Murdered at Bellamy: Young Woman Killed by Two Negro Burglars

One of the most dastardly murders which has ever occurred in Sumter County was committed Sunday night at midnight at Bellamy, a sawmill town about ten miles east from York on the southern Railway, when two negroes, Robert Gully and Simon Holly entered the room of Mr. and Mrs. Pate Gray, blew out the brains of Mrs. Gray.

One of the negroes, Robert Gully, had his head split open by an axe wielded by Mr. Gray, while the other negro, Simon Holly, was later taken out by an orderly mob and riddled with bullets.

It seems that about a month ago a Mr. W. L. Pruitt and Mr. Ed Rew had their pocketbooks stolen from them, each pocketbook containing about $25 and $40, respectively. The negroes who figured in the crime of Sunday night were suspected and after that they were watched. They were considered desperate characters which was proved by last night’s bloody work. Incidentally, the two missing pocketbooks were found on their persons.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray were asleep about midnight when Mrs. Gray screamed that someone was in the room and before Mr. Gray could be awakened one of the negroes, Robert Gully, fired at Mrs. Gray completely shooting her brains out and killing her instantly.

Mr. Gray, who had not been awakened by her scream, jumped up at the sound of the pistol and grappled with the negro Robert Gully, the other negro, Simon Holly, running after the shot was fired, and in the tussle they rolled out of the open door into the yard, where Mr. Gray secured an axe and split the negro’s head wide open, he dying immediately.

The shooting aroused the entire little town and a mob of 25 or 30 whites immediately went in search of the other suspected negro, Simon Holly, and after a few hours chase located him. He was very sullen and would give no information, and the mob after giving him a chance to clear himself, which he would or could not do, they very coolly took him out in an open space and completely filled his body with bullets.

In the scuffle with Gully, the other negro, Mr. Gray was shot in the hand and leg, neither of which wounds will prove fatal, but are very painful.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray were a very popular young married couple of six months, and Mr. Gray stands very high with his employers, the Allison Lumber Company of Bellamy, as he has been a lumber grader for that company for six years.

Mrs. Gray was a Miss Maggie Heat of Hollins, where her remains will be taken this afternoon for interment.

Excitement is still high at this little mill town, and it cannot be said yet what will be the final results. This place is accessible by a telephone, which is being used to get the details as they happen and a message is looked for at any time stating that some more negroes have met the fate of the other two.