NOTE: This article from the Columbia Spy recounts the shooting of a Black little boy by a white boy. You'll notice how the Spy (a Republican Paper) editorailzes about evil influence of its Democratic rival, the Columbia Herald.

The Columbia Spy
Sept. 17, 1870

A SHOOTING AFFAIR AT WASHINGTON BOROUGH. -Last Saturday seems to have been a fatal day for the colored people. At Washington Borough a small colored boy named Wm. Hardeman was deliberately shot in the face with about 150 shots, because he was a "nigger". As no one saw the transaction except the boy Hardeman (and his little sister) we give his affidavit made before the Justice of the Peace, as follows:
William Hardeman, who is aged ten years and six months, deposed as follows: " was going out on the road from Washington to Benjamin Wertz. My little sister Elizabeth was with me. This was on Saturday, the 19th day of September, 1870, near noon. I met Uriah Wertz near the mulberry tree. I saw Mr. Shertzer, at twice the length of this house (40 or 60 feet) on the other side of the mulberry tree. Mr. Shertzer was going down the hill from the mulberry tree, towards Washington. Just as Mr. Shertzer was done the hill, William Cover was behind him, coming down the ill also. No one was with Cover; he was on one side of the road, and I was on the other; I was going out on the left and he was coming in on the right side; William Cover said, "There comes Bill Hardeman - I am going to shoot the d__d nigger; "he raised the gun and cocked it, and put it against his shoulder and fired; I had got a couple of steps ahead of Cover before he fired; I turned to see if my sister was coming, when he shot me; I was about twelve or thirteen steps across the road from him when he shot; Mr. Shertzer was a good little bit further away from Cover than Cover was from me, he shot me in the face and side of the head and shoulder; after Bill Cover shot me he said he "shot the boy;" as soon as he cracked the gun I fell; I could not se any more after that; I did not speak to him at all; I was both two or three steps from the fence; when I passed, him before he shot, I could not see him without turning around. I went for shad eggs, over a year ago, when I met Bill Cover; he put a rope around my neck and said he would hang me; my sister saw him and hollowed, when he let the rope fall on the ground and ran."
Attest: Samuel Evans, J. P.

Little Hardeman is an intelligent boy, and tells the story of the shooting in a plain straight forward manner; about 150 shots are in his face, his eye has lost it sight forever, and he may probably die under the terrible pain, he is now suffering.

The little sister, who is about seven years old, state "that she went out with her brother to the country on Saturday last, and was about three steps behind him when he was shot. She saw Bill Cover shoot her brother. He brought the gun alongside of this face when he shot. Before Cover shot he said, "I am going to shoot you," and then he did. Cover stood still after he shot, and said, "I shot that nigger," I was walking right where Bill was, behind him. I was right across from Cover when he shot. When Cover sot he was by himself. We were going up the hill and Bill Cover was coming down.

Bill Cover, the boy referred to is about 15 years of age. At the hearing before Esquire Evans a defense of accidental shooting was "set up," but the witness could not establish it. He is held in $2000 bail for his appearance, and Judge Long refuses to discharge him until the fate of the colored boy is known.

Here is another of the fruits of democratic teachings. Cover the father of Bill Cover is a reader of the Herald. Bill, the boy, is also a reader of its flaming and riot inciting locals. The boy naturally followed its teaching, and all know the result. He was only using the "cold lead" in a mild form, when the Herald for the past three months has been advising. "What's the use of having a law unless you have a h__l of a law," says Mr. Young the editor and model school director; and the little democrats, who read his vulgarity and profanity heed his instructions. If the Republicans of Columbia would do half as much to excite the negroes against the whites, as Mr. Young is doing to incite the Germans and Irish against the negroes, the streets of Columbia would run red with blood. If any citizens of Columbia were to issue flaming posters, inciting a war between the races; if he were to do half as much as the Herald to array the whites against the blacks, Council would take summary measures for his arrest, and arraignment. But Mr. Young does far more with perfect impunity - and is a member of the Borough School Board. it is no longer done for political capital only - it is downright villainy.