Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE BAMBERG KILLING. Granted to Kev. W. ?. Johnson. n E AMOUNT IS $2.000. Affidavit. Which Differ Very Much-Rev. Mr. Johison's Tastlmony. Columbia, May 11.?The killing of Court Stenographer Bellinger by the Rev. W. E. Johnson, at Bamberg, eame up here this morning. Coun * sei for the Rev. Mr. Johnson made application for bail, w.hich was to? day granted by Asaociate Justice Pope. The motion for ball was made ?nd argued by Messrs. D. S. Hender? son and Robert Aldrloh for the de? fendant, #nd Mr. H. L. O'Bannon Appeared for the State. The hearing was had quite early ibia morning. It waa 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 sffldavits for Ibe 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 ehapter of the unfortunate killing and open up to aome extent, the versions of the affray, about which the teatimony appears to be decidedly .conflicting. RK V. MR. JOHNSON'S 8TATF MMNT. The defendant In the case makea a Mailed statement and here is what he aaya: Btate of South Carolina, Bamberg County?The State va. Wm. E. Johnson. In the General Sessions. Before me personally appeared William K.Johnion, who, being duly ?worn, deposes and says: Tbat be I?86 yaar.4 old, and hss been ordain ed minister of the Baptiat Church for eleven years past, and for the past ihres years haa been In charge of the Bamberg Baptist Church, at Bam? berg, In the said State. That the pas? toral residence, or parsonags 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 U. Bellinger, immediately ad Joining each other and aeparated only bjradlvidlngfet.ee. That deponent moved to hla aaid residence in Oc? tober or November, 1898, ai d up to the month of June, 18U0, the relations between the two families were pence able. That in .the month of June, 1809. deponent was called on profes? sionally to perfotm the marriage ceremony between / Mr. Joseph K. Brown and Mlas 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, ofteti abusing him to his face and in the hearing of hla wife and children in she moat extreme manner, and show Jog this hostility towards him by many of thoss irritating, unneigh borly ways which sre so easy to do and so hard to bear. Deponent bore it ail with that fortitude and resigna? tion which hia calling required. That the manner in which he was treated by this family became a matter of public notoriety, and he waa assured by many that he ought to take steps to have it stopped, as It waa lessening his Influence for the sjood of the community. That about a*, weeks ago a young mun of the town of Bamberg, in sympathy with the Hetlinger?' without the slightest estiae. rudely accosted deponent in one of the public streets, called him a liar antl struck him in the face, forcing him to tiefend himself. PAINTINO Til K DIVISION FKXCK. That about two weeks ago a color? ed painter by the name of Walker, who wu* painting Mr. Bellinger's house and fence, cams to deponent's house and asked h>ave to come into deponent's yard to paint the division lei between the two lots. Depon? ent consented, provided he would paint the bottom board of the fence aa well as the balance. This he ?remised to do, hut did not do; de? ponent nailed his attention to it from time to time, each time receiving n promise that he would paint the ?nid board before he le't. but he never did do it. About u week ago the said painter returned to put on a second coat, and deponent informed him tbat he must do the work in accord? ance with the agreement, oi it could not be done nt all. He promised to do it. but did noti and deponent St | Ing that lie did Mit h.tend to do it, deponent ordered him to leave the yard. On Thursday. the M inst., the man Walker was in the yard painting, and ths deceased, William T. Bel linger, was sitting on the fence ut ths Intersection of the division fence and ths fron? fep??. on the street: 1 deponent ordered Walker to get out of his yard. He hesitated, looking first at the deceased and then at de? ponent. Bellinger ordered the man to paint on, and deponent insisted on nia going out and he started to i;o and Bellinger ordered him to paint on, and the painter would act as if he intended to obey, when deponent peremptorily ordered him out and he went. rellinuer had a pistol. Mr. W. T. Bellinger then said that the fence would be painted, and cursed deponent a d? long-lipped ? of a ?, and much more of the same abuse, repeating that he would soe that the fence was painted ; deponent Anally said he could not come into the road and talk to deponent that way, when deceased jumped oil the fence'to his father's gate, came out and stood by the post with a drawn pistol in his hand. Deponent had not noticed before that he had a pis? tol, and said: MYou are armed, eh?" and turned and walked back into the house. Nothing more passed that day. The next day deponent came out of his gate to go to the postoffice, when he met Mr. Joe Brown in his buggy, who asked him to take a seat with him, and they drove down-town. Mr. Brown told deponent that he had heard of* the difficulty of the day before and that he had heard of the threats made by the deceased against deponent and warned him to protect himself. Mr. Brown got out of the buggy at Jones's stable and told de? ponent to drive around to the post office, and to hitch the horse there, in the rear of the postoffice, which deponent did. Deponent got his mail and returned home. While at the postoffice deponent was warned to look out for Mr. Bellinger?that he had made threats to kill him. On deponent's return home he saw Mr. Joe Brown coming towards his home in his buggy, and deponent started out to meet him, and seeing Mr. W. T. Bellinger across the street, he picked Up a gun, which a friend had put into his possession the day before, telling him to use it to pro? tect himself with, and that he would need it to protect his life, and took it out with him holding it in his hands. the fatal affray. Mr. Bellinger came walking to? wards his father's house, while de? ponent was walking by the buggy with his hands upon the shafts, the horse being restless, moving forward a step at a time. Mr. Brown pulling him back and endeavoring to restrain bim, which drew deponent and de? ceased nearer together, when sud? denly Mr. Brown pulled his horse back, and backing some feet left de? ponent atid Mr. Bellinger in plain view of each other, immediately when, without a word from each other, Mr. Bellinger raised his pistol and fired on deponent, at a distance of ten or fifteen steps. In quick suc? cession ho fired a second time, and as lie was in the act of firing the third .time deponent fired the gun one time and deponent raised his gun to fire again, but seeing that deceas? ed had desisted from tiring he shot no more. Thejdeponent regrets more than he can tell the necessity which he was under to shoot the deceased, and would only huve done so in de? fence of his life. W. E. Johnson. Sworn to before me this 6th day of May, A. D. 1900. Robert Aldrich, I Notary Public, South Carolina. the counts affidavit. The next affidavit is that of dpt. Counts: Before me personally appealed Thomas J. Counts, who, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he it 72 years old, that he has been a member of the Baptist Church for forty-live years; that he represented the county of Barnwell in the State Senate from 1877 to 1880, and is at tile present time Master in Kquity for Bambeig County. That he re? sides in the town of Bamberg and is well acquainted with the people of the community. That for months past it lias been a matter of public notoriety that Mr. John It. Bellinger and his family have sustained a hostile, abusive and threatening at? titude towards the Bov, Mr. W. K. Johnson, so much so that the said Mr. Johnson has been repeatedly warned to ho on his guard in refer? ence thereto. That throughout it all he has home himself in a patient, dignified and gentlemanly nuinner. as became a Christian minister. t'le IK ? Y M A N of Til I ii IG ii EST STA NU mo, That the said W. K. Johnson is a clergyman of the Baptist Church, of the highest standing, and commands the confidence and respect of all who know him, and in his present troubles has the sympathy of his Church and people, who consider that he is entirely justified in what he did and that he was forced to lire upon the deceased to save his own life. OOftOUM WITH OA PT, COUNTS, Then follows this Affidavit! Before mo personally appotred M. A. Moye, S. H, Sutindeis, J.JB, Klkin K. C. Hunter, who, being duly sworn, depose and say, and each of them aays, thut he has heard reud the fore? going atllduvitof Cupt. T. J. Counts, and they concur fully in what ho says in reference to the Jiev. W. K. Johnson and adopts the same as their affidavit as fully und to the same effect and intent as if it were again repeated here. MAJOR HAVELOCK KAVKS. The showing for the prosecution started out with the report of the evidence at the coroner's inquest. The first affidavit is that of Major Havelock Eaves, who suys that last Friday morning, while the morning mail (about 10 o'clock) from Charles? ton was being distributed, the de? ponent was in the lobby ef the pott* office talking with W. T. Bellinger about the merits of a typewriter. While they were talking Mr. Joe Brown walked in the lobby; the de? ponent spoke to him. He was on one side of the deponent, Mr. Bellinger on the other; Mr. Johnson was there also several minutes after, when de? ponent was leaving. Deponent does not know whether Mr. Bellinger had loft before deponent saw Mr. John? son or not. MISS HAMI1EKG AN EYE-WITNESS. The next affidavit is that of Miss Lulie Bamberg, a student attending the Carlisle Fitting School, and a daughter of Gen. F. M. Bamberg, who said that last Friday morning about half-past 10 o'clock, she was on the front piazza of the girls' boarding hall of the fitting school, facing on the campus; saw Mr. Joe Brown drive up the btreet from to? ward Railroad avenue, turn the cor? ner and stop I is b.j^gy in front of Mr. Johnson's gate. In a few min? utes Mr. Johnson came out of the house toward the buggy with a gun in his hand; the impression made on the deponent was that he was going hunting. The deponent then saw Mr. Willie Bellinger in the path leadingdiagonally across the path to his father's house. He had a paper In his hand. Mr. Johnson did not stop at the buggy, but walked rapid? ly across the road that runs in front of his house to the telegraph pole in front of Mr. Bellinger's lot, and as Mr. Bellinger turned into the short path leading to his house, the de? ponent, fearing something would happen from the manner in which Mr. Johnson was carrying the gun in his hand toward Mr. Bellinger, went to the hall door to go into the piazza, when she heard a loud report as of a gun, followed by several pistol shots, and, looking back saw Mr. Bellinger falling, with his pistol in his hand shooting. The loudest report was the first. Miss Verbena Brabham was with me on the piazza at the time. I could not tell whether the first loud report was one gunshot or two simultaneously. It was us two barrels discharged almost altogether. After Mr. Johnson shot and Mr. Bel? linger fell Mr. Joe Brown drove up by Mr. Bellinger, looked at him and drove off. MISS VERBENA T1KABHAM. Miss Verbena Brabham, daugh? ter of Dr. It. C. Brabham, of Haw? thorne, another student, said: That last Friday morning she was on tho front piazza of the hall (up stairs) with Miss Lulie Bamberg, a little ufter 10 (half after,) when she saw Mr. Brown drive up and stop in front ot Mr. Johnson's front door. Mr. Johnson walked out in a hurry with his gun, and from where I was standing, on the erd of the piazza, I had a side view of him, and tie went near the telegraph post. It did not seem to be exactly behind it from where I was. He was carrying the gun in his hands and raised it in a hurry; stopped a second and shot. Mr. Bellinger hud his paper in his hand, and I saw him pull his pistol as he was falling and shoot twice, 1 think. I am sure Mr. Johnson shot him down before he drew his pistol. I did not leave the piazza untill after a crowd got there. When Mr. John? son came out of his yard, lie did not touch the buggy, but went by it in a hurry. OTB ER AVKI DAVITS. Nathaniel M. Salley, James h. Cleckley, L, (). Hiera and F. Bldon Dibble make affidavits on the same line as those preceding. Aaron Rlos in hll affidavit says: That on Thursday last deponent heard of the affair about the paint? ing of the fence between Mr. Johnson and Mr. W. T. Bellinger and the next morning saw Mr. Bellinger in the poatofflce, After he got the 10 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, und he replied that it was all over so far as ho was concerned. Mr. Bellinger then said ho did not feel well and walked off saying ho was going home. It was about 10 o'clock." James Grant saiti: That he Is be? tween 14 and 16 years of uge, a native of Charleston, und moved to Ham? berg about the first of last November? Thai last Thursday afternoon he was asked by a tall white man, unknown to him, who was standing by the artesian well, to go to the hardware store and get him a box of loaded buckshot shells and gave him fifty OontS to buy them and five cents to get some 88-calibre, oentre*flre pis? tol cartridges. 1 went into Mr. Broker's store, and told the clerk what I wanted. He gave me sonic buckshot loose and some pistol car? tridges as requested. I went and gave them to the mun who asked me to get them. He sent me buck the second time to get some loaded shell* for tiie gun; this time I got some loaded shells and returned the loose buckshot. The salesman who waited on me was Mr. Hooten Fel? der. The man told me to tell Mr. Felder, a man at Mr. Count's store wanted them. I don't know who the man talking to me was. MR. PRICE'S TESTIMONY. Mr. Price testified: That last Friday morning a little after 10 he was in the buck yard in the rear of Messrs. Rice, Brad ham & Byrd's stores, about four hundred yards from the house of Mr.JJohn R. Bel? linger, on the Fitting School campus, quietly engaged, when he was start? led by hearing a loud report of a gun, tollowed by three er four pistol shots, in the diraction of the Carlisle Fitting School; that deponent was for four or five years marshal of the town of Bamberg, and accustomed to hunting and the use of firearms, so as to be familiar with such sounds. Deponent walked out toward the stores and called for Mr. Brooker, and met him, telling him what he had heard; as he had also heard of a difficulty the previous day between the Rev. Mr. Johnson and young Mr. Bellinger; that deponent had heard Mr. Johnson's affidavit read, in which he refers to a personal difficulty on the streets with a young man of the town of Bamberg in sym? pathy with the Bellingers. Depon? ent thinks he may be the man re? ferred to, but the difficulty referred to had nothing to do with an> quar? rel between Mr. Johnson ai the Bellingers, but was a purely pei on al matter, and deponent was ot particularly interest in Mr. Behinj. ? and he had nothing to do with it. THE SISTER OF THE DECEASED. State of South Carolina, Bamberg county: Personally appeared Lillian C. Bellinger, who, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That on last Thursday morning she was present and sitting on the front, piazza of her father's house, while Robert Walk? er, the colored painter, was engaged in painting the fence in the front yard, between her father'6 yard and that of the Baptist parsonage, he being in the yard of the parsonage painting on that side. That she took a seat on the piazza about half past 11; a few m>nutes after she took her seat her brother, Wm. T. Bel? linger, came ou'; of the house and took Ids seat on the corner post of the fence. He was in his shirt sleeves and had his pistol in Iiis hack trousers pocket, parti;, sticking out, and sat there watching the painter. Clarence Move passed on a bicycle on the opposite side of the street from her brother, looking at him as he passed, and went into the parsonage back gate. In about five minutes Mr. Johnson and Clarence Moye came out on the plasia and Mr. Johnson ordered Walker to leave, saying: "Get out my yard, Walker; get out of my yard." Walk? er turned to leave. My brother told him to come back and paint the fence. Mr. Johnson told him again to got out of tho yard, and my broth? er told him again to come back. Then Mr. Johnson told Walker to get out of the yard, and that if he did not he would put the fullest ex? tent of the law on him. Walker hud gotten near the gate when my brother Willie said: "Walker, are you going to paint the fence?" Wulker replied that he was afraid. Willie 6aid: "What are you afraid of? That long-legged son-of-a-gun ?" Mr. Johnson told Walker to get out of the yard and let Bellinger paint the fence if he wants to. Then-my brother told Mr. Johnson that he was a thief and he knew it; that he had stolen land from us; that he had gone in the night and taken the stakes from the fence and dug the dirt away. Willie cursed Mr. Johnson, after telling him to shut up. Mr. Johnson told him that he would not come out in the street and curse him. Willie got off of the post and walked into the street, with his pistol In Ins hand, and repeated what he had said. Mr. Johnson walked down steps as my brother went out Into the street, and also stepped into the street two or three steps. Neither said any more. Soon I saw Mr. Johnson turn towards his house, Mr. Clar? ence Moye was standing where he had left 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 for Mr. Johnson to come hack out. Next morning at 10 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 with Mr. Joe Brown, The deponent and her mother went down-town, after cut? ting roses, Lillian *C. Belli noru. ??~^*mmw* ???? ?? Woflbtd Blake, b white man, was committed to tbe ^parlanbtug jail Thursday for abducting and marrying s 13 year old girl. Carpet Bag Thievery. Carnival of Corruption in Cuban Post Officers. Washington, May 14 ?The ad ministration programme of hushing up the scandal connected with the embezzlement of a large sum of money from tbe Cuban postal receipts by C. F. W, Neeley, who has been chief financial agent of the Cuban postal system, and others, will be combated by tbe democrats in con? gress, who regard tbe present as an excellent time for a thorough investi gat ion 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 bis resolution instructing tbe senate committee on relations with Cuba to investigate receipts from all sources since tbe occupstion of Cuba by out troops, and expenditures for all pur poses during tbat period, and report to tbe penate at tbe earliest possible date. Of bis resolution, Senator Bacon said : "My purpose is to have a thorough investigation of tbe mon eys which have been received and disbursed in Cuba. We know tbat there has been some improper dis? bursements In view of tbat fact, it is our duty to thoroughly sift the whole matter Our only excuse for being in in Cuba is our desire to govern tbe island for tbe benefit of tbe Cubans, and we ought to see whether we are doiog our duty to? ward those people.7' 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 tbe stealing If a proper investigation is made, it will probably be ascer ined that there has been a ring of thieves working on tbe Cuban reve nues, but that is just what the ad ministration doesn't wish to be ascer* tained Senator Teller arraigned the offi- I cers of the ordnance bureau of the navy department for incompetency and ignorance, during the discussion of the armor clause of the naval up 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 had ever been able to get out of one of these officers in an hour ; also that there were engineers in civil life who could make infinitely better guns than any officer on tbe ordnance board, but that the board would not listen to them Adjutant General Hart, of Dela ware, who is in Washington on busi ness said of tbe 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 tbe start If the rest of the country will do as well as Delaware in November, there won't be much left of tbe g. o p." Although tbe administration sue ceeded in preventing any preliminary report being made by tbe Isthmian Commission, tbe members of tbat commission have given their person? al opinion of the investigation to the Senate Interoceaoio Canal Commit tee, and those opinions are ail one way?in favor of the Nicaragua route Thia makes it evident tbat tbe posi? tion lakeu by Boss Hanna, that the Senate should not act upon the Nica ragua canal bili until tbe report ot the Canal Commissi0?? i? merely for de lay Another proof was given by Hanna insisting that the committee should grant hearings to the officers and directors of the new Panama Canal Company. Why) should these men be heard when this government tias sent, at great expense an official commission of expert engineers to investigate, and that commission has given its views to the committee ? There is political dynamite enough in this question to blow the Mels.in ley administration and the rcpubli can majority in tbe House out of existence, and if Boss Hanna suc? ceeds in preventing the passage by the senate, at this session of the Nica ragua Canal Bill, the explosion will certainly take place next November It is now ptetty well known why (iov Teddy Roosevelt paid tbat ex tended visit to Washington. He had doubts of the sincerity of the Plait machine, ssd he wished to have the administration make it plain to Platt that he must be renomiuated for governor ol New York, and inci dentally, by paying him special at? tention, to help hi in convince some ol the New Yorkeis whose conti donee and esteem be hud lost, that he was a high muck a muck in the councils of the administration As far as Plait was concerned his visit ; was u success, and Mr McKinley has Platt s promise that Teddy Shall be I rcQOtnilisted ; but it will not be seen j until the votes ate counted whether the visit rehabilitated Teddy in the esteem of the kicking New Yorkers -pMHSflS* ? SSM Hue ball goods at H. G Uateeo k Co's. Tetter, Sall-Rheam and Ecieni. Tbe intense itching and smarting incident to theso diseases, is instantly allayed by applying Chamberlain's Eye and Skin Ointment. Many ?ery bad oases bave been permanetly cured by it. It ia equally efficient for itching piles and a favorite remedy for sore nipples, chapped bands, chilblains, frost bites and chronic sore eyes. 25cts per box. For .sale by Dr A. J. , China. Dec 30? c Dr. Cady'a Condition Powder* / are just what a horse needs when in bad con dition. Tonic, blood purifier and vermifuge They are not food but medicine, and tbe beat to use to put a horse in prime condition. Prica 25 cents per package. For sale by Dr A, J China. Dec 30?o The C N & L R R will run a special train from Columbia to Little Mountain on May 28th to accommo? date those who wish to witness the eclipse That place is in the diiect line of eclipse The town of McBee, Chester?eld county, on the line of ihe Seaboard Air Line, was established on Satur? day More than a thousand persons were present. It is proposed to make McBce a great winter tourist resort. The fashionable practice of writing letters from tbe first to the third pages of a letier sheet sod then going back to tbe second page, it is noted, cannot be followed safely in writing legal papers, as the New York courts have just disallowed the provisions of a will written in this way "Tbe testator wrote tbe will on three sides of a folded paper, commencing on the first page and continuing on the third page, at tbe top of which was written 'second page,' snd completing sod signing the instrument on s page marked 'third page/ which in fact waa tbe second psge of the sheet Tbe court held that the will wss not signed at tbe physical end ae required by the statute The law does not contem? plate going backwark in order to get forward, snd tbe will waa refased probate The New York court of appeals sustains tbe decision throw? ing out this form of will "?News and Courier. {Every S Month $ f there are thousands of wo- r f men who nearly suffer death f A from irregular menses. 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