The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, October 06, 1908, Image 2
Ijljc jeralD auD Jems.
VOL XLT NO. 80 NEWBERRY. S. O.. TUESDAY. OCTOBER 6. 1908. TWICE A WEEK. 81.50 A YEAR
' ' ' _ I * 1 ~
GARRISON CONYICTED
SENTENCE TWO YEAR
LAURENS MAN WHO SLEW HI
DAUGHTER'S SWEETHEART.
Daughter of Defendant, Who Ws
Sweetheart of Deceased, Gives
Details of the Tragedy.
(By Jno. K. Aull.)
Special to The Herald and News.
Laurens, Oct. 3.?Charged wit
murder in the killing of J. Louis Wi
liamson, J. Ilenry Garrison was eoi
victed in the court of sessions here o
Friday of manslaughter, the , jut
which convicted him rccommendin
him to the mercy of the court. Judg
Memminger overruled the motion ft
a new trial, and sentenced Garrisa
to serve two years in the State pen
tentiary or on the public works t
Laurens county.
The trial of Garrison, resultin
from one of the saddest tragedies ev<
enacted in Laurens county, ere it(
great interest throughout Soul
Carolina. Young Williamson, the d
ceased, was a guest at the Garrisa
home at Gray Court, as a visitor I
Miss Mary Garrison, daughter of .
Henry Garrison. Young Wwliamsc
and Miss Garrison were engaged I
be married. Williamson was a pron
inent young farmer of Bcthcsda, ne;
Rook Hill, in York county. He b
came acquainted with Mis, Garrisc
while she was teaching school net
his home, and their acquaintance ri]
ened into love and the engagement !
be married. On the ni.yht of the In
gedy which ended young Williamson
life an;J j laced Garrisor under indie
ment for murder, Williamson n?
Miss Garrison were in the fa:?i;.
parlor. According to her testiinoi
he was trying to take liberties wit
her over her protest. Garrison, wl
stated that his suspicions had bet
aroused by what he ha.I heard fro
the parlor, went into the yard I
I he window of the purl ).', takin?; h
shot gun with him. lie said thai I
looked through the window and li
conslusion was that Williamson wi
trying to take improper advantage <
his daughter, as he expressed it. I!
said that Williamson's back was ti
wards him and he hollered to him I
move, whereupon Williamson fact
him and he shot him, the load takir
efleet in Williamson's bowels, and r
suiting in death three hours late
Garrison's testimony was to the e
feet that he did not know of Willian
son's engagement of his danghte
Mrs. Garrison stated that she kne
the young people were engaged to 1
married, but thai, so Car as she knci
her husband did not know of it. Mi:
Garrison's testimony was to the san
effect along I his line.
Garrison's attorneys have given n>
tice of intention to appeal In the si
preme court, and pending the appe
the defendant was granted bond i
the sum of $1,000, the same amoui
I under which he was held before .tl
trial.
> Solicitor Cooper was assisted in tl
i prosecution b.v Mr. I\ II. Nelson, (
k ^ ohimbia. The defendant was rc|
? resen led by Messrs. Ferguson
1 Featherslone and Kichey & Uichev, <
the local bar. There was a hai
fight by the attorneys on each sid
and the arguments to the jury wei
able. Messrs. Nelson and Cooper a<
dressed the jury for the State, an
Messrs. Featherstone and Richev f(
the defendant. Mr. Nelson opcut
fur I he Slate, and was followed I
Messrs. Richev and Featherslooe, f<
d?'lendanl, the arguments of each <
ll,;,;!' gent li-nien heinif unusual1
- r Solicitor Cooper closed f(
I St i|e in \ powerful argument.
\ Tl'c case was oiled on Thursdii
* m and I!ie f ilh?win<?- jnrv wi
V ' ?i IV !l-.ile%-, II. K. i'rvor, I
Mil i ii, .1. \V. \11!*:iins, Sain L. Sa:
?!,i li'.'d.'nbaugh, (!. ('. Youn
A. Ahereromhie. (}. II. Finle
K. II. Y ounir, A. I. Mahaff ey. T.
Lavlon. Mi'. 'I'. jt Layton was a]
pointed foreman of I he jurv.
Dr. C. F. Uodgers was the first wi
nesr, called for the State. He test
ied that about 12 o'clock Mr. Ga
rison came to his home and asked hi
il he had any surgical instrument
tolling him lie wanted' him to go to
his (Garrison's) house at onco; that
^ he had shot a man. He said that he
went to Garrison's home, and found
Williamson in a room in rear of the
5 parlor, on a bed, and that Miss Mary
Garrison was fanning him. Dr. Rodv/fers
pointed out on the solicitor's
is person the location of the wound, the
i loud taking effect in the left side of
the bowels, ranging slightly upward.
The next witness called for the
State was Miss Mary Garrison, daughter
of the defendant, and the only
" person present, othftr than the dcfendant
and Williamson, when t'he
1- fatal shot was fired. She for the
'n first time related the harrowing ?dey
tails of the tragedy in which her af'5
fianced lover met his death at the
?e hands of her father. Miss Garrison
n" is a young lady of evident refinement
in and culture and education. She was J
1_ simply dressed, wearing a white shirt
waist, a black skirt, and tan clonk,
and a black turban hat. During her
testimony it was evident that she was
Jl" laboring under an intense strain, but
she held herself under remarkable
It control. Only once or twice during
c- an hour which must have tried her
in severely did she lose her self-control,
to and then only for an instant. During
I. one of these moments the situation
m was tense and dramatic. Attorney I
!o Nelson had handed her for identifin
cation a letter which she had sent to
ir young Williamson's mother, after the
e- shooting, expressing her sympathy
in with Mrs, Williamson in her great
ir bereavement. Miss Garrison look the
[>- letter, glanced over it and tore it in
[j half and threw i( on the floor. At
11* Judge Meinminger's request she pick's
ed up the letter and handed it to
(- him. Judge Meinminger stating that
i,\ he would read it and if lie thought it
iv admissible he would let it go in eviiv
deuce, lie decided later during the
li case that it was not competent.
io Miss Garrison testified that she
mi first went to York to teach in Febm
ruary, 1005, and i( was then that she
lo met young Williamson. She taught
is there four months, and then went to
>e Hampton to teach, returning to York
is in September, taking charge of
is the Ti'Mhesda high school, which was
if about two miles from the Williamson
fe residence. She returned |o her home
?- at Gray Court about the first of May,
U> having become engaged to Mr. Wil>d
liainson some time in the spring. Miss
ill Garrison said she had not told her
c- mother or father of I he engagement,
but she thought her mother knew of
it. She did not think her father
?" knew of it. Mr. Williamson had
' come to see her in June, and came1
w again on the afternoon of July HI.
)(> Her father, the defendant, met him
* * !l' the train, and brought him to the
** house, and she and Williamson went
u> walking together and returned home
for supper. She said she and Wil0
liamson sal on the porch for a while
u- after supper, and then went into the
nl parlor. She said Williamson was shot
in through the window which looked out
it in the yard, the shooting occurring
ic about 11 o'clock. She said that Williamson
had asked her to sit on the
if S(da with him, and she did, Williainson
promising that he would act all
!>- right. While she was sitting llien-,
6 she said, Williamson put his head in
if her lap and then put his head on tlmi
*'1 head of the sofa across her lap and
e, begged her to put her head on the
re sofa with him. She said she begged
1- him to get up and asked him to get
id up, and as soon as he would get up
ir she was about to gel away from him,
d when he grabbed her and pulled her
iv down across h's lap, and she was Iry>r
inn- to gel away from liim when her
?l father shot. She said she saw Hie
Iv gun poked llirouuh (lie window, and
ir heard her father's voice, and then
I she ran. She said, in response |o
iv rpiesfions, thai she had sen! a wreath
is of flowers, with her card, for llie
young man's funeral, and I he card
x- was put in evidence. Il was at this
g, point that I!ie incident in connection
v, with the letter occurred. On crossJ.
examination she testified that, while
l>- she did not smell any whiskey on Wiljliamson's
breath on the night of tlie
I-j killing, his actions were not as thev
i- ordinarily were, and that she thought
r-| he was a good deal under the infhim
| ence of whiskey. She s;jid that after
s. | the fatal shot was fired Williamson
had walked to the back room, and he wa
lliad then asked for a drink of whis- Court
key from a quart bottle which was condi
| found in his valise not quite full. Willis
She also testified to a dying declara- ploug
lion from Williamson to the effect son a
that lie was to blame for the shoot- suppu
ing and that he did not want Mr. Willi)
UarrisoA punished for it. She said ence
that when her father poked the gun lie si
through the window and hollered, she if (h<
did not understand what he said, but pure,
that she ran out of the room and that down
Williamson jumped up and turned to- the w
wards her father, when the shot was lor.
fired. 1() 0
The effort of the State on re-direct and
examination was to prove that even water
if Williamson was under the influ- and :
once of whiskey when he got off the the \
the train lie had had time to become throu
pertectlv sober before 11 o'clock at park)
night. sittin
W. V. Hly the, the undortaker, tes- ?ould
tified as to the clothes the deceased
had mi, and thai I lie wound had an then
upward range of about two inches. 1 he c
lie staled thai he had got the gun ser
wadding out of the wound, lie said <*ouId
when he arrived aj the house next af- when
ternoon he found a partly smoked ''ocki
cigarette lying on (lie floor in the Hu si
parlor. lv ai
K. T. Shell testified that he had wa* 1
reached the (iarrison home about
midnight on the night of the shoot- sav '
ing, and had found Williamson on ,'u> s
11 lie bed, Dr. Iiodgers sitting by tJic
bed and Miss (iarrison sitting at the S!,'('
head of the bed with her handkerchiel
in her hand and something on
it which he took to be chloroform. Passe
lie said Williamson had asked him aroul
if he thought he could live, and Miss wind<
Garrison had told him lo say exactly ^
what he thought. He then told Wiiliamson
that he did not see any hope P"llii
for him. Previous to that, he said,
Williamson had made a statement to light
him, which the State attempted to ^{,s ]
bring out as a dying declaration, bnl "ml ?
which tin* Court ruled out on the '''s ^
ground that il had not been shown
that al that time Williamson had Jind
abandoned all hope of recovcrv. The back,
jury was asked to retire and the wit- he sa
ness allowed to give the statement windi
and the circumstances under which and i
it was made in order that the judge aroui
might decide as to its competency, ward
Air. Shell said that Williamson just and
remarked in a rambling way that he Willi
didn't see why that man shot him. Mains
On I he ground stated, however, this per ;i
statement was held not competent to muzz
go before the jury. from
Mrs. N. T. Garrison, wife of the S''?L
defendant and mother of the young ,,iUns
lady, was the first witness for the vom'
defence. She testified as to having nu> "
heard the dying declaration which " ^!l
Miss Mary Garrison had testified to. 'I''!"
She said her daughter had told her lo '-r<l
of her engagement to young William- sai<1
son. She said that on the occasion
of his last visit Williamson had im- aske<l
pressed her as not being at himself, wroii
She gave Miss Marv Garrison's a,re parlo
22. ' e was <
L. C. Dorroli, testified that in his
opinion when young Williamson got
off the train at Gray Com:! on the af- w<ml?
ternoon of July .'51 he was drunk. wns
Mr. .1. X. Leak testified that he saw
him that afternoon and in his opinion his si
lie was under the influence of whis- heeai
key. The testimony of .J. R. Dorroli t],ke
was along the same line, as was that
of I-'. I). Bolt. 'ph
?J. II. Garrison, the defendant, took Wyni
the stand shortly after the dinner re- 'n
cess. lie gave his age as ">7 years "ndt i
find six months. lie .said he ii.id gone Pert a
to the station in his buggy that af- *
ternoon to have his mule shod and yet I,l(' !l
j liis mail, ami his daughter had told u
him Williamson was coming on !ho "ian
j aflernoon p.issenger and lie went to Si,w !
the station to meet him. lie snid he 'I
didn't notice Williamson particularly (,(' vv'i
when lie got off the train, but some son's
people at Gray Court called his at- g?'nte
ten!ion to Williamson s condition, 'his
and lie then perceived he was drink- ''""fl
ing. lie s:iid he had first met Wil- Th<
liamson in June, amMie rli.l not i about
know he was engaged to Miss Gar-'.\ftei
rison. He said he had asked Missljinlgi
Garrison if Williamson was to be-1 usual
come a member of the family, but in jury,
consequence of her answer'he did jury
not know that he would. He said brou?.
aftei lie found \\ illiamsoti was drink- wit In
ing he took him to his home because mint**
intcd to keep the people at Gray (
from knowing the young man's t
tion. Me said after lie took 1
unson to his home lie went to <
hin?, and did not see William- <
nd Iiis daughter any more until i
ir time, when he noticed that <
unson was still under the iufluid
whiskey or something else, i
lid that he then began to doubt
i young man's intentions were
and lie went up-stairs and sat 1
on the edge of the bed near <
indow in the room over the par- 1
lie said he stayed there until 1
'clock when he became thirsty <
went down stairs to gel some ;
lie said he went to the well, I
is he came hack he stepped to
vindow where he could see; i
gh tli<> lit lie hack room into (lie ;
r. Mis daughter, he said, was <
g in a rocking chair, and lie >
hear Williamson's voice, hut '
amsim was out of his sigh I. lie
went back upstairs. Just after <
lock struck .11, he said, he heard
aping noice on the floor, and he
tell the noise was going from <
' he had seen his daughter in the
ng chair over towards the sofa. '
lid he got oil the bed immediate- :
id thought he would see what
heing done, lie went down the
* , and he heard his daughter
' please don't." At the loot of
lairs, he said, he heard her the
d time say. "please don't." lie
lie then thought of the gun, and
is just in reach of him in the
hall. lie secured the gun and
d on( of the back door and went
Id the corner of (lie house to the
">w. lie said when he glanced
ie window Williamson had his
iter's left hand in his left hand,
lg her arms around his neck and
ing and kissing her with his
arm around her. Mis daughter
pulling loose from him, lie said,
she raised, and he jerked her on
i|> and across his lap. He said
unison's hack was towards him,
he couldn't shoot him in the
and cried to him to move. As
id move lie placed the gun in the
uw, and his daughter broke loose
an. He said Williamson turned
id and made about two steps los
him, saying "Mr. (.Samson,"
he shot him. lie said he shot
amson because he believed Wilon
was trying to ''take impro;dvantage
of his daughter. The
Ie of the gun was about lour feet
Williamson, he said, when he
At the crack of the gun Wilson
said, ''I intended to marry
daughter and you have killed
CSarrison said his reply was,
ybe von did an maybe yon
t." Williamson then asked him
tor a doctor and he went. He
he did not see Williamson any
On cross-examination he was
1 why 11 he suspected some!him;
Li', lie did not go in the door. The
r door, it had been testified to,
pen. Williamson said if lie had
into the door it would have no|ithe
young people, and then he
1 not have known if anything
wrong. He was put through a
cross-examination, sticking t<>
latment that he shot Williamson
ise he believed lie was "trying to
improper advantage" of his
liter.
e Stale iu reply placed T. W.
tie on the stand who stated that
< opinion young Williamson was ,
i* the influence of whiskey to a
in extent when he got off the
II'' said, however, thai later in !
iflernoon he saw him out walkit
!i Miss (larrison and the vonng j
appeared all right. He said he
lim and Miss (Jarrison t??p and
lo sonic ladies. The Stafe offeP> !
ilnesses lo prove young William- ,
reputation for sobriety and for!
el conduct among ladies, but ;
testimony was ruled mil by the
c arguments were concluded at j
7 o'clock on Thursday cvenimr. I
a recess ol an hour for supper i
tl Memininger delivered an un-'i
ly strong and clear charge tit the ''
and at 8.1.") the jury retired. The I
remained out all night, and were
:ht into court on Friday morninir
'lit having agreed. Judge Mem- ;
[ r strongly impressed upon them
ho importance of reaching a vcrdict
ind re-staled the law. Some time v
a tor the jury brought in its verdict, o
Harrison was sentenced before the d
linner recess on Friday, immediately o
iftcr the motion for new trial was a
n-orruled. ti
\n Open Letter From the Board of e?
School Trustees to the Public.
While the board of school trustees fi
>osilively refuse to recognize the U
riticisin of "A Patron," the same p
icing made under an assumed name,
A"e feci, as public servants we'are a
lue the public at all times an oxplan- li
it ion, especially where misconstrue- 11
[ions are placed on our actions.
We have been criticised for cluing- V
tug our I ex I books of the different y
grades ;it the same lime :i general n
omplaint was in circulation that our w
school was below the average and not n
up |o I ho standard.
We respect fully inform you that a
Mir school system has been changed, r
n High School having been added. I
The S-0-10 grades are instructed uniler
the departmental plan, each grade n
is under the supervision of three spe- t
rial teachers, as well as the general <1
supervision of our superintendent. li
The selection of books for all I
grades was made from the list of the I
very lies) schools in the State. Not a n
hook (our former books) was discarded,
or a new book added unless ab- i
solntoly necessary, and every book s
on our list will be needed and must \
he used by the different grades.
Our selection of books has roooiv- s
ed the approval of our superintend- |
cut, as well as the endorsement of the ':i
host educators of the Slate. Oi^. in- e
doavor is to bring our school, not only I
to your desire, (a standard school) I
bill to make if (he Model School of I
South rarolina. so thai our graduates li
may be <|ualilicd to enter college or I
upon any business vocalion; become I
useful and intelligent, citizens, become hi
a propelling rat her* than a static force I
in the general progress and up
building of the community in which |
I hey may reside. Surely lliis is a I
laudable undertaking and should re- I
reive your heartv cooperation. c
The selection of our lexl books was n
in?( the only considcraliion of your I
board bill also the selection of sup- <
erinlemlenl and corps of teachers, the i
sanitary condition of our school build- I
ing as well as the gen oral welfare of c
patrons, scholars and instructors, re- si
ceived our most earnest and serious
consideral ion. Nol a word of en- s
courugcmciil or coiumcudalion has ?
been said in publ>ie print for all our 11
elVorts towards the upbuilding of our
school, only criticism and abuse. s
We are working without eompensa- ?'
lion, are always ready and willing to \
do the very besl wj' can for all parlies :l
concerned but we feel that we are
entitled lo the support of our citizens
and should recoive manilVsIalions
that our labors sure appreciated,
not abuse and insinaatnous as lo
graft from the sale of hooks, because
wo have nothing whatever lo do with
the sale or exchange of hooks.
Our local book- dealer will suhslanI
iale our assert ion.
\ our present board of school trustees
have been in charge of your 1
school affairs only about two years, '
a good deal has been accomplished. '
We cite only a few of the improve- '
menls made lo show that (he cril^ism '
against the board is uuuarrantod, nil- *'
just and unfair.
When taking charge llu n* was an
indebtedness of alruil ."f-'Hon. This has
boon li<|uidatei| by (lie prcsciii board.
Anybody thai is ac(|iiainled wit 11
our school affairs and view.-, I liein
wiih prejudice or parltialily, will ad ! 1
mil 1111( our school i^ on llie upward]'',
grade, has advanced and has made |
I'onslaut progress. j ^
An abno-t new corps of instructors i '
lire in charge and we say to you and|!
nil, go where you may visil any I
school iii this op any other Stale in'
llie I nioii and you will 11< i find a J
more refined, intelligent, or more
coinpciant corps of instructors in
charge of any school, llian has charge li
nf llu* Newberry (iraded and High s
School.
We should learn lo speak a good
word of our superintendent, teachers
mid school at home and they will be , d
spoken well of abroad. 'a
. A
I he main building lias been ronoatcd,
every room and hall calsomin'
wninsrot, coiling, windows, and
oors have boon painted, every desk'
verhaulcd, Venetian shades and two
ntomatie self running water foununs
have boon purchased and will
i! erected for the benefit and acmiodation
of the scholars.
Not only this but some of the soil
<?m under the sewer was forwarded
> bo analyzed and the specialist has
renounced the same free from germ.
>\ o would cite other improvements
s xvt>11 ?? s?i"? now under uousidcru ?m,
bul i| is our desire to make
' is article lengthy.
One illmg however bear in mind.
So have for the second time asked
?>u for anolhor school building and
one but sellish, narrow-minded moil
ould refuse to see the absolute, immediate
necessity for such a building.
We extend a cordial invitation to
II those win. are opposed to (his one
equosl, to visit the school building,
lie former Hiser place.
lid us enter the building for a
oment, what do we behold? Sixtyhree
sch.dars in one room, nil hudllod
together in quarters (a scho?d
iouso) which is a shame to eiviliza;,ml
?"l at all in keeping with
he usual pride ami progrossivoness
'f our city.
If anybody has a right to |<icl< it
s your board of school trustees, vour
"perinlcndenl. your teachers 'and
'our scholars.
However, the matter of our new
' hool facilities have already boon
laced in the hands of a committee,
ippoinlod by (lie chairman of (lio
itizens meeting, which was held in
lie court house at the time (ho
'o.-ird of school trustees rendered
heir last annual report, and we do
'ope that some definite stops will bo
aken at once or as soon as possible.
"s y???. 'lid you attend our
'""mil meeting, if not, why noli
>on't you think i| is your duty?
We realize that it is an utter impossibility
to please all ami I hereore
shall be very glad if tlu.se that;
think that they have any
'""plaint against our sciiool, schoiirs.
teachers, principal, or suporinendent,
will come forward, enter his
? her complaint with tlx; board or a
'"' "hm- of ||?. board of school trus?'?'S
and We assure you 'hat every
'"Iiplaint will receive our immediate
ni'l careful attention.
fl is our earnest desire to make our
cliool a success, hut we can onlv sueoed
when we receive ||,e hearty cooperation
o| our citizens.
Slop kicking, go I,, work, put your
h.nihlcr to I lie wheel. |ake an inters|
in school affairs, help your sera
"Is. the board of school trustees,
"d don '( use I hem for a door mat.
Ifespect 11111 v submit I cd,
I''. X. .Martin,
< >. K let t ner,
d. II. Wicker.
W. A. McSwain,
I. M. Davis,
Hoard of Trustees.
Wilson-Ccly.
kI'n,,,l "!""> IVi""''* "f Miss Vinnie
Wae Wilson will !?. interested to
imu nl lie* a|?proae]iiii*j marriage to
' 1' '* < ?'ly, of (Irecnville, on
i'Vening of October l.',| |,, ;l( sjx
hilly o cloek, at her home, lUL'fj Colf'ge
street. ,|s J|r(, jss||(.(,f
( count of recent death in the family.
Bail Granted.
Application was made before Chief
"slice I 'ope on last I'Yi.Jav for bail
' i d |{. I Iyer, >d Herkeley count v.
>M "I' last. August liver
i:"[ :i 'I'ffereiice will, his iieighb'ois
:,s 1"' k i I led two me,.,
:"!,"r i""1 *'?" M- has been in jail
nice. live,- U;ls represented by Mr.
I. If ill led?e I,'i vers, of Charleston!
"'! Chief Justice Pope granted bail
ii I he sum of $ looo
\v
ST. LUKE'S CHURCH.
Rov. Edward Callcndcr, Rector
":00 a. m. Morning praver, cole,r!,r,u"
?r Holy Kucharist and
erinon.
>:00 p. ni. Mvoning prayer.
All seats free.
I he rector and vestry extend a cor1
, .",vlli,ho" to you to be present
fid Worship with us.
Jr'iiYf, Is-.. ^