Grady County GaArchives Obituaries.....Seward, Sam October 24, 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Janet Sumner http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002510 March 1, 2005, 4:49 pm The Cairo Messenger, Friday, October 29, 1920 Negro Killed In Shooting Affray As a result of an early Sunday morning row, on the farm of Mr. Cuy Harrell in the north western portion of the county, Sam Seward is dead and John Reed and Douglas Reed are suffering from gun shot wounds. All participants in the fracas were negroes, and it is said some of them, if not all, had been drinking more or less. The shooting, in which more than half a dozen participated, occurred just before day, at the home of John Reed. There were more than seven negro men, beside two women at the house when the trouble started, and which resulted in the death of Seward. From the best of information, the boys had been having a "social" party. Seward indulging in a little too much "shine" got a little rowdy and, to avoid any trouble, John Reed went after Oscar Mobley to bring his car and carry Seward home. Reed paying the car fare. Mr. Mobley carried Seward home in his car, but the negro decided that he should return back to the Reed home, telling Mr. Mobley that he intended to kill the whole bunch or get killed. When he heard this, Mr. Mobley stopped his car and put the negro out, about a half mile from the Reed home, he going on and informing the Reed boys of Seward's assertions. Seward followed on behind the car and when he got to his destination called Clayton Reed out and proceeded to beat him up. In the meantime, Douglas Reed, hearing the racket, went to his brother's assistance, but was shot down by Seward. Hearing the shots and knowing that Seward intended to carry out his threats, Self, John and Clayton Reed all ran from the house to help their brother and during the shooting that followed, John Reed was shot through the foot while Seward received seven wounds. At the commitment hearing before Judge Dekle Tuesday morning, Self and Clayton Reed were turned loose. They were charged with the killing of Seward. On the witness stand, Self Reed stated that he shot Seward twice in defense of his own as well as the life of his brother, while John Reed swore that the wound was caused by a pistol ball in the hands of someone other than Seward. After Seward had been shot down, the two wounded negroes then went to see about Seward and found him in a dying condition, he dying 30 minutes later. Douglas Reed, who was shot by the dead negro, has a load of buck shot in his left thigh, while John Reed is shot through the right foot and leg. Just what caused Seward to go on his rampage, it is not known, but it is thought that he was under the impression that the other negroes had stolen his whiskey, which he had hid in an out house and could not find. He was said to have been a bad negro while the others are law abiding. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/grady/obits/s/ob6626seward.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.4 Kb