Chief Walter C. Holcombe
Deceased

Easley Police Chief Walter Holcombe was killed by Wade Ballew, a "hobo" who had gotten off a train coming through Easley from Atlanta, on March 7, 1921.

The shooting occurred on a small stream on the edge of town. A total of 30 shots were fired but only Chief Holcombe and Ballew were the only ones who shot. Nine of the bullets struck Ballew in various parts of his body. Chief Holcombe was shot point blank with a .38 caliber Colt Revolver; the bullet entered Holcombe slightly to the left side of his nose and entered his brain resulting in instant death.

Although Ballew was shot 9 times, he continued to fire at Rural Policeman Richard Chapman, John Leslie, a special policeman of Alice Mills, and George Cooper, a citizen, who volunteered to accompany the officers to the stream. Ballew and a friend from Oklahoma, Robert Wilson who had a .45 caliber Smith & Wesson, fled the scene and eluded capture for a few minutes before he and Wilson was arrested. Ballew was convicted on June 11, 1921 and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment.

Police Officer Woodrow Nalley
Deceased

Officer Nalley, 48 years old, was killed on Monday September 7, 1959 at about 11:20 pm; he had been an Easley Police Officer since September 24, 1953.

Officer Nalley and Officer Weldon Smith were patrolling on Liberty Drive in Easley when they saw Calvin Sweezey, 54 years old, driving a car. Officer Smith said it was known that Mr. Sweezey’s drivers license had been suspended; so, the officers stopped the Chevrolet he was driving. Officer Smith said that he and Officer Nalley both walked to Sweezey’s car and began to talk to him. Officer Smith quoted Mr. Sweezey as saying, " I just want to go to work."

Officer Nalley asked Mr. Sweezey if he wanted the officers to call city hall to see if a bondsman was still there, according to Officer Smith and Sweezey agreed. He said Nalley walked back to the patrol car, parked in front of Sweezey’s vehicle to place the call. Officer Smith said Nalley then walked back to Sweezey’s car, told him the bondsman was still city hall and said he would drive him there.

Officer Smith said as Officer Nalley started to open the door to get in he heard Mr. Sweezey say, "By God, I’m not going." He said Sweezey started firing when Nalley opened the car door. The officer was hit four times at very close range with a .38 caliber pistol, which was later found at Sweezey’s house in a dresser in the bedroom. One bullet entered the chest leaving powder burns; two others hit the officer in the neck and the fourth entered the left arm.

Officer Smith said Sweezey then started shooting at him and he ran up an embankment to the right of the parked cars, dodging and rolling along the ground to escape being hit. He said Sweezey followed him up the bank and then turned and went back to his car. Officer Smith said he shot four or five times at Sweezey as he was crossing in front of his car from a distance of about 25 feet. He said he fired the remaining shots as the car drove off.

Chief of Police R. B. Williams said he reached Sweezey’s house about 11:40 pm and found him laying in the back yard with a .22 caliber automatic rifle laying by his side. Pickens County Coroner Clement Smith said Sweezey died from a bullet wound in the right temple, apparently self-inflicted. The Coroner said a note was found in the house but the contents were not divulged.

The Coroner said the rifle contained seven live bullets and one empty cartridge. He said the pistol, found in the bedroom, contained six empty cartridges.

Coroner Clement Smith ruled that the incident was a murder-suicide.

Jeremiah Hughes
Deceased

Easley Town Marshall Jeremiah Hughes was shot to death by Tom Brock on the night of June 23, 1892 about 10:00 pm. Andy Carson and Tom Brock were at a party and began to argue.

Tom Brock got angry and swore he would "get even" with Carson and left the party along with Tom Cary to get a gun. In the meantime Andy Carson went to get the Marshall Hughes.

Hughes came to the house and sat down in the doorway. Brock and Cary came back with a shotgun and saw someone sitting in the doorway; Brock thought it was Carson and shot Hughes in the back. Cary was arrested at the scene but Brock was able to get away.

On July 1, 1892 Brock was arrested in Brevard, NC and returned to Pickens County. By July 13th, Tom Brock had been tried, convicted, and sentenced. The sentence reads as follows:

" It being solemnly demanded of the prisoner at the bar, Thomas Brock if he hath anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him, he sayeth nothing further unless as he has before said. Wherefore it is considered by this Court, and pronounced as the Judgment of the law, that last he came, there to be kept in close and sage custody until Friday the seventh day of October next; and that on that said Friday between the hours of ten in the forenoon and two in the afternoon, he be taken to the place of execution provided by law in Pickens County, and there be hanged by the neck until his body be dead and may God have mercy on his soul."

J.B. Fraser
Presiding Judge

Tom Brock was hanged on October 7, 1892, the second legal execution in Pickens County.