Lake City News

We were blessed with a very refreshing little rain last Sunday afternoon which has given new life to the young plants.


Mr. J.L. Stanley has had his lot and stables whitewashed which adds much to its appearance.


There was a very delightful sociable given at the hospitable home of Rev. A. McA. Pittman last Friday evening which was very much enjoyed by all who were present.

The County Record, May 27, 1897

Lake City News

There have been about 600 crates of strawberries shipped from here this season, and it is likely that two or three hundred more will be shipped. This speaks well for the strawberry planters of this place.


Messrs. S. Godwin and J.M. Kennedy have put up a sawmill about three miles below town. They are enterprising young men, and we wish them much success in their new enterprise.


Quite a number of Lake Citians went on a fishing expedition to Lynches River last Friday night, which was highly enjoyed by them all. Due to the extreme coolness of the night, they caught only one fish.


The Baptists will give an ice cream festival at the tobacco warehouse on the night of the 14th for the purpose of raising money to buy a new organ for the Baptist church at this place. The public is cordially invited to be present and participate.

The County Record, May 6, 1897

Lake City News

The farmers are rejoicing over the late rains. Crops are now looking fine.


Mr. J.J. Morris has moved into his new home, but it is not yet completed. When finished it will add much to the looks of that part of the town. We wish that several others of our citizens who are able to do so, would erect nice residences. It would add much to the appearance of the town and increase the value of the property near the buildings.


Business is quite dull now, but we hope for better times. Your correspondent went several miles into the country last Sunday and found that the farmers are well up with their work in spite of the late start they got. Of course, if the farmers have good luck and make good crops, business will be brisk in the fall.


Strawberries are fine this year. Mr. H.H. Singletary has shipped 266 crates; Dr. Hinnant shipped 75 crates; B.L. Singletary, 15; J.D. Singletary, 32; J.A. Green, 18, making a total of 406 crates, prices ranging from 15 to 40 cents.

The County Record, April 29, 1897

Murderers Still at Liberty

Nothing definite has yet developed in the case of the strange Italians who were so cruelly butchered near Salters last week. As to who the murderers are, and their present whereabouts, is now just as much a mystery as it was when the crime was first discovered. Suspicion still points to the Davis negroes, but nothing has yet been seen or heard of them. Even if they were caught, it would be a hard matter to fasten the murder upon them as no one knows anything about the men who were murdered, and, therefore could not identify any article that may be found in the possession of the supposed murderers as belonging the the Italians.
The three negroes who were arrested at Lake City last week were given a hearing before magistrate J.G. Lifrage last Thursday and set free. Jailer Britton, in the absence of the sheriff, telegraphed the Charleston authorities that if the negroes were wanted there to wire him, and they would be held; not having heard from there, the deputy let the boys go Thursday evening.
Three negroes were arrested Thursday at Fayetteville, N.C. on suspicion of being the murderers. They were on their way from Timmonsville, this State, to Selma, N.C., and were "nabbed" en route. Sheriff Daniel and Mr. Cannon of Strawberry, in whose store the Davis negroes did so much firing about about two weeks ago, went up to Fayetteville Saturday, but Mr. Cannon failed to identify the prisoners as the Davises. In fact, the negroes proved where they were on the night of the tenth, when the shooting at Strawberry occurred, and on the seventeenth, the night of the murder.
Three other negroes were arrested at Lanes and locked up all night in the box car but were set at liberty.
While looking over the field of the murder last Sunday, some Salters gentlemen discovered some clothing hanging on a tree and some on the ground only a short distance from where the murdered men's bodies were found. There was also a kind of a camp, at least, the ashes from a fire and chicken bones near the clothing, indicating that a camp had been made there. This discovery only adds mystery to the whereabouts of the real murderers, as this woodland was every bit searched last week, and these things were no seen. Among the articles found on the ground was a white shirt, bosom upwards which was not soiled in the least. This indicates that the articles were placed there Sunday morning, for had the shirt been exposed to the night air, the dew would have left marks on the stiff bosom. Then, too, there are numbers of hogs in the woods, and it stands to reason that, had this shirt been on the ground for any great while, the hogs would have soiled it. 
A careful survey of the immediate vicinity of the murder was made, and two empty shells from a Winchester rifle were found. One of these was mashed as if someone has stepped upon it or a hog had bit it. These shells are now in the possession of a Kingstree gentleman, but nothing is proved by them as they will fit any Winchester of a .32 calibre.

The County Record, April 29, 1897

Mistaken Identity?

Our reporter interviewed several prominent men in Lake City and was told by all of them that the prisoners were not the three men seen there Sunday. Upon being interrogated, the negroes gave their names, ages and addresses as follows: Oscar Simmons, age 17, 10 Short Street; Nat Phelps, age 17, 26 Burns Lane; and Joseph Richardson, age 19, 16 Market Street, all of Charleston. They all told pretty much the same tale, which was prepared for publication but was left out after an interview with Mr. M.J. McManus of the Charleston detective force. (To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

Suspects

About two o'clock Monday afternoon operator Grimsley of Lake City wired H.A. Graham that three negroes had just been arrested there on suspicion. As soon as the fact was made known to Sheriff Daniel, he wired Mayor Severence to hold the prisoners until he could send for them. Mr. Daniel, accompanied by Mr. H.G. Askins, a special deputy, and a reporter for The County Record went to Lake City Monday evening, and the negroes were brought to Kingstree Monday night. A large crowd met the sheriff at the depot upon his return with the prisoners. Threats of lynching if the negroes proved to be the right parties were heard here Monday, but the crowd at the depot was very orderly and quiet. (To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

Spectators and Suspicion

As soon as the news of this horrible murder reached Kingstree, scores of our citizens went to the scene and viewed the bodies. Almost every man in the enormous crowd around the murdered men was heavily armed. Suspicion was attached to three strange negroes who had committed other criminal acts around Salters, and a description of them was telegraphed in every direction. Armed men watched the streets of Salters, Kingstree and Lake City all of Sunday, but the murderers then had had a 24-hour start on their flight. Three negroes fitting the description of the supposed murderers passed through Lake City early Sunday morning, but no one there knew anything at that time of the murders.
(To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

Local Rivalry?

A gentleman from Lake City told us Monday that over one hundred crates of strawberries had been shipped from that place this year. What is the matter with the people around here to allow our neighbors to be so far ahead of us? There must be money to be made from raising strawberries for shipment or the Lake Citians would not go into the business.

The County Record, April 15, 1897