John Salley.
| Bertha began crying when she go
opposite my door. As she was at thu
top of the staircase she heard he
brothers screaming and she got louder
They told her to hush. Sheriff Rob
. inson told her to hush. At this tim,
Robinson was behind, Salley in tn,
lead, Hart and Taylor also behind tn
woman. AT this time the pistol shot
were fred down in the jailer's kitchen
the only shots fired in the jail tina
night at all.
II ducked my head down while thel
were nassino NV door and Salley stucl