University of South Carolina Libraries
j|v HANGED FOR MURDER. Clarence Ham Dies an tlse Scaffoli at Florence. Florence, Dec. 16.?At 10:19 thi morning Clarence Ham, who wa convicted as an accomplice iu m< murder of Mr. Eiihu M. Moyfe 01 Friday evening, October 28, at th< latter's home, near Ebenezer, an< sentenced to* hang on the 16th da; of December, was brought from th< county jail and mounted the deatl - ' ' -J ~ kin Inn scan01 a, upon wmuu uc luauc uio too confession before the death trap wai sprung and he was hurled into etern ity. I The death warrant was read a Ife. 10:19% by sheriff T. S. Burch. Im mediately after reading of th< death warrant, Ham was asked if In had any statement to make. H< said: & "Gentlemen, here I am fixing tc leave you all. I will leave you all ii the hands of the Lord. I am read] to die and I am going home to God ; I submit to the crime of which I an guilty, but I will tell you all "th< truth about it. I know nothing mor< than what I have said." He con tinued repeating his words severa times, which were practically th< same as his confession when tried 01 November 28, but much shorter. Negro's Last Words. ' .Ham's last words to-day were: "] i don't want m$y body buried in th< grave yard. I don't want my bodj carried off in a wagon. If my people are not able to get a hearse, I wanl you white people to help them Young men don't continue in "the / path of sin; change and follow youi Lord." (He paused; silence pre vailed everywhere.) Starting again he said: "Is my brother here?" He was told that his brother was noi present. "Well," he said, "I will tell you all good-bye. Will Rev. Tayloi lead us in prayer?" After prayer Deputy Harrel placed the black cap over his head and tied his feet. One of the colored ministers said, "Good-bye, Clarence God have mercy upon your soul, and in response he said, "good-bye Exactly at 10:39 o'clock the death trap was sprung by Sheriff Burch Dr. King pronounced Ham dead at I Brave for a Time. !/ /' { Ham was brave and didn't flinch nntll he was told to stand under the rope. To this he looked at the crowd and then slowly moved under the " rope, which Deputy Harrel placed : around his neck. / In the jail just before the execution Ham asked to see his mother, but she was sick and could not come J' to bid him farewell. Two of his sisters were admitted and conversed with him about twenty minutes.. The Rev. J. T. Taylor and the Rev. '/ W. S. Thompson, colored ministers, IBg talked with Ham this morning, and he continued to assure them that he was ready to die. After the execution these two ministers took up collection to help cover burial expenses. The streets were packed with people b- of all hues, even some climbed telephone poles to get a glimpse of the execution. After the negro was pronounced dead all were admitted to see the body. ^ Shetfff Burch had sworn in about ' forty or fifty special deputies in case there might be trouble, but all passed off .quietly. Story of the Crime. On Friday evening, October 28, Mr. Elihu M. Moye and Mr. Howard Cole attended preaching at^*immonsville and returned home at about 11 o'clock. Mr. Moye got out of the buggy at his residence and Mr. Cole drove on to his own home, which is about a half mile further. Mr. Moye entered his home and met his fate. From all appearances of the scene at Mr. Moye's home murderers lay se0'. creted in his rooms, probably in a closet, for the dead man's body was found in a position indicative that he Bfe was in the attitude of taking off his jfe collar when fired upon. He was found dead on his veramla with a p| load of shot in his stomach, and investigation revealed that he was shot three times, once probably as he turned at some noise, p" * He was killed with his own gun; the gun and several empty shells be ing found at his house. Mr. Moye had his pistol in his hip pocket, bui apparently made no use of it. Saturday afternoon a negro, now known as Clarence Ham, was arrest ed on suspicion. Special Court Asked for Murderer ^ Suspect. * The murder of Mr. Moye continued t* ' to 1 e a topic throughout the com } mun ty. A petition was gotten up an< presented to the solicitor asking foi a sr~r ;al trial for Clarence Ham, th< negro arrested Saturday. Ham testi fied that he stayed at a negro wo man's house the night on which th< kilhn ~ occurred, and Deputy Harrel went to and searched the house find rrr Mr. Moye's, coat and a pai of tio. sers. The coat was the on< that Mr. Moye wore to church a Tinan onsville. liaui had worked with Mr. Moy< I / ; a i \ i K 3 K 1 n a H t I 3 WB a ? fs|g Monument to be Erected \ Bam be i for, years; had slept in his home \ loved him and pursed him when sick i Ham Made Confession. Conscience began to work upoi 1 Ham and he made a confession, tell ing how the shocking murder wa: done, me pan mat ne iuok iu ui? killing of his friend and benefacto; at whose bedside he had watchec L and tended so faithfully, reverted t< him and constrained him to tell th< [ horrible story in which he implicated f five other men. 1 Ham stated in his story that ai agreement had been ma.de among th( . men who went to rob Mr. Moye. The: went to the house in his absence anc s found but little. Clarence Ham on the Stand. Ham said: "Friday, when he (Mr Moye) paid 'us off, I went to Ale: Weldon's house, and went to Ebe nezer. I left Ebenezer and wern back to Alex Weldon's house. M< and Will Burroughs went there to gether, and I went home. I lef home, and Mr. Moye's dog barkec at me as I passed, and 1 got most t( Mr. Wilson's. I met Alex and Wil liam. Alex Weldon asked me if Mr Move was at home. When I goi against the tobacco barn I met Alej Weldon and' Burroughs. Weldoi said to me that Mr. Moye and Mr Cole had gone to Timmonsville tc preaching. They said there is some money somewhere around here, anc rtro, mnet have It Weldon insisted on my going to Mr. Moye's house, consented to stay in the road unti they went to the house, and the: went and stayed there until Mr. Moy< and Mr. Cole came from Timmons ! ville. They forced me to the house 1 They told me to whistle if I heart 1 any noise, and as Mr. Moye and Mr * Cole came in I whistled. I heard Mr Moye say something about going t< : town the next morning. Mr. Moye' went on in the houst and struck a match and wenit int< 1 his room and I did not hear any mor< ' until I heard the shooting.* I heart 1 one shot fire and then another and 5 saw a person coming out of the doo 1 after the shooting was over. Bur roughs and Weldon came to me ant they told me that the old man cam< - in on them before they could get out I grabbed the gun for protection : Weldon told me that he shot Moy< twice. Weldon got a pint of whis - key before the old man got in. Afte t they came out Weldon gave me $: in money. We went on down th r road and Weldon offered us a drinl - and asked me not to say anything about this affair. Weldon offered m< . $25 and to pay my way tc Florenc; and Timmonsville to say nothini I about it. William also asked me no to say anything about it. j "I came to Mr. Hugh Muldrow' r and stopped at a woman's house an< ; spent the night, and I put the clothe . in the bureau drawer at that wo . man's house. 3 Alex Weldon came to Mr. Moye' 1 the next day and told me that som people had been to his house an* r searched it." 3 Weldon and Burroughs, t Clarence Ham, Alex Weldon an* William Burroughs, the three me] 2 implicated in Ham's confession, i saaBgKwfejBflfig; , j.'''''': I39P?*7'^ to the Confederate Dead at ;rg, S. C. PRISONER BURNED IN JAJL. Charles Carroll, United States Ma ! rine, Perishes at Port Royal. 3j Beaufort, Dec. 18.?Charles Cara I roll, a marine stationed at the Port r' Loyal naval station, was burned tc i death in a fire which destroyed the 5! Fort Royal town jail and horse reel 3! house between 8:30 and 9 o'clock to1; night. Carroir was absent from the 1 post without leave and had been ar1! rested by the town marshal o??i?or1 31 Royal on a charge of "drunk and disf; orderly" about; 4:30 this afternooi I nnJ T-ii,4- ,'n fV?n frnnf noil ntl thf street. On account of using obscene and profane language, he had been put in a back cell where he could . n6t be plainly heard. Shortly aftei e 8:30 Dennis Bacon, a negro living - near the jail heard Carroll cry: t "Come, turn me out of this place; it i is burning up!" He ran over and saw smoke comt ine out of the cell. He rushed to the 1 fire bell in front of the jail and ) sounded an alarm which brought im mediate response. When the dooi * was opened the entire inside burst t into flames and planks were toru e from the side of the building to get 1 water in. Carroll was found, terri. bly charred, in a crouching position, > with his face buried in his arms on i the floor. - He was so badly burned 1 tiiat the bones of his feet and hips I show. [ He had refused to give his name 1 when arrested, and was identified by 7 the name on his undershirt, which i did not entirely burn on chest or - acocunt of his position on the floor. Carroll enlisted November 24, at i Dallas, Tex., and gave as next of kir . Miss Bridgett Carroll, 1135 South. west street, St. Louis, Mo. He was y 24 years old. The body of the marine will be ex3 pressed by the government to St, 5 Louis at the request of relatives. 3 H Pink Franklin Granted Respite. * Columbia, Dec. 17.?Governor Ansel to-day granted a respite to Pini j Franklin until the last Friday ii g January. Franklin was to have beeE . hanged on December 23, having beer convicted in Orangeburg severa g years ago on the^charge of killing a _ constable by the name of Valentine r The case of Franklin has been before r, the United States Supreme court. Th< g Federal court heard the case on s constitutional question. It is though! , Governor Ansel will send the case to the board of pardons for a review e 1 will be remembered, were all founc * guilty of murder and sentenced bj George W. Brown to be hung to-day Attorney W. F. Weldon has appealec s in the case of Weldon and Burroughs * and the maiter will not come up be 3 fore the supreme court until April consequently Ham was the only on< of the three men to expire at th< 3 hangman's rope to-day. Weldor ? and Burroughs are closely confinec and will be kept so until their fat< has been dcreed by the Suprem< court and its mandates carried out d j They were woifled no little to-daj n ; when their fellow prisoner was re t moved from the jail to the gallows THE REASON WHY, There is always a reason for everything, and if you will pay our store a Jgijg visit you will know at once the reason ...l ~ wit ywc axe unciuig uui iai^c unc vi HOLIDAY GOODS| at such remarkably dose prices. Having bought finrinor ftarlv summer, before the cron nros- - pects were so poor, we purchased an immense llIM line, and not wishing to carry any over, as we M try at all times to handle the most up-to-date l|f ^ jf| goods obtainable, we are going to to make them M move, if low prices will piake them go. We 1 Kavp flip mrtsf nn.fn.rlat<> and largest line of J A1MT V U?V A??W? ?t|# wvaaw ??W? p ?W ? ? ? ? ? ? _ TOYS, FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS tliat we have ever shown. We also have an as- 4|p|l| sortment of Mirrors, Picture Frames, ToiletSets, Ia?<va1 D/\va<? I ark Taklntfl Rikloe pAimfnin Pan? U'CWCl IIUACOl 1 1 aMiViO^ A VIUAUMU A V?wy . Handsome Box Paper, Silverware, Cut Glass and some of the handsomest Hand Painted China ever shown in Bamberg. All we ask is that you ^ ?^9 see our line and get our prices before you buy. n 11. un. 1P1....I i neneraia Doorare BAMBERQ. SOUTH CAROLINA ^ A SURPRISEj Don't You Enjoy Being Agreeably Surprised? M If you do you will certainly be delight- 4 ed if you will only visit our store and fl inspect our large handsome line of || Hand Painted China I 1 and compare the goods and prices with others that have :|fliIS been shown you. Realizing the scarcity of money we have - Jj decided to offer our entire line until January 1st at ':-a Greatly Reduced Prices-m and you will certainly be agreeably surprised- at the low figures we are offering them.also We have a large line of :-:"|B|||l Fine Leather Goods j I . ' which we are offering at the same reductions. We have a ' fgJH i large line, all new goods, and we expect to dispose of the ! entire lot if low prices will cause them to move. Come and inspect the goods, get our prices, and be agreeably surprised T Tiir urnnn nnnv ctadc i