The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, July 24, 1919, Image 1
Samliprg ^raU?
$2.00 Per Year in Advance BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, JULY 24,1919. Established in 1891
THREE DEAD
OF A I
lf
;(
TWO OTHERS, WHITE MEN, SERI- <
OUSLY WOUNDED. I !
I 1
j (
Many Shots Were Fired i
<
Henry Murray Ray, Bystander, and
Two Negroes Killed.?Follows
Magistrate court case. j .
'
The most deplorable tragedy that '
has occurred in Bamberg county in !
many years was a pistol duel on Main 1
street in Denmark Thursday afternoon,
as a result of which three men, <
? one white and two negroes, are dead, 1
and two others, both white, are seri- 1
ously wounded. The dead are: 1
Henry Murray Ray, son of Sheriff i
Ray. 1
Agent Brown, negro.
Elmer Loper, negro.
Seriously wounded:
Carroll Mobley, white.
J. Ralph Thompson, white.
The affair took place immediately
after a trial in the court of Magis- .
trate Hightower, in which Carroll !
Mobley and a negro, George Stevens/ .
, had been accused by Agent Brown ,
of stealing a watermelon from
Brown's field. The decision had been 1
reserved by Magistrate Hightower .
and court had been adjourned. The] J
. crowd,x some fifty or more, mostly
white men, had left or were leaving
the court room, when Brown opened
: fire on Mobley, who was struck once.
Mobley at the time did not have ...s
pistol in his hand and ran behind a
tree until he could pull it, after
\
which he stepped out and fired on
"Rrown xrhn tn thp ?rnnnd hilt
later raised up and fired other shots.
. * Henry Murray Ray was a bystand->
er and had nothing to do with the
affair. He was struck by one shot,
which penetrated his neck and almost
severed the spinal cord. He
** lingered until Sunday when he died
at a hospital in Columbia.
Whether or not Brown intended
killing Mr. Ray is not clear and perhaps
will never be known. The ne.
gro Loper was with Mobley at the
time, he being a member of a telephone
gang which Mobley was working,
and appears to have been killed
when he went to Mobley's assistance.
Loper received one bullet which
caused instant death, and it is not
entirely clear whether he was shot
by Brown or by Brown's brother-inlaw,
Ozell Anderson, who was with
Brown at the time and appears to
have been th2 party who brought on
the difficulty. One witness testified
at the inquest that Loper was
t shot by Anderson and others testified
that Anderson was armed with a
pistol. Anderson had told Brown
before leaving the court room to do
as he told him, or words to that j
effect.
Thompson was shot while trying j
to get away from the scene of the
shooting. He had nothing to do with
the affair.
A /I m rr? n a> /> J O a f n *
W do dilCbtCU Odlui Ud V i 1
morning by Mr. W. B. Smoak and |
some other citizens. At the time '
Anderson was near his home some 1
few miles from Denmark and was 1
in a^Ouggy in a drunken condition.! ^
He was armed with an old rifle, but a
? was too drunk to make any serious i s
' attempt to use it and was taken! v
3 without trouble. He had evidently
intended leaving the neighborhood
in the buggy, but was so much under
the influence of liquor that he did
not realize what he was doing, as
it appeared he had driven around in
a circle without getting anywhere.
As a measure of safety and precaution
the authorities had Anderson
carried to the penitentiary in Columbia
to avert further trouble.
Brown has a bad reputation. It
/ is said that he killed another negro
some years ago near Blackville, that
he had served seven years in the penitentiary,
and that he had been pardoned
by a former governor. Brown s
is said to have accumulated some 1
money in the last few years and was j ?
in good financial circumstances. j 3
It appears likely that Brown and ' a
Anderson had arranged previously to j r
wreak vengeance on the telephonej A
f iVt /s 11 rr a nf aoIi'ti rr P r\ ! Y"
gang iur Liitr aucscu oicanii5 ui a i
watermelon, about which the trial t
I
was held. While nothing of the r
watermelon incident was brought; t
out at the inquest, from what can j t
be learned the circumstances were: l i
While doing some telephone line re-! h
} pairing, Carroll Mobley's gang of i
men were near the place of Brown, f
?
RESULT
DISTOL DUEL
3ne of Mobley's men, George Stev?ns.
a colored man, was accused of
:akiug a melon from Brown's field;
:hat Brown went to Mobley about it.
and that Mobley offered to pay for
:he melon, but that Brown insisted
Dn an enormous price for it, which
Mobley refused to pay. Later Brown
prosecuted Stevens and Mobley for
stealing the melon. Angry words
i.npear to have passed between Mobley
and Brown during the trial. The
shooting episode followed on the
street while the crowd was leaving
moorictrofo'c
Loper was arguing with Brown. They
;ot across the street, then turned
3,uick, both of them. ' Brown shot
Carroll and Anderson shot at Loper
:wice. As I was going across the
street Brown turned and fired at me.
Carroll ran across the street to a tree
lext to the bank. Brown followed
lim shooting at him. Carroll held
lp to the tree wit^ one hand and shot
iround the tree twice. After Sarroll
shot Brown the first time he fell and
raised up then and shot at H. M.
Ray, shot twice at Thompson as he
ivas going around the corner of the
sank, then fell dead."
Tom Tant, being duly sworn, says:
'I walked from the pavement at the
sank behind Carroll. He was about
ive feet to the left of Brown. Brown
valked to the right of telephone pole
ind the negro leading gave Brown a
shove towards Carroll and said: 'Do
s-hat you are going to do now.' Brown
ired on Carroll three times. First
shot as well as I could see hit Car oll.
Carroll ran back across the
street towards the bank. Brown folowed,
the other negro right in belind
Brown; the other negro's name
s Anderson. I turned and dashed
nto front door of Mayfield's store.
[Vhen I Dassed the corner of the store
here was a bullet shot over my head.
i
walked back across the street.
3rown fired twice as well as I could
ell, after he was shot down. I did
lot see Carroll shoot Brown. I did
lot see Anderson shoot at Loper:"
W. B. Caldwell, being duly sworn,
;ays: "As I came down the steps
Anderson told Brown: 'You have
,rot yours and I have got mine; do
-our best.' Anderson took Brown
ind led him across the street. Caroil
and Loper were with them.
Yhen they got over to the telephone
>ole Brown fired at Carroll, who ran
>ack across the street. As Carroll
an across the street Brown shot
wice at me. I was in the middle of
he street. As he threw the gun <
n my face T fell behind a car to keep
tim from shooting me. 'Brown ran
ip behind the car. Carroll was in 1
ront of it. As Carroll left the car
1
iiia^ionuvv c v*4*w?
Mr. Mobley was seriously wounded.
It was at first thought he had
been shot twice, but later examination
satisfied the physicians that one
bullet was responsible for all the
vounds. The bullet entered the right
breast and penetrated the left lung.
His condition was so serious that he
was not carried at once to the hospital.
but as he somewhat rallied
from the first shock on Sunday he
was carried to Columbia for treatment.
Mr. Ray was partially paralyzed
by the bullet and was rushed to a Columbia
hospital, where everything
was done for him without success,
rhompson's wound in the shoulder,
while serious, is not necessarily fa
tal, unless further complications set
in.
Race feeling was running high after
the terrible tragedy, and further
trouble was for awhile feared, but
with the taking away of Anderson,
who is generally believed to have
inspired Brown to the terrible deeds,
things have quieted down, and no
further trouble is apprehended.
The verdict of the coroner's jury
was as follows:
"That Agent Brown came* to his
ieath from pistol shot wounds at
the hands of Carroll Mobley. That
Elmer Loper came to his death from
pistol shot wounds at the hands of
kgent Brown and Ozell Anderson."
The inquest over the bodies of
Brown and Loper was held Saturday
norning at Denmark by Coroner
Zeigler. A number of witnesses
were sworn and their testimony in
full is given below:
Floyd Lancaster, being duly sworn,
says: "Brown and Anderson came
iown stairs from over the bank. Anierson
&ad Brown by the arm telling
him to do what he said he was going
:o do. Elmer Loper and Carroll folowed
them across the street and
Brown shot at him as he went to the
tree. As Carroll got to the tree
Brown was coming up on the other
side. Carroll shot at. him. Don't
know whether he hit him or not.
Brown shot twice after he hit the
ground. I did not see Anderson
shoot."
J. W. Williams, being duly sworn,
says: "I had been up to hear the
trial of Mobley and the negro, who
had been charged with stealing a
watermelon, and had started to supper.
As I walked across the street
between Mobley and Loper. I was
not expecting any trouble. The first
thing I saw was Brown was taking
the safetly off of his gun. firing at
Loper first. T did not see him shoot
Mobley and did not see Mobley shoot.
The first thing Br^wn said was:
Hoo-ie. you .' I ran be
hind the store. I did not see Anderson
shoot, but he had his hand inhis
hip pocket and pushed Brown
towards Carroll."
Bob Darnell, being duly sworn,
says: "Agent Brown prosecuted
Geo. Stevens and Carroll for stealing
a watermelon. I went up to hear
the trial and they dismissed the case
and court adjourned, and all came
*
down stairs. Carroll stopped on the
sidewalk; said he was going to whip
Brown. The crowd came out on the
sidewalk ahead of Brown and Anderson.
Carroll grabbed at Brown
and started to hit him with his fist.
Anderson grabbed Brown by the arm
and shoved him ahead of him. Carroll
picked up a little split of board
about 12 or 15 inches long, about
one-half inch thick, about one inch
jvide and followed him across the
street to the other sidewalk. Loper
and I were walking across the street
and Brown shot Carroll. The whole
crowd ran. Loper and I stopped.
Brown shot at Carroll twice more
running and then Brown shot Loper,
who came down nearly to his knees I
at my feet. Then Loper wheeled and
ran. I stepped off a step or two far-|
ther. Brown threw his gun on me.
I threw up my hands. Then he whirled
and commenced shooting at Mobley
again. Mobley shot him twice
and as Brown started to fall Carroll
started to shoot hint again, but someone
hollered and told him not to
shoot any more; that he\had him.
Carroll said: 'If you don't think I
have, I will shoot him again.' I
don't know how many times Brown
fired his pistol. The fourth shot hit
Loper."
G. H. Hope, being duly sworn,
says: "I was in the court room, af
ter the crowd had dispersed except
the magistrate, constable, Brown,
Anderson and Homer Brown. As
they went down the steps I followed
close behind them. Anderson pushed
Brown forward, telling him to 'do as
I tell you.' Anderson putting his
hand in his hip pocket said: 'I have
mine; get yours ready.' I went back
up and notified the constable that
Anderson was armed and let's take
it from him and avoid trouble. I
and the constable started back but
Bfrown and Anderson had reached
the street and began firing. Saw one
bullet line in front of the door and
heard one pass the door. I saw
none of the shooting. Got Brown's
pistol that he did the shooting with
and, in the presence of E. E. Brooker,
examined contents. It was a
Colt's 32-calibre automatic, and still
had two unfired cartridges in it."
R. B. Hughes, being duly sworn,
says: "I was up in the court room
and heard part of the trial, Brown
suing Geo. Stevens and Carroll Moblev
for stealing watermelons. I came
on down stairs ahead of Brown, Mobley
and Anderson and started across
the street towards Mr. Cain's store.
I looked around and saw a negro
pushing Brown across the street
ahead of him. About the time they
got to the sidewalk Mobley and Loper
were close to Brown. I heard a
shot, turned and saw Mobley start
towards me and turned across the
shooting. After Brown and Mobley
his pistol. I jumped behind a telephone
pole and did not see any more
shooting after Brown and Mobley
crossed the street I heard about eight
or 10 shots fired. After the firing
stopped I went back across and saw
Brown lying dead, and H. M. Ray
was lying close to the tree and
Thompson fell in tthe clay pit. I did
not see a stick in Mobley's hands."
J. W. Northrop, being duly sworn,
says: "I had come in from the country.
I had closed up the shop and
was walking up the street and was
opposite Miss Wroton's store when
the first shot was fired. That first
>hot was what attracted my attention.
Immediately after the first shot there
were several other shots. As I turned
to look I saw Corroll and Brown
running across with Canroll about
CONSTABLE SHOT IN RAID.
J. F. Batcman is Wounded by Aliened j
Moonshiner*.
Camden, July 17.?State Constable
J. F. Bateman, of this city,
was shot and seriously wounded this
afternoon when in company with
Chief of Police A. G, Whitaker they
made a raid on an illicit distillery
located 111 the Beaver dam section
of the county, about seven miles east
of Camden.
The officers ran upon Sant Barrett
o rt rt Tim Qliomn in a n-nnrl Rorvott ic
said to have opened fire at the approach
of the officers and Constable
Bateman fell with a bullet in his left
breast about four inches below the
heart. The officers returned the fire
and Barrett fell with a broken thigh.
Sheron fell also, but after bringing
Mr. Bateman to Camden and returning
to the scene Officer Whitaker
found that Sheron had made his escape.
but it is thought that he was
also wounded.
Barrett and his young son, about
seventeen years of age, were arrested.
An examination of the wounded officer
was hurriedly made and Dr.
Guerry from Columbia will reach
Camden tonight to assist the local
physicians in an effort to save his
life. He is thought to be very seriously
wounded. Mr. Bateman is
abut forty-eight years of age and was
for a number of yeans chief constable
stationed at Charleston. Barrett is
said to be about sixty years of age
and Sheron about forty-five. The
still in that locality is said to have
been in operation for a long time.
Dies of Wounds.
Columbia. July IS.?J. Fletcher
Bateman, State constable who was
shot near Camden Thursday afternoon
when making a .raid on a distillerv.
died at the Gnlnmhin Vincrnt-nt
late yesterday afternoon. Immediately
after the shooting Dr. LeGrand
Guerry, Columbia surgeon, made a
hurried trip to Camden in an effort to
save the man's life. Mr. Bateman was
brought to the Columbia hospital and
an operation performed. The bullet
penetrated the left chest just below
the heart. He was 48 years old. Funeral
services will be held in Camden
as soon as a son, who is in Texas,
can reach home.
^<4^ I ?
If the railroads are diyorced from
government ownership, it looks as if
their parting request would be for a
lage amount of alimony.
10 feet ahead of Brown, who was
running after Carroll and shooting
at him. When Carroll reached the
tree at the corner of the bank he
stopped behind the tree. The negro
ran up to within about six feet of
the tree and fired four shots in quick
succession. I saw H. M. Ray fall.
After Ray fell I saw Carroll swing
around the tree in the direction of
Brown and fired three shots. Brown
! fell. As Brown fell, Thompson appeared
from behind the tree and
made a running jump. Brown fired
two shots from off the ground. I
saw Thompson grab his right shoulder
with his left hand and jump into
the excavation at the bank. I did
not see Anderson shoot. As Carroll
ran across the street he -had the appearance
of trying to get his pistol."
Roscoe Still, being duly sworn,
says: "I came down out of Mr.
Hightower's office. Brown and Anderson
came down together. I was
behind both of them. Anderson told
Brown to do as he said do. He said:
'You got yours and I got mine.' I
was standing in front of the Citizens
Exchange Bank. I saw Brown fire i
at 'Carroll Mobley. Then I saw Anderson
pull out a nickle plated gun
and then I could not tell which one
fired. I then went around the back.
It did not sound like an automatic.
It sounded louder than the shot that
had just been fired from "Brown's
pistol."
Dr. Robert Black, beiag duly
sworn, testified: "This is to certify
that I held autopsy upon the body of
Agent Brown, and found a 32-bullet
wound f-wn inrhps tn left and on level
with left nipple. This wound penetrated
the heart and was sufficient
to produ'ce death. I also found a 32pistol
hullet wound two inches to the
left of medium line of chest and on
level of second rib.
"This is to certify that I held
autopsy upon the body of Elmer
Ivoper and found a 32-pistol bullet
wound going through right arm just
below elbow and into abdomen. This
wound went through liver and into
stomach. This wound caused internal
hemorrhage, which was sufficient
to produce death."
TROUBLE WE
FEARED IN \
FA KM K KS LOSK THOUSANDS.
Great Devastation in Orangeburg and
Darlington Counties.
There is no doubt in the mind of i
A. C. Summers, chief chemist of the J
State department of agriculture. [
that trona potash from the Searles!
Lake deposits of California lias ruined
thousands of .dollars of growing
nrnnc in C/\,,fK ?i:? ~ n j
u^uui v^aiuuna. oonie uays
ago he made a preliminary report
after an investigation made at the
invitation and request of Bright Williamson,
of Darlington. At that time
there was no doubt in Dr. Summers's
mind that the cause of the death of
the growing crops was some element,
in the potash. A subsequent visit
has strengthened his belief. Upon
the occasion of his second visit, Dr.
Summers had photographs made of a
number of fields" which had been
ruined. In some places it was found
that the potash had not such marked
injurious effects, and Dr. Summers
has found that such a condition
was due to the fact that the potash
in some localities contained more
borax than in others.
The chemical laboratory has made
a careful analysis of samples taken
from the potash that was used in
Darlington county and Dr Summers
finds that there is a considerable percentage
of borax which is a knownpoison
to plant life, and is unquestionably
responsible for the damage.
On the farm of Alex McLeod in Dar- i
lington county the damage, according
to Dr. Summers's estimate is around
$20,000. He has found consider- J
able damage to have been done to
farms in Orangeburg county and on :
the Morgan Boylston plantation at
Springfield he thinks the damage will
run as high as $30,000. Jake Stro-1
man and other farmers of Orangeburg
county have been damaged by
the use of this nntash
r
Dr. Summers states that the negro'
tenant farmers use this potash for!
washing powders and say that it beats
"Red Devif lye." In some places
where the potash has been used and
the crops ruined, the farmers say
that it was done by "that Peruna
potash." Reports from North Carolina
indicates that many farmers in
that State also have received serious
damage from the use of this potash.
In going over Darlington county,
Dr. Summers was accompanied by
J. H. Napier, county demonstration
agent, who has been in conference
with Mr. Williamson about the effects
o? the potash. Mr. Napier has very
decided ideas himself as to the responsibility
of the loss of the crops.
CARSON DEFENDS ULSTER.
Gives Reason for Recent Speech at i
Belfast Which Caused Discussion.
London, July 17.?Sir Edward
Carson, the Ulster leader, in an interview
today gave ihs reasons for his
recent speech at Belfast which was
the cause of a lively debate in the
house of commons Wednesday, Sir
Edward did not take part in the debate.
"Consider this de Valera campaign
in America which is being conducted I
against the integrity of the British
empire by people who were our enemies
all through the war," the Ulster
leader said. "It is being utilized,
J)oth on the other side of the Atlantic
and on this with the obvious end of
brow beating Ulster and forcing her
under some sort of Dublin parliament.
Now remember that throughout the
war Ulster men and women were the
foremost of the king's subjects in
devoting themselves and their substance
to the support of the empire
and to fighting the battle for liberty
and justice.
"I know well how bitter they feel
at the suggestion that their reward
should be handed over to their enemies
and I spoke as I did in order to
let it be known clearly that Ulster
will not stand it."
^ i i ?
Knd of Fazed Her.
A M A ^ . ? ArtAnf r\ Y*I /*! VIA
-*i- .VUUIIg Ilictll WclS auwcyLCU auu 11^
said joyously:
"Then, darling, we'll set married at
once. Of course, at first, we shan't j
be able to keep a servant."
"Oh, Jack, hadn't we better wait,
then," she protested. "What would j
the neighbors say if they saw me doing
my own work?"
Jack looked puzzled.
"Why, sweetheart,'' he said,
"whose work do you want to do?"
r
m MEXICO
VASHINGTON
AMKIIICAXS I1?IjI) IB BY MEXIWxs.
Inquiry is Being Made
Situation May Develop Into Serious
One?Men From United
States Warship.
Washington, July 19.?The most
serious of the recently growing list
of attacks on Americans in Mexico
came to light today.
A boat load of American sailors
from the U. S. S. Cheyenne were held
up in the Temesi River on July 6,
within nine miles of the city of Tampico
and the sailors were robbed. The
American flag was flying from the
boat at the time.
Closely resembling the attacks on
American sailors which led to the occupation
of Vera Cruz in 1914, the
state department did not hesitate to
regard it as a most grave affair and
immediately dispatched urgent repre- ,
sentations to the Carranza government
and the local authorities at
Tampico.
Although the sailors were fishing,
they were on official duty, bringing in
food for their ship, and the American
flag flying from the boat denoted that
it was on official business.
Preliminary reports of the attack,
reaching the navy department on July
7, did not go to the state department /
until today when it promptly was
given out. No explanation was made
fnr tlip rlplav TnHov Qa/>rflforr Oon
. A VVAU/ kjvv* vtai j juauw
iels asked for a fuller report.
The incident is regarded as most ,
serious and charged with possibilities
because the Carranza forces are
in full control of the Tampico district,
especially the city and the waters
about it, and because it comes as the
climax to a long series of recent attacks
on Americans, all of which have
been made the subject of increasingly
urgent representations to the Carranza
government.
Since PresTdent Wilson returned
from the peace conference he has
turned his attention a great deal to '
the Mexican situation. Various reports
have been circulating in sources
in touch with Mexican affairs that the
American government's policy had
undergone a change, but there has
been no official announcement.
It is known, however, that the
American troops along the border
have a new set of orders which was
evidenced by the prompt manner in
which they crossed into Juarez and
cleaned up the fighting there when
it menaced El Paso. The extent to
which the military establishment has
been prepared to meet a situation in
Mexico has not been fully disclosed,
hut thpro are pvirlpnr'pc that thp env
ernment is taking measures to be
prepared for any eventuality into
which it may be forced.
It was an incident in Tampico in
1914 which brought on the occupation
of Vera Cruz. A boat from one
of Admiral Mayo's ships was detained,
a paymaster was arrested
and jailed and at other times messengers
from the ships were menaced
ashore. General Huerta refused
to apologize and salute the American
flag and the occupation of Vera
Cruz followed.
Officials here see in the incident
of July 6 the marking of a more serious
situation.
The department issued this statement:
"The department of state has just
been advised that on July 6 a boat
from the U. S. S. Cheyenne occupied
by enlisted men of that vessel who
were on a fishing trip, was held up
on the Tamesi River, near Tampico,
by armed men. The sailors were robbed
of personal effects.
"Urgent representations have been
made by the department of state to
both the local Mexican authorities at
Tampico and to the federal govern
j. AfoviVn fi'+T- an A th p aU
lilt?II I <X l ."CAIW V- JL
thorities there have promised to investigate
at once."
^ ! > ?
Just It.
"The prima donna's life must be
monotonous."
"Why must it?"
"Because it is such a sing-song
affair."
I
Nine hundred lighthouses and
lightships are scattered around the
coasts of the British Isles.