Schley County GaArchives News.....Spencer C. Eason Murdered January 13, 1911 ************************************************ 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: Harris Hill http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002514 December 3, 2005, 1:19 am The Schley County News January 13, 1911 The Schley County News Friday, January 13th, 1911 MR. S.C. EASON MURDERED. HIS SLAYERS CAPTURED. Supposed to Have Been One of the Foulest Murders Occurring in Schley County in Many Years. Our city was thrown into wildest excitement on last Monday night, the 2nd, when it was generally announced that Mr. S.C. Eason, a highly respected citizen of our county, had met with foul play in the negro section of the city. The facts of the incident, as developed later were practically as follows: Mr. Eason had been in Ellaville in the afternoon attending to some business, and was returning to his home out beyond the negro section. On his way he stopped at a negro store, operated by a negro by the name of Dawson Jordan, quite a number of negroes being on hand. Shortly after his arrival there, it would seem, that a conspiracy was formed among the negro aggregation, and the said Jordan landed upon Mr. Eason witrh a weapon of some kind beating him unmercifully over the head, at which time he was also shot at twice by a negro by the name of Cjarles Pickett, Jordan also shooting at him after he had fallen to the floor in an unconscious condition. It was also shown that a negro by the name of Murray Burton was ever present throughout the whole affair, aiding and abetting in the dastardly crime. After Mr. eason had been almost finished, Jordan, in company with his "pal," Burton, stood over the body of Mr. Eason with a pistol in his hand until the city marshal arrived, who he had sent for. When the marshal arrived the negroes stated that there was nothing the matter with Mr. Eason, that he was only trying to play "possum." The marshal seeing no signs of any wounds, and as Mr. Eason wouldn't talk, took the negroes at their word, and started to the lock-up with him, but later investigations proved that he had been shot in the back, through the kidneys, also having several dangerous wounds on the head. Mr. Eason was then carried to the home of his brother here, where he was given every medical aid possible, but death came the following night at 9 o'clock. Jordan was immediately arrested so soon as it was ascertained that Mr. Eason was shot When arrested, he plead surprise. He was placed in jail here and kept until the following afternoon, then he was sent to Columbus for safe keeping, some fear being ascertained that trouble might ensue. Warrants were sworn out for quite a number of negroes, and they were held in jail until Coroner Teel had finished his inquest, which was for three days duration. After hearing much evidence, the jury retired and returned a verdict reading that: "The deceased had come to his death at the hands of Dawson Jordan, chas. Pickett and Murray Burton, the same being unjustifiable homicode." The prosecution was looked after by Col. J.H. Cheney, while the defendants were represented by Col. C.R. McCrory, of this place, and Col. J.E. Shephard, of Americus. All three of the negroes implicated are safely in jail. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley/newspapers/spencerc112nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb