Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Bail Granted to Rev. W. E. Johnson. THE AMOUNT IS $2,000. Affidavits Which Differ Very Much-Rev. Mr. Johnson's Testimony. COLUMBIA, May H.-The killing of Court Stenographer Bellinger by the Rev. W. E. Johnson, at Bamberg, came up here this morning. Coun? sel for the Rev. Mr. Johnson made | application for bail, which was to- ! day granted by Associate Justice j Pope. The motion for bail was made and argued by Messrs. D. S. Hender? son and Robert Aldrich for the de? fendant, ?nd Mr. H. L. O'Banuon appeared for the State. The hearing was had quite early tb i s morning. It was ordered that all the original papers be filed with the clerk of Court, and they were sent away this morning and were consequently not available. All of the affidavits for the defence that were obtainable are given. For the State there are twenty-one affidavits. They cannot all be given and are somewhat identical as to detail, and so the more important are , given. The affidavits that are given recite in a way a chapter of the unfortunate killing and open up to some extent, the versions of the affray, about which the testimony appears to be decidedly conflicting. THE REV. MK. JOHNSON'S STATE? MENT. The defendant in the case makes a detailed statement and here is what he saj*s : -State of South Carolina, Bamberg County-The State vs. Wm. E. Johnson. In the General Sessions. Before me personally appeared William E. Johnson, who, beingduly sworn, deposes and says: That he is 36 years old, and has been ordain? ed minister of the Baptist Church for eleven years past, and for the past loree years has been in charge of the Bamberg Baptist Church, at Bam? berg, in the said State. That the pas? toral residence, or parsonage in which defendant resides with his family, which consists of his wife and four children, is situated upon the same block of the town with that of Mr. John R. Bellinger, immediately ad? joining each other and separated only by a dividing fence. That deponent Amoved to his said residence in Oc? tober or November, 189S, and up to the month of June, 1899, the relations between the two families were peace? able. That in [the month of June, ''3899, deponent was called on profes? sionally to perform the marriage ceremony between ?Mr. Joseph E. Brown and Miss Jennie Bellinger, the daughter of the said Mr. John R. Bellinger, both of whom appear? ed to be, and deponent is informed were, of lawful age; i.e., above the age of 21 years. That after this mar? riage, which it seems did not meet the approval of Mr. John R. Bellin? ger and his family, they became ex? tremely hostile to deponent, often abusing him to his face and in the hearing of his wife and children in the most extreme manner, and show? ing this hostility towards him by many of those irritating, unneigh? borly ways which are so easy to do and so hard to bear. Deponent bore it all with that fortitude aud resigna? tion which his calling required. That the manner in which he was treated by this family became a matter of public notorietj*, and he was assured by many that he ought to take steps to have it stopped, as it was lessening his influence for the -good of the community. That about six weeks ago a young man of the town of Bamberg, in sympathy with the Bellingers' without the slightest cause, rudely accosted deponent in one of the public streets, called him a liar und struck him in the face, ? forcing him to defend himself. PAINTING THE DIVISION FENCE. That about two weeks ago a color? ed painter by the name of Walker, who was painting Mr. Bellinger's | house and fence, came to deponent's I house and asked leave to (rome into ? deponent's yard to paint the division i fence between the two lots. Depon? ent consented, provided he would paint the bottom board of the fence as well as the balance. Tin's he promised to do, but did not do; de? ponent called his attention to it from j time to time, each time receiving a promise that he would paint the said board before he left, but he never did do it. About a week ago the said painter returned to put on a second coat, and deponent informed him that he must do the work in accord? ance with the agreement, *.v ir could not be done at all. promised t<> do it. but did not, and deponent see? ing that he did not ii.tend t<> (J.? ii, deponent ordered him to leave tin yard. On Thursday, the 3d inst., the man Walker was in the yard painting, and the deceased, William T. Bel? linger, was sitting on the fence at the intersection of tiie division fence and tiie front f?vnr>. on the street; ?-?-??????????i deponent ordered Walker to g( of his yard. He hesitated, lo first at the deceased and then i ponent. Bellinger ordered the n paint on, and deponent insist? his going out and he started and Bellinger ordered him to on, and the painter would act he intended to obey, when dep peremptorily ordered him out he went. BELLINGER HAD A PISTOL Mr. W. T. Bellinger then said the fence would be painted, cursed deponent a d- long-lipp of a -, and much more of the i abuse, repeating that he woulc that the fence was painted ; dept finally said he cculd not come the road and talk to deponent way, when deceased jumped oil fence to his lather's gate, came and stood by the post with a di j piste! in his hand. Deponent I not noticed before that he had a ? toi, and said: 4,You are armed, i 1 and turned and walked back inte house. Nothing more passed day. The next day deponent c j out of his gate to go to the postof when he met Mr. Joe Brown in buggy, who asked him to take a with him, and they drove down-tc Mr. Brown told deponent that he heard of-the difficulty of the before and that he had heard of threats made by the deceased aga deponent and warned him to pro himself. Mr. Brown got out of buggy at Jones's stable and told ponent to drive around to the ?< office, and to hitch the horse th? in the rear of the postoffice, wh deponent did. Deponent got mail and returned home. While the postoffice deponent was wan to look out for Mr. Bellinger-t he had made threats to kill hi On deponent's return home he s Mr. Joe Brown coming towards home in his buggy, and depon? started out to meet him, and seei Mr, W* T, Bellinger across the stre he picked up a gun, which a frie had put into his possession the d before, telling him to use it to p; tect himself with, and that he woi need it to protect his life, and took out with him holding it in his han< THE FATAL AFFRAY. Mr. Bellinger came walking 1 wards his father's house, while d ponent was walking by the bug? with his hands upon the shafts, t! horse being restless, moving forwa a step at a time. Mr. Brown pullii him back and endeavoring to restra him, which drew deponent and d ceused nearer together, when su denly Mr. Brown xmlled his h or back, and backing some feet left d ponent and Mr. Bellinger in pla view of each other, immediate! when, without a word from eac other, Mr. Bellinger raised his pist< and fired on deponent, at a distanc of ten or fifteen steps. In quick sm cession he fired a second time, an as he was in the act of firing th third [time deponent fired the gu one time and deponent raised his gu to fire again, but seeing that deceas ed had desisted from firing he she no more. The^deponent regrets mor than he can tell the necessity whic he was under to shoot the deceased and would only have done so in de fence of his life. \V. E. JOHNSON". Sworn to before me this 6th day o May, A. D. 1900. ROBERT ALDRICH, Notary Public, South Carolina. THE COUNTS AFFIDAVIT. The next affidavit is that of Capt Counts: Before me personally appearec Thomas J. Counts, who, being duh sworn, deposes and says: That ht is 72 years old, that he has been t member of the Baptist Church foi forty-five years; that he represented the county of Barnwell in the State Senate from 1S77 to I SSO, and is al che present time Master in Equity for Bain bei g County. That he re? sides in tiie town of Bamberg and is well acquainted with the people ol the community. That for months past it has been a matter of public notoriety that Mr. John R. Bellinger and his family have sustained a hostile, abusive and threatening at? titude towards the Rev. Mr. YV. E. Johnson, so much so that tiie said Mr. Johnson has been repeatedly warned to be on his guard in refer? ence thereto. That throughout ii all he has borne himself in a patient, dignified and gentlemanly manner, as became a Christian minister. CLERGYMAN OF THE H IC H HST STAND INC. I ? That the said YV. E. Johnson is a j clergyman rf the Baptist Church, of j the highest standing, and commands tiie confidence and respect of all who know him, and in his present troubles has thc sympathy of his ' Church and people, who consider I that he is entirely justified in what ? he did and that he was forced to fire ; upon the deceased t<> save his own [life. I CONCUR WITH CA r'T. COUNTS. I Then follows this affidavit : Before me personally appeured M. A. M oye, S. H. Saunders, J.Vii. E?kin : E. C. Hunter, who, Ic ing duly sworn. ! depose and say, and each <>f them ! sa vs, that he has heard read the loir- ! ? going affidavit ol Capt. T. J. Counts, I and they concur fully in what he j says in reference to the Rev. W Johnson and adopts the san" their affidavit as fully and to same eifect and intent as if it again repeated here. MAJOR HAVELOCK EAVES. The showing for the proseei started out with the report of evidence at the coroner's inquest The first affidavit is that of ft! Havelock Eaves, who says that Friday morning, while the mor mail (about 10 o'clock) from Cha ton was being distributed, the ponent was in the lobby ef the r. office talking with W. T. Belli about the merits of a typewr While they were talking Mr. Brown walked in the lobby: the ponent spoke to him. He was on side of the deponent, Mr. Bellii on the other; Mr. Johnson was ti also several minutes after, when ponent was leaving. Deponent c not know whether Mr. Bellinger left before deponent saw Mr. Jo son or not. 3IISS BAMBERG AX EYE-WITX] The next affidavit is that of A Lulie Bamberg, a student attend the Carlisle Fitting School, am daughter of Gen. F. M. Bambi who said that last Friday morn about half-past 10 o'clock, she > on the front piazza of the gi boarding hall of the fitting sch< facing on the campus; saw Mr. . Brown drive up the street from ward Railroad avenue, turn the c ner and stop his buggy in front Mr. Johnson's gate. In a few m utes Mr. Johnson came out of t house toward the buggy with a g in his hand; the impression ma on the deponent was that he ^ going hunting. The deponent th saw Mr. Willie Bellinger in the pe leading diagonally across the path his father's house. He had a par. in his hand. Mr. Johnson did r stop at the buggy, but walked rapi ly across the road that runs in fro of his house to the telegraph pole front of Mr. Bellinger's lot, and Mr. Bellinger turned into the she path leading to his house, the d ponent, fearing something wou happen from the manner in whi< Mr. Johnson was carrying the gun his hand toward Mr. Bellinger, we to the hall door to go into the piazz when she heard a loud report as of gun, followed by several pistol shot and, looking back saw Mr. Belling falling, with his pistol in his har shooting. The loudest report w? the first. Miss Verbena Brabha was with me on the piazza at tl time. I could not tell whether tl first loud report was one gunshot < two simultaneously. It was as t\s barrels discharged almost altogethe After Mr. Johnson shot and Mr. Be linger fell Mr. Joe Brown drove u by Mr. Bellinger, looked at him an drove off. MISS VERBENA BRABHAM. Miss Verbena Brabham, daugl ter of Dr. R.C. Brabham, of Ha\? thorne, another student, said: Tha last Friday morning she was on th front piazza of the hall (up-stairs with Miss Lulie Bamberg, a littl after 10 (half after,j when she sa^ Mr. Brown drive up and stop in fron of Mr. Johnson's front door. Mi Johnson walked out in a h tiny witl his gun, and from where I wa standing, on the end of the piazza, had a side view of him, and he wen near the telegraph post. It did no seem to be exactly behind it fron where I was. He was carrying tin gun in his hands and raised it in i hurry; stopped a second and shot Mr. Bellinger had his paper in hit hand, and I saw him pull his pisto as he was falling and shoot twice, 3 think. I am sure Mr. Johnson sho him down before he drew his pistol I did not leave the piazza untillaftei a crowd got there. When Mr. John? son came out of his yard, he did not touch the buggy, but went by it in a hurry. OTHE R A F I'll) A VI TS. Nathaniel M. Salley, Jamos L. Cleckley, L. O. Hiers and F Eldon Dibble make affidavits on the same line as those preceding. Aaron Rice in his affidavit says: That on Thursday last deponent heard of the affair about the paint? ing of thefence between Mr. Johnson and Mr. W. T. Bellinger and the next morning saw Mr. Bellinger in the postoffice. After he got the IO o'clock mail he came up by the cor? ner of deponent's store and was read? ing a letter. Deponent called him in his store and asked him about the the trouble between him and Mr. Johnson, and he replied that it was all over so far as he was concerned. Mr. Bellinger then said he did not feel well and walked off saying he was going home. It was about 10 o'clock." James Grant said: That he is be? tween ll and 15 years of age, a native of Charleston, and moved t?> Bam? berg al ?out the first of last November. That last Thursday alterno m he was asked by a tall white man, unknown to him, who was standing !>y the artesian well, to go to the hardware store and gel Iiiiii a box "1 loaded buckshot sh? Hs and gave him iii"ty cents to buy them and live cents get some 38-caIibre, centre-fire pis? tol cartridges. I went into Mr. Broker's store, and told the clerk what I wanted. He gave me buckshot loose and some pistol tri d ge s as requested. I went gave them to the mau who ask? to get til em. He sent me bael second time to get some lc shells for the gun; this time some loaded shells and returne? loose buckshot. The salesman waited on me was Mr. Hooten der. The man told me to tell Felder, a man at Mr. Count's wanted them. I don't know* wh man talking to me was. MR. PRICE'S TESTIMONY. Mr. Price testified: That Friday morning: a little after 1 was in the back yard in the re; Messrs. Rice, Rradham <fc B; stores, about four hundred 3 from the house of Mr.JJohn R. linger, on the Fitting School can quietly engaged, when he was s led by hearing a loud report gun, followed by three er four p shots, in the diraction of thc Car Fitting School; that deponent for four or five years marshal of town of Bamberg, and accusto to hunting and the use of firea: so as to be familiar with such sou Deponent walked out toward stores and called for Mr. Broo and met him, telling him what had heard; as he had also hean a difficulty the previous day betw the Rev. Mr. Johnson and yo Mr. Bellinger; that deponent heard Mr. Johnson's affidavit r< in which he refers to a pers( difficul y on the streets with ayo man of the town of Bamberg in s; pathywith the Bellingers. Def ent thinks he may he the man ferred to, but the difficulty refer to had nothing to do with any qt rel between Mr. Johnson and Bellingers, but was a purely pers al matter, and deponent was particularly interest in Mr. Bellin and he had nothing to do witli it. THE SISTER OF THE DECEASED State of South Carolina, Barn!) county: Personally appeared Lill C. Bellinger, who, being duly swo deposes and says; That on 1 Thursday morning she was pres< and sitting on the front, piazza of 1 father's house, while Robert Wal er, the colored painter, was engag in painting the fence in the frc yard, between her father's yard a that of the Baptist parsonage, being in the yard of the parsonaj painting on that side. That s took a seat on the piazza about ha past ll; a few minutes after she to her seat her brother, Wm. T. Bi linger, came out of the house ai took his seat on the corner post the fence. He was in his sh i sleeves and had his pistol in 1: hack trousers pocket, partly stickii out, and sat there watching tl painter. Clarence Move passed < a bicycle on the opposite side of tl street from her brother, looking him as he passed, and went into tl parsonage back gate. In about ii1 minutes Mr. .Johnson and Ciareni Moye came out on tiie piazza a! Mr. Johnson ordered Waiker leave, saying: "Get out my y ar Walker; get out of my yard." Wah er turned to leave. My brother to] him to come back and paint tr fence. Mr. Johnson told him agai to get out of the yard, and my brott er told him again to come bael Then Mr. Johnson told Walker t get out of the yard, and that if h did not he would put the fullest e2 tent of the law on him. Walker had gotten near the gat when my brother Willie said -.Walker, are you going to paint th fence?" Walker replied that he wa afraid. Willie said: k*What ar you afraid of? That long-legge son-of-a-gun ?" Mr. Johnson told Walker to gc out of the yard and let Beilinge paint the fence if he wains to. Then my brother told Mr. Johnsoi that he was a thief and he knew it that he had stolen land from us that lie had gone in the night an< taken the stakes from the fence am dug the dirt away. Willie curse< Mr. Johnson, after telling him t< shut up. Mr. Johnson told him that lu would not come out in the street ant curse him. Willie <?ot off of the pos and walked into tho street, with hi; pistol in his hand, and repeater, what he had said. Mr. Johnson walked down steps as my brother went out into the stiver and also stepped into the street tw? or three steps. Neither sait! any more. Soon I saw Mr. Johnson turn towards his house. Mr. Clar? ence Move was standing where- he had lett him, and Mr. Johnson went into his piazza, and 1 stood there until Willie came into our house, and sat on the piazza, after waiting some minutes fur Mr. Johnson to come hack out. Next morning ai lo o'clock the deponent and her mother left the house to keep an engagement at the dentist's. She saw Mr. Johnson getting into a buggy w ith Mr. Joe Brown. Tiie deponent ami her 1:loi lie;- went down-town, alter cut lins ruses. LILLIAN-'*. BKLIJX?.EI?. Welford Blake, white utan, was \ committed to the part an burg jail Thursday for abducting and marrying ja 13 year old girl. Carpet Bag Thievery. Carnival of Corruption in Cuban Post Officers. Washington, May 14 -The ad ministration programme of hushing up tbe scandal connected with the embezzlement of a large sum of money from the Cuban postal receipts by C. F. W. Keeley, who has been chief financial agent of the Cuban postal system, and others, will be I combated by the democrats in con? gress, who regard the present as an excellent time for a thorough invest? gation of all Cuban receipts and ex? penditures Senator Bacon says he waited nearly a week to give the republicans an opportunity to pro? pose an investigation before offering ! bia resolution instructing the seoate ' committee on relations with Cuba to investigate receipts from ail sources since toe occupation of Cuba by our J troops, and expenditures for al! pur poses during that period, and report to the senate at the earliest possible date. Of his resolution, ??enatoi Bacon said : "My purpose is to have a thorough investigation of the mon eys which have been received and disbursed in Cuba. We know that there has been some improper dis? bursements In view of that fact, it is our duty to thoroughly sift the whole matter. Our only excuse for being io in Cuba is our deeire to govern the island for the benefit of the Cubans, and we ought to see whether we are doing our duty to? ward those people." That a number of Cuban officials, including the di? rector of posts and the auditor of postal accounts have been suspended, is proof that tbe public is being de? ceived by official statements saying that Neeley is the only Cuban official who has been implicated in the stealing If a proper investigation ie made, it will probably be ascer tained that there has been a ring of thieves working on the Cuban revc nues, but that is just what the ad ministration doesn't wish to be ascer? tained Senator Teller arraigned the offi? cers of the ordnance bureau of the navy department for incompetency and ignorance, during the discussion of the armor clause of the naval ap propriation biil, and the arraignment was indorsed by Senator Allison Mr Teller said the ignorance display? ed by officers of that board, when they appeared before congressional committees for the purpose of giving information, had been sometimes absolutely pitiful, and that be could get more information out of a private citizen in ten minutes than he bad ever been able to get out of one of these officers in an hour ; also thal, there were engineers in civil life who could make infinitely better guns than any officer on the ordnance board, but that the board would not listen io them Adjutant General Hart, of Dela ware, wbo is iu Washington on busi nriss said of the political outlook in his state: "We will elect every state officer from governor down, and a legislature that will choose two dem? ocratic U S Senators The repub? licans are in a hopeless state of dis organization, and are beaten from the start If the rest of the country will do as well as Delaware in November, there won't be much left of the g. o p." Although the administration suc? ceeded in preventing any preliminary report being made by the Isthmian Commission, tbe members of that commission have giveu their person? al opinion of the investigation to tbe Senate Interoceanic Canal Commit i tee, and those opinions are all one way-in favor of the Nicaragua route. This makes it evident that the posi? tion taken by Boss Hanna, that the Senate should not act upon the Nica ragua canal bili until the report of the Canal Commission is merely for de? lay Another proof was given by Ilauna insisting that the committee should giant hearings to tbe officers and dnectors of the new Panama Canal Company. Why] should these men be heard when this government Oas sent, at great expense an official commission of expert engineers to inv?ngate, and that commission has erivon its views to the committee ? There is political dynamite enough in this question to blow the McKin j ley administration and the repub?i j can majority in the House out of existence, and if Boss Hanna suc? ceeds in preventing the passage by the senate, at this session ot the Nica r^gua Canal Bili, the explosion will certainly take piace next November It is now pietty weil known why I Gov Teddy Roosevelt paid that ex . tended visit to Washington. Ile had j double of the sincerity of the Flatt machine, and he wished to have the administration make it plain to Platt that he must be renominated for ! governor of New York, and inci j dentally, hy paying him special at? tention, to help him convince some ol the New YorkeiS whose confi? de!, ce and esteem he had lost, that j he was a high muck a muck in the : councils o? the administration As tar as Plait was concerned his visit was a success, and Mr. McKinley has Platt s pi omise that Teddy shall be renominated ; but it will not be seen until the votes ate counted whether the visit rehabilitated Teddy in the esteem of the kicking New Yorkers ; Bi?e ball gooda at H. G Usteen & Co'g. j Tetter, S?!i-Rheum and Eczema. Tbe intense itching and smarting incident to these diseases, is instant!/ allayed by applying Chamberlain's Eye and Skin Ointment. Many very bad cases have been permanetly cured by it. It is equally efficient for itching piles and a favorite remedy for sore nipples, chapped hands, chilblains, frost bites and chronic sore eyes. 25cts per box. For ?sale by Dr A. J. China. Dec 30-o Dr. Cady'B Condition Powders / are just what a horse needs when in bad con dttion. Tonic, blood purifier and vermifage. They are not food but medicine, and tne bes; to use to put a horse in prime condition. Price 25 cents per package. For sale by Dr A. J China. Dec 30-o The C. N & L R R will ron a special train from Colombia to Little Mountain on May 28th to accommo? date those who wish to witness the eclipse That place is in the direct line of eclipse. The town of McBee, Chesterfield county, on the line of the Seaboard Air Line, was established on Satur? day More than a thousand persons were present. It is proposed to make McBee a great winter tourist resort. The fashionable practice of writing letters from the first to the third pages of a ietter sheet and then going back to the secood page, it ia noted, cannot be followed safely io writing legal papers, as the New York courts have jost disallowed the provisions of a will written in this way "The testator wrote the will on three sides of a folded paper, commencing oo the first page and continuing oo the third page, at the top of which was written 'second page,' and completing and signing the instrument on a page marked 'third page/ which in fact was the second page of the sheet The court held that the will was not signed at the physical end as required by the statute The law does not contem? plate going backwark in order to get forward, and the .will was refased probate. The New York court of appeals sustains the decision throw? ing out this form of will -Newa and Courier. \ Every \ t Month t F there are thousands of wo- ? f men who nearly suffer death f ? from irregular menses. Some- ? \ times the 4. period" comes too \ F often - sometimes not often f ? enough-sometimes the flow is ^ ? too scant, and again it is too ? J profuse. Each symptom shows \ y that Nature needs help, and ? y that there is trouble in the or- f ? gans concerned. Be careful A \ when in any of the above con- \ F ditions. Don't take any and F ? every nostrum advertised to f p cure female troubles. ? \ BRADFIELD^ \ 2 FEMALE REGULATOR ? ^ is the one safe and sure ? ? medicine for irregular or pain- A f ful menstruation. It cures all \ V the ailments that are caused by f ? irregularity, such as leucor- ? A rhcea, falling of the womb, \ f nervousness ; pains in the head, \ v back, breasts, shoulders, sides, r ? hips and limbs. By regulating ^ A the menses so that they occur A ' every twenty-eighth day, all \ f those aches disappear together. F ?Just before your time comes, f get a bottle and see how much A w good it will do you. Druggists ^ f sell it at $i. f 7 Send ior our free book. ** Perfect ?* ?Health for Women." ? THE BRADFIELD REGULATOR CO. f ATLANTA, GA. f I Three Papers a Week I I POR ABOUT T*1E I I PR5CE OF OAi?. % ?5 Se? if This paper and the Atenta ? .I Twicca'Week Journal br ? i $2.00. % 5 ? I Here you get t he news of % ? the world and all your local ? % news while it is fresh, paying | J verv little more than one | 3 paper costs. Either paper is | I well worth >fe.00. but byspe- f 1 cial arrangement we ure en- | I abled to put in both of thom, | il giving three papers a week e I for t?i is low price. You can- | % not equal this anywhere else, | 1 and this combinat ion is the g. % best premium for those who ? 9 want a great paper and a | a home paper. Take those and f ? you will keep up with the f J times. I I Besides general news, the ? I Twice-a-Week .iou.mal has f ?3 much agricultural matter ? S and other articles of special ? if interest to farmers, lt has ? \ regular contributions by Sam | ? Jones. Mrs. W. II. Fe i ton, f I John Temple Graves, Hon. | ? G. FI. Jordan and other dis- | a tinguished writers. f ja Call at this office and leave your % % subscriptions for both pipers. You c % cat. get a sample copy of cither pa- *T ? per herc en application. g. ? ^