Winthrop’s Tillman attacked by vandals

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) _ Officials at Winthrop University say someone has again vandalized Tillman Hall. Multiple media outlets reported the vandalism was discovered Monday morning, the first day of classes for the fall semester. President Dan Mahony said in an email that staff members found the vandalism. He did not say what type of damage was done. Mahony said the vandalism appeared to be related to a desire to rename the building. In July, someone used red paint to write “violent racist” over the portrait of Benjamin Tillman the former South Carolina governor and U.S. Senator for whom the building is named. Tillman was a white supremacist who advocated lynching blacks who tried to vote. Both Winthrop and Clemson have buildings named for Tillman and there have been requests recently to rename the structures.