The Lancaster ledger. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, August 23, 1905, Image 1
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SivMUWKKKi.Y L A N C A 8 T E tt S. ' . A I' c i: S T 2^ urns ?"
THE KERSHAW HOMI- of the defendant hitnunir 1 1 --- .... I
CIDE.
Particulars of the Killing ol
Thomas Catoe by Jeff. Gregory
as Disclosed in the Proceedings
for Bail.
Lancaster, August 18.?Special
to News and Courier : As
published in The News and Courier
to day, bail was granted yesterday
by Associate Justice Jones
to Policeruau A. Jell Gregory, of
Kershaw, charged with t m i ill
lug of Ex-Policeman '1 iumuhb
Catoe, in thattown, a few nights
ago. The papers in the case
now on file in the office of the
cl?r!< of Court throw considerable
light on the tragedy and are
not without public interest.
Two eyewitnesses to the killing,
J. il. Watson and J. T.
Davis, were examined at the inquest,
and the testimony, which,
of course, is a part of the habeas
corpus proceedings, is as follows
:
J. H. Watson, sworn, says:
"Wo were at Mr. Catoe's store,
Catoe went for a sack for us to
go snipe hunting. We had some
uegroes to furnish music; had
goue about 300 yards when it
began raiuing?came back to the
store. Catoe went back in the
store and came back to the front
ana sot ins gun behind tho door.
When I first saw Mr. Giegory be
was coming up in front of Major
Arthur's shoo store, Catoe standing
with his face down street in
ihe front door. Mr. Gregory
walked by ; Catoe threw hi8 baud
behind door towards his gun and
said: 'Hurrah for Kerenaw !'
Could have reached his gun ? he
was ou outside door when he
threw Jjis hand behind door.?
. Gregory" shot hiin ; be fired two
shots.. Mr. Gregory wne about
one step above door. Mr. Gregory
did not say anything ; did
not try to arrest him. Mr. Gregory
went up street and called
for help. Mr. Catoe was holding
tie door; his foot against
the door, holding it opeu. Mr.
Gregory could have seen Mr.
Catoo reaching for gun. I was
loaning against the other side
against tiie door. The negroes
went in the restaurant."
Mr. J. T. Davis, sworn, says:
"We had walked up to the store.
We had gone to Mr. Wilson's
shop; began raining; turned
oack Wo hid star tod to the
ewamp. We went back to the
store. Mr. Oatoe went in and
put his gun up. Mr. Catoe said :
'Lot's go to the store and put
ray gun up and we will go home.
We stopped. Mr. Oatoe opoDed
the store door. I stopped on the
outside, leaned up against the
store. Mr. Gregory came walk
ing up the street in front of the
store. Mr. Catoe said: 'Hur
rah for Kershaw !' When he
said that Mr. Gregory ehot him.
I do not know if Mr. Gatoe
went iu~ 3toro or not. I did
not know where the gun was.
Catoe did not have gun in his
hand when ho hollered hurrah
for Kershaw. Mr. Oatoe was
on the sidewalk when Mr. Gregory
shot him. Mr. Gregory shot
twice and run. Mr. Oatoe fell
iusi.le his store. I was standing
in the entrance at the store on
the upper side. Mr. Oatoe between
rne and Mr. Watson. Mr.
Gregory had not made any halt
until Mr. Oatoe hollered and
looked as if he was going to pass.
Mr. Gregory was about even
with rne ; and he was past Mr.
Oatoe when Oatoe hollered hurrah
for Kershaw. Mr. Gregory
stepped back and shot him Mr.
Gregory is night policeman.
Mr. Gregory went up street
Mr. Oatoe fell when shot.* I
asked him was he hurt much ;
he said he was. I weut for
help; found Mr. Threat, went
up to the store, and J went for
Sid Hilton Mr. Catoe had been
carried to the guard house when
I returned."
The following i9 the affidavit
.
before Notary Public Paul
Moore, of Lancaster :
t T1IK DKI'KNUANT'S STOKY.
Refore me peraonally catne A.
JoO; Gregory, who, being duly
sworn, says : That he is charged
with the shooting of W. T.
Catoe, iu the town o! Kershaw,
county and state aforesaid, on
the night of August 8, 11)03,
from the efFects of which wound
it i9 claimed that said VV. T.
Catoe died on the 0th day of
August, 1905; that, at the tirao
1 of said shooting, deponent was
.tlie night watchman or policeI
man of the sulii town of Ker
shaw, and was, at the time, engaged
in the discharge of Ins
duties as such policeman ; that
the authorities of Haid town h?ul
placed at various places within
its limits keys to a clock which
deponont was required to carry
with him at uight, aud it was
his duty to make regular rounds
and punch said clock with said
keys ; that one of said keys was
located at the storo ot J. M.
CarRon it Co. and, in order to
reach this key, it was uecesv ry
that deponent pass by the stor
occupied by VV. T. Catoe , that
on the night, of August is, 90'
between 9.80 o'clock and 10 ;
clock, deponent made his regular
visit to the store of J. M, Car:- 'it
it Co, punched said clock, ami
was proceeding along the street
as usual ; about the time he arrived
at a shoe shop run by ??ne
Major Arthur, which .-hop vvi?one
or two doors below rh?- ?-a:.d
r\ - a t
kjaiop store, a very hard -ho.v
er of rain came up . deponent
stopped in said shop lor proportion
from the rain ; that a very
few minutes after entering the
9hop, and while standing in the
door of same, W. T. Catoe, J.
H. W?tson and J. T. Davis passed
along on the pavement, going
in the direction of Catoe's store ;
that said Catoe carried a double
barreled gun (deponent will saj
here that before punching the
clock atthestoroof J. \I. G arc-on
& Co. as above stated, he noticed
said Catoe with others, sitting
on the steps of J. M Carson it
Co's store and that Catoe then
had a gun in his hands) ; that
deponent left the shoe bhqp iu a
few minutos after Catoe and his
companions passed, for the purpose
of continuing his regular
rounds ; that as he reached a
point on the pavement almost
directly in front of Catoe's store
door he saw Catoe, Watson and
Davis standing in and around
the door ; that it was deponent's
intention to pass on, and he
would have done so had not the
said W. T. Catoe called out in a
- - J U_:-A
uuu aim uuisiurous 101)0 Ol
voice, saying : 'Hurrah for Kershaw
!" or words similar, at the
same time reaching with his
left-hand for his gun, which was
leaning with the muzzle against
the upper pauel (which wa9 of
glass) of the upper or west door,
the store door being a doublo
one, and at the same time drawing
from his pocket a pistol
with his right hand, pointing
said pistol at deponent, and deponent
distinctly heard the click
of said pistol as Catoe snipped
same at him ; that just as Catoe
called out 'Hurrah for Kershaw
!' deponent spoke to him,
and the two boys, saying : 'Now
boys, you must not start any i
disturbance that when said
Catoe reached for the gun and
drew nis pistol, deponent had
taken h step or two further,
which placed him somewhat
past the centro of said storo ;
that as Oatoe reached for the
gun and presented the pistol at
deponent, deponont immediately
fired uponhim, shooting twice
in rapid succession, and, not
knowing whether he had hit
said Oatoe, moved rapidly a little
further up the street, so n?
to get beyond the range of Oatoe's
gun or pistol and for the
nurposo of getting help in orci- r
t i arrest Oatoe and the Watson
and Davis boys ; that when de
ponent fired upon Oatoe, he did
uw uuiv. i ) t ti iti. ?? u VJv;
behoved at the same units 1
now believes, that lind ho not i
lired when ..o d.d ho himself <
would have been shojb by said t
Catoe and uthor ki .led or rocoiVr.fi
stnous oodily injury *, t
that lionouout weii know Catoe <
vva.-* !* c; bitter imumv, ana that 1
no had frequently made threats i
against deponent's lift'*, that >
frequently during the past ft w c
years the said Catoe has sought
dillioulties with deponent, de- s
pouont always eudeavoriiig to, s
and, up to thn limo of the shoot- 1
ing herein mentioned, has avoid- 1
ed nuy persouai ditliculty ; that 1
deponent lias time after time 1
gone out of iiis way to avoid 1
meeting said Catoe, and since 1
be hu^ been on the police force v
of the town of Kershaw has act- '
ualiv allowod said Catoe to vio- J
lato the ordinances of said town
rather than arrest him, his, deponent's,
course, in such instances
being to report Catoe to
tho iuteudaut, while at the ,,
same time ho realized that iiis
dutv demanded vha? ho arrest ^
0 at oh, but in his anxiety to
avoid coming in contact with ^
him, deponent adopted the
oourso above stated.
s
AX 1NCIDKNT. t
'I ii vt as evidence ot deponent's *
I desire to avoid conflict with Catoc, v
deponent relates the following c
fact: On the night of June 25, '
: 1905, the said Catoe was creating 11
I considerable disturbance within ^
the town limit . being drunk and s
jiov byin his store room, firing his a
1; i-1 . three time-, and otherwise f
<i: Uui birg tin p- ace that Catoe L"
< was at that time in his store room 11
in company with tlie boys Watson a
and Davis, herein before mention- S
cd; that deponent on that occasion r
sent for (1. K. Bateman, chief of h
police; that, after consultation with,
1 Bateman, they agreed not to at- ?
tempt to iii rest v.ti.i', who was s
1 armed with a -hot gun., for deponi
cut felt <ure Catoe would resist
j arrest, and uch attempt would re- c
I suit in deponent or Bateman, one 0
or the other, either being killed or h
having to kill the said Catoe; and, n
rather than have such trouble, de- u
poncnt and Bateman refrained '
from making the arrest, iiotwith- '
standing said Catoe had fired his n
pistol upon the public streets of |c
the town of Kershaw: that on theja
27th day of June, 1905, Catoe ap- t(
pcared before the intend mt and ?(
wardens of the town of Kershaw u
pleaded guilty to the charges and 11
was lined in the sum of forty-live ^
($45) dollars; that deponent was b
severely reprimanded by members u
of the town council for his failure
to arrest and imprison said Catoe 11
jou the occasion named, some d
members of the council even l'
threatening to have him removed '
if lie continued to allow said Catoe d
to act ?is he had been acting and n
failed to arrest him; that a number ,J
of the most prominent citizens of ai
I the town also condemned depon- 11
ent for his lenient treatment of k
! Catoe. Deponent admits that he w
was at times derelict is his duty by P
failing to arrest Catoe, but in his
I earnest desire to avoid trouble he *
failed to make the arrest when be w
should have done so; that the said
Catoe harbored malice against tie- w
ponent before deponent went upon n
the police force of Kershaw, which n
malice was result of an unfortunate
difficulty between himself and *(
Catoe, about four years since, at
which time deponent was forced
to shoot said Catoe in self-defence,1 j
and for which shooting deponent
was tried in the Court of General
Sessions f.?r Lancaster Count)', L
and a verdict of "not guilty" was
rendered; that since that time de- j!'
ponent has made frequent effoits
to adjust the differences between
himself and Catoe, but all of his ^
overtures have been rejected by
( a toe. Deponent furthei says
that he avoided going 'n Part p
of the to vn where Catoc's store is
located, and only went there when j ^
required by duty so to do. Forth- "
cr, deponent says that for some
months past the said Catoe has ^
been frequently under the influence
of liquor and when in such
coalition he invariably creates'
uisiuruunce ana is in the
iabit >f wallvinutlie streets in the I
light ime, armed with a shot gun; 1
lep 'pent further says that the 1
aid t itoe, up to the time of his
at'i, cherished animosity toward i
he said G K. Hatemnn, on ac- :
:ount of the fact that the said i
liateman had imprisoned him <
hum the Christmas holidays for I
,'iolating an ordinance of the town <
>1 1G i shaw. 1
"Deponent is informed that l
aid t atoe attempted to shoot
aid Katcman in the back at a :
iim when Hatcman was not ex- I
>ectin.; any trouble, and was only I
jrevented from so doing by the :
nterferencc of Mr. J. R. Hclk; 1
hat on the night of August. 8, s
905, Catoe was very drunk, 1
ehich fact deponent noticed when I
ic saw him sitting on the steps of 1
. M. Carson & Co's store, as s
ibove stated." ;
1
MU. rRUESDECS AFFIDAVIT. ,
An important affidavit was made <
>y F. L. Trucsdel, as follows: 1
That he was present the night of |
Vug .1st 8, 1905, when A. Jeff <
Gregory arrested and placed \V. t
r. Catoe in t h o guard
louse i n the town of Ker- <
haw, S. C., and that at the time (
aid C '.toe was very drunk. That <
he arrest was made a very short.t
imc after the shooting. That j I
vhi 1 e ud Catoe was being carri !
d to the gaurd house by said 11
iregory anci :r>. r. llougli, dcpo- t
icnt v.ms walking immediately be- (
lind them, as they crossed the j
trcct, and noticed that Catoc had t
. pist >! in his right hand pants t
?ock't That deponent took said <
istoi t-oni Catoe and a very few
ninrt afterwards examined same ;
nd md that one of the cartrid- (
;es had been snapped, said cart- <
idgc showing an indentation made
\y contact with the plunger." {
Di j. lv W. Haile, a practicing
ihy-i ian, of Kershaw, also makes .
. x ! that Catoe was very drunk i
lie night he was he was shot.
An affidavit in yesterday's proeedings
by J. IT. Watson, one
I the eye witnesses, contains fulr
particulars of the killing than .
e gave in his testimony at the .
tquost. It is as follows: "That J
n the 10th day of August, 1905,
ponent testified before the coroer's
jury, at tlie inquest held ovr
the dead body of W. T. Catoc, "
s follows: " We were at Mr Cajv's
store, Cato went for a sack
)i us to go snipe hunting"?that
as between 8 and 9 o'clock at
i lit. That deponent went to P
atoc's store 011 that occasion for
le purpose of getting a musical
1 trument he had left there. That
atoc was very much under the
iiluence of liquor, and insisted
iat deponent and J. T. Davis
link with hi !! ? vuhiMi tli/xxf A\r\ 8
hat Catoe had frequently before c
lis time been at Catoc's store at n
iglit, when he, Catoe, would be u
nder the influence of whiskey, -v
nd had at Catoc's invitation and
isistence taken too much whis- v
ey. That some time during the e
ee"k|prcvious to the shoting dc- u
onent heard Catoe say to J. T. [
).ivis that he, Catoe, intended to
ill A. Jeff Gregory, or Gregory
ould finish him, Catoe. That
hen doponent found that Catoe
as taking his gun with him the t
ight of the shooting, he asked him c
ot to carry it. Catoe replied, ^
fcs.I willjtakc it, as I might have
> shoot a snipe.' v
t
FEARED TROUBLE.
(1
"That deponent wanted to go ^
ome, fearing trouble between
regory and Catoe, but when he '
lid to Catoe he was going home 1
itoesaid, no, and deponent was .
ctuaily afraid to attempt to leave,
aring Catoe would shoot him.
hat deponent is 18 years of age. *
hat lie has been with W. T. ^
atoe on several occasions while ^
nder the influence of whiskey,
nd knows that he was in the ha- y
it of acting in a disorderly man- a
or, frequently going upon the '
rcets of the town of Kershaw,
nr.ed with both a gun and pistol, 1
.d otherwise acting in a danger- 1
us manner."
WHAT BATKMAN SAYS.
Chief of Poliecc Batcman also ]
made affidavit as follow - Ti |
he is now, and has been f< r 10m ,
time past, chief of po'l <- f?n ,
town of Kershaw, S. C Tint A.
Jeff Gregory has been for ton;
months past night policeman f??
said town. That deponent ha- !
read the affidavit of said A. ]?. t
Gregory, made herein, and in so
far as the same relate t.? tin e.-niuct
of W. T. Catoe, his feel i
towards said Gregory and thi <i
aoncnt, that said affidavit is ti m
That said \V. T. Catoe lias foi
some months past been in the habit
of getting drunk ar.d, while in j
that condition, has frequently gone
\bout the town of Kershaw an on
?vith a double-barrelled gun '1!; il
said Catoe has for six or seven
months past caused the town authorities
a great deal of troub'e.
t>y firing his pistol, either in his
store room or upon the pulAc
streets. That said Catoe has In on
before the town authorities more
than once in the past six wet.
ttharged with shooting a pAtol
svithin the town limits or upon the :
public streets, and in every in j
stance he lias cither pleaded e '
tv, or was found guilty and. n
" That shortly after ti
:ulty between Catoe a i ' . ..
mi the night of Au u t
Jcponcnt examined the / ;n ;
:d by Catoe and foun ' ll t wa
oaded with buck-hot
W. J. Watson.-n u'.e the to . wng
brief affidavit " Tk t me j
imo since deponent heard W T.
Jaioc say that lie into . -.? t
Jeff Gregory. That
Hereupon warned s. ..d .
o be on his guard, and
;aitl Catoc.
The ease will probably be
it the approaching fa.', ki n
Jourt, land will attract a ,d
leal of interest.
SICKENING SULVEKINGFI i i
)f Auguo and Malaria, run be re- (
icved and cured with Hi* : 10
Hitters. This is .w J , |. :
ncdiciue; of especial '?-r f'r'
lialaria, for it exerts i
ivc influence >n the ui.ng
it entirely out of the ;i.
t is much to bo pref*. i red t<? <v"i
no, having none of thi.-drug'*
>ad after-effects. K. S Monday,
if Henrietta, Tex., writes
irotbor was very low with ma u;
il fever and jaundice, till he look ,
Clectric Hitters, which saved hit
ife. At Crawford Bros. J. T. ;
dackey & Co. and Fonder luu a
'harmacy drug stores; price ode,
juarantood.
Croat Hig Difference.
(From the Columbia State
Tho newspapers are unxiou a.
enior Senator says, to quote bin
orrectly, hut suppose they should)
dopt the happy go-lucky, hit or 1
niss methods of Senator Tillni m
n chronicling his remarks' ]; 1
irould be quite positive that his.
ncmies had formed a conspiracy to i
indermino his influence with the
leople by -'garbling" his speech-1
?.
The News and and Courier calls
Mention to th* fact that "for
he third time within the last two j
uonths Senator Tillman has mi--!
atcd the figures of the prohibition
roto in 1892." And twice since
he Higgins letter has the New.nd
Courier qontcd the b;.
rom the record, bnt agn
hey misstated. A Sena*
nan is endeavoring t> n. .\o a
lOint against the prohibit: sts
intl
as the recorded vote* kn .ck
ho point out of his point i. ; c>eatcd
error is serious. Ho Vlarcd
that voted 1
libition and 25,000 a:;aiv t
while 32,000 did not vote 0 . .
ill. Now the record. <di o
^0,238 voters were cast I r j
libition. 30,197 against pioh.b:ion,
or 70,335 out of .1 totaljvot
)f 88,474. So less than 18,c* v? in t
?tead of 32,000 failed 1 vot>
naking a great big di lie re nee andi
strengthening the position of tin
prohibitionists materia'!)
Sv'JXMi ? 1.1,A?. . !). < wis
: o <' M-i .
rise Stair, rjih in-*.
1 !u ; ( '? A!<> :"v!c Whit**, a
yonn^ us in 1v- v' : s ?''* who
Wu'- on a -.iot' :n I..J ri:v,
was i!: v > ? si o'.'i I il
tm'i y\ nt?*f luv a:"' ' ' is I v
till -p- t whetr umn v oih p r It
>I|S ill! ve "HIV ? It.:: V it l'I V
graves.
The young man was out fo1 a
SuJiii iy ill; 'it" a -? roil t h 'i i>
si ('J !;?11 im , . !. . lU'ii M r.
Ivi'lo'l'"-. 'I ' o . I Oil Willi.'!*
looked ii, 111v.! Ii, tlfiithitl to
tulic si '.vim n: tl jiiungii' . in
tie j-waii; up uu (inah t < xtriMvm
SCVeS d till), s for il' t c : 1 111 -11 .
A' ho -t.n ted Ijiud i > w ; j , ,s tret) il:
iiiO t u ?. i> , : t'.
wh?i i? h 1 nd, ,i . ? (! 11i'n in
several tisin*-, mid culled to hilittle
! ii *. < > ,i i i White
i lie i. ilt< .1 \
lit'!-. ' i .mi
Ho
11 l':- 111 il
Ml- vitDCC I [\v .
color- -t. ( t
t'e, . i , \ . ,j>
t h . - i :
The aid * put> '>f t'le irv is
tie. y i . (*
fc'v d vh (.. i> i: tli r,ivhe
is h'ind, t'e t! - ti.t o ! iue
n
pinco trying to idid eua <ti. *:
? nt **- fjt? Dmi
, Killed 1 lis Sob.
(Kenwood August IS.? The
Ini ..uy eufioxif Jdo Ciegg, inr
nmriTer, ret irncd a verdict
..-I rot illty, heir.:; out only
thirty miuu The testimony
sho ved t' ' ' .'udunt wu*
etnz- il w;'. P?t
\v; ' I " i!
h. i-w. . . . . . y att*\
tl -krone ( t: v
Sp 'akinjr i d corn
("hoc'tail, ' 'i , ' am
(?nc < f 0'.::' re ' ; . v ; >s. vera:
ity ?.h- . ' t:, t>.'tiie
f )!'o\vint;
: In t new * tW from the
we tcru part >f tin: < a -token nation
thai a hoy cl; nbed a eornstalk
to see how the corn was
yetting along, and now tin corn
is growing up taster than the boy
car. climb t! uvn. i f bay i- cleat
out of siyht Three men arc undertaking
to cut the stab< do on
with axes and save the boy from
starvation, but it yr -a- hot
that they c ii .c' to! : n the
e:i ou? hi' . ? ? . .
nothing hat i .v : i, in ." . /
has thrown d \v ivo t\ h .
els of cobs.
hb.ONCUIT/- l\ T\\ 1'\ V
Y ] ; A i
V . v v :i .
vibe, li
chilis for
I t relief
Homy : >1 i i. .'v
etirc !.'
Pbar:
sir
I. : -> : h v to
niak. . v ;
yotrsc
1?u; . v. nv ; wl; , . *.!>
to th i .vi b. ' \i . >: l
WO I :\
thJ . J' ? 11 r ..
ii.i.' in L.;v. u. . i . .My
sure to be tb b .t . ti sn1n >f
I the vrnbb