| Summary: | A series of newspaper articles on the early Saturday morning, May 15, 1897 shooting of African-American Dan Ran/Rand by Florence Night Policeman JH Benham and one November, 1895 report of Rand's involvement in a fight at a dance at the Colored Odd Fellows Lodge.
Friday night, May 14, Rand and several other African-American men got involved in a fight after the commencement exercises at Florence's Negro School on South Court Street. A "row of large dimensions was produced" when Rand, Ed Winston and Frank Seawright (according to the Florence Herald also Jim Mitchell and Lewis McClure) "set upon Aleck Copeland, another colored man, and did him great violence." One of the men was knocked out and the others fled.
Florence Police night officer JH Benham deputized African-American residents Ab Hardy and Pride Johnson to assist him in capturing Ran and the other men. After a search of a couple of hours, at approximately 2:30 am, Rand was spotted at the Commercial Hotel but managed to break free after Benham's two deputies apprehended him. Benham then arrived and ordered Rand to surrender but instead Rand drew a knife (said by the Florence Standard-Journal to be a case knife ground to a sharp point) and advanced on Benham; ignoring Benham's two orders to halt, the officer shot Rand, striking him in the head and killing him instantly.
Behnam then surrendered himself to Sheriff Carson. According to the Florence Standard-Journal Rand's brother John Rand swore out a warrant charging Benham Hardy and Johnson with murder however in an examination later Saturday morning by Judge Smith and Esq. Jackson Benham and his two deputies were exonerated of any wrongdoing.
The Florence Herald reported that Ed Winston, Lewis McClure, Jim Mitchell and Frank Seawright, who had assaulted Aleck Copeland with Rand, were arrested; all except Mitchell waved examination. Lewis McClure gave bond, Mitchell was released and Winston and Seawright sent to jail.
Nothing further is known of either Dan or John Ran/Rand at this time.
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