In the rural town of Fairplay, Oconee County, South Carolina, a tense standoff between two groups of men ended in bloodshed on Monday night, December 21, 1914. The clash was sparked by a reported barn burning near Knoxs Bridge on Saturday afternoon, with suspicions pointing to a local black man. According to sources, Magistrate W.C. McClure, along with Woodrow Campbell, John McDonald, and Paul Marratt, visited the suspected arsonist’s residence, accused him of the crime, and proceeded to administer a severe whipping at the site of the burned barn. The group’s actions were said to have ignited the fury of a party of black men, who retaliated in a hail of gunfire, leaving two of their own, Allen Green and Green Gibson, dead. Four white men were also wounded in the exchange: Magistrate McClure suffered a gunshot wound to the wrist, John McDonald was shot in the eye, Woodrow Campbell received a hand wound, and Paul Marratt was struck by multiple gunshots. The incident has left the community reeling, with many questioning the motives and actions of those involved in the vigilante justice. As investigators piece together the events surrounding the barn burning and the subsequent confrontation, one thing is clear: the night of December 21, 1914, will be etched in the memories of Fairplay’s residents for years to come.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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