The Charleston Daily News

CORONER'S INQUEST.—Further testimony in the case of the murder of RICHARD BRANFORD:

G. F. Ahrens, sworn—Last Sunday night, between 7 and 8 o'clock, while standing in my piazza in Tradd street, near King, saw deceased walking on the pavement on the north side of said street. There was a large crowd of freedmen standing at the corner of King and Tradd streets at that moment. Scipio Fraser and John Jenkins were together, and Scipio Fraser said: "Kill the d—d son of a b—h," and then threw a rock at deceased, which hit him on the head. The deceased then ran off, and Fraser followed and knocked him down with a brick, and then Jenkins struck the deceased in the head with a brick. The crowd then came up and battered the deceased on the head with bricks. The crowd consisted of about twenty colored men and boys. The deceased was walking along quietly, and had not spoken to any person whatever. At the time the crowd came, the blood was running profusely from his head. The prisoner before the jury is John Jenkins, whom the witness recognizes as the person who struck the deceased after Fraser had struck him. Scipio Fraser then came into witness' yard, and drew a knife and said that he was the one who had killed the d—d rebel, and that he would kill another. He said he had killed many a one in the army.

Charles Rober, sworn: On Sunday night, about 8 o'clock, I heard a noise in the street in front of my house, No. 78 Tradd street. Witness and a lady went up stairs and looked out of a window and saw a white man running towards Orange street, and a crowd of persons pelting him with bricks, and saw him fall on the ground, where he lay for about 10 minutes, when two persons carried him home. They took him towards the western end of Tradd street. He was bleeding freely.

Policeman Thos. Bill sworn: I was stationed on the South Bay Battery on Sunday evening last from 5 o'clock. Lieutenant Hendricks, riding his rounds, came to my post a few minutes after I got there and ordered me to drive off from the mound on the Battery some boys who were making a great noise, which order I was about to execute, but the boys resisted me. I saw a policeman who was off duty at the time and called for his assistance. We then drove the boys off by force. There was a colored man with one arm who said they could not do him so, and dared me and the other policeman to come down, and as we did so the one-armed negro struck Jackson (the other policeman). About ten minutes before 8 o'clock there was another disturbance, and John Jenkins headed a crowd of about one hundred freedmen and boys with brickbats. As witness came up Jenkins gave the command to halt, and the crowd obeyed Jenkins' order, and he said fire, which they did by throwing a shower of brickbats at witness and Sergeant Roach, also Private Hackett. The police were forced to retreat.

Policeman Hackett sworn: Has heard the evidence of Thomas Hill and confirms it in every particular, and is certain of the identity of the prisoner as leader of the riot.

Policeman Givens sworn: Sunday last, 6 P.M., was on duty in Meeting street, near the Battery, and saw a crowd of negroes collected. One of them, who drew a knife on the police, was arrested and carried to the Guard House.

Policeman Mangels sworn: Was on his way to the Guard House; saw a crowd of twenty or thirty colored men, headed by John Jenkins, conducting themselves in a riotous manner, and threatening to kill all the rebel d—d sons of b—s; Jenkins had a police club in his hand, which had been taken from Sergeant Roach in the riot on the Battery a few moments before; Jenkins said he had the d—d rebel son of a b—h's club, and that he had laid a d—d rebel white son of a b—h low, and that he would serve others the same way; witness arrested him day before yesterday.

Policeman Wm. O'Rilly, sworn: Was on duty corner of Tradd and King streets on Monday morning, between 7 and 8 o'clock. Was called on by Kate Kennedy and Sarah Brown (colored) to arrest Scipio, a colored man, who, on the night previous, had knocked down and seriously wounded Mr. Richard M. Branford. On arresting him, Scipio told witness that he had struck deceased but one blow. Next morning carried Scipio to the Provost Marshal, and stated the charges against Scipio and left him in the custody of the Provost Marshal. Shortly afterwards saw Scipio corner of King and Calhoun streets. Re-arrested him and took him to the Guard House. Scipio told deponent that the other man with him also struck deceased with a brick.

Mrs. Susannah Wilson sworn: Lives at No. 75 Tradd street; on Sunday evening last, about 8 o'clock, heard considerable noise in King street; went up stairs to look out of the window, and saw a crowd of colored men and boys turn into Tradd street, using very abusive language to police; saw no white person on Tradd street but deceased, who was walking along very quietly; when deceased got near Mr. Ahrens' house, on the opposite side of Tradd street, he was attacked by the crowd with brickbats, and so severely injured that he lay on the ground lifeless; deceased never spoke a word to any person whatever, before or after he was struck; a number of colored men and women came out of house next door and took part in the affair: witness ran across the street and assisted the deceased at the same time the crowd were throwing bricks; witness cannot identify any of them.

A. Habbernick sworn: About 6 P.M., Sunday last, saw the riot on the Battery, and identifies the prisoner as a prominent person in the riot.

Sarah Brown, colored, sworn: Was sitting on the steps of the door at Mr. Ahrens' house in Tradd street, about dark on Sunday last. Deceased was walking quietly along, when a crowd of colored men and boys were together. Scipio Fraser, colored, alias John Williams, struck deceased a blow on the head with a brick. Fraser, alias Williams, boasted of what he did that night. On Monday morning he repeated his boast, saying that he was first to strike deceased, and that if he got over it, he would do the same again.

Samuel Samson, sworn: About dark last Sunday, saw a white man coming from the corner of Orange street towards King street: when opposite Mr. Ahrens' the man encountered a riotous crowd of negroes, and ran through them, when he was assailed by brickbats and other missiles, which caused him to fall; could not identify any of the party, but is satisfied that they are to be found on Mr. Ahrens' premises, and the house known as No. 77 Tradd street—a disreputable house; further swears that Dappney Anderson was, with a stick in hand, inciting the riotous.