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

Inquest

About four o'clock Sunday afternoon, Magistrate J.G. Lifrage summoned a jury and held an inquest. The autopsy was made by Mr. L.N. Boyd. His testimony was all that was brought out before the coroner's jury. The examination showed that the young man's throat was cut in three places; his skull was fractured, and a rifle ball had passed through his body, piercing his heart. The old man's throat had been cut from ear to ear, the head being almost severed from the body. The jury returned the following verdict:
We, the jury, find that two unknown men came to their death, one from a gunshot wound, and the other from having his throat cut by parties unknown to the jury."
In the meantime, possés had been organized and sent in every direction to search for the murderers. The sheriff was notified, and he wired to Florence for bloodhounds, but, for some reason, did not get them. (To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

Belongings Found

By this time all was excitement. No one seemed to know just what to do. The murdered men were total strangers, seemed to be tramps, and no motive could be found for the murder. It was afterwards learned that the men were peddlers and had been seen with a peddler's pack.
In the search for more bodies a valise was found. This was described to us by Magistrate Lifrage, who held the inquest, as a canvas-covered telescope about fifteen by twenty-four inches in size. This was near a rail fence in a thick portion of the woods. The valise had been opened and nearly everything taken away. A coat, a pair of gloves and one or two other little articles were found nearby. A certified copy of naturalization papers was found in the valise, bearing the name Terge Veregence which probably was one of the murdered men, but there is nothing whatsoever to show which of the men the papers belonged to.
(To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

Murder Most Foul

Perhaps the most dastardly deed ever committed on Williamsburg county soil was the double murder, causing the death of two apparently harmless Italians, which occurred about four miles below Kingstree near Salters last Saturday night. Both the murdered men and the murderers are unknown.
The murder was discovered by Mr. Ed. McClary, a young farmer who lives near Salters, about seven o'clock Sunday morning. Mr. McClary was passing the scene totally unaware of any terrible crime having been committed when his dog began a loud barking and howling near a ditch. Mr. McClary went over to the ditch to see what was attracting the dog's attention and was horrified to see lying in the ditch the body of a white man, cold and stiff in death. Mr. McClary hurried to Salters and reported his discovery. At once a large crowd went to the scene and viewed the remains of the unfortunate foreigner. The crowd rapidly increased in numbers, almost everyone being armed. One of the party strolled into the edge of the woods nearby and there found another dead body, that of an old man with gray beard. Immediately a search for more bodies was initiated, but, of course, none were found.   (To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897

New Town, New Job

F. Barron Grier, Esq., who recently moved from Kingstree to Greenwood, has been elected city attorney for that town. Mr. Grier has a host of friends in Kingstree, all of whom will be pleased to know that he is doing well in his new field.

The County Record, April 29, 1897

Telephone Line Completed

Messrs. G.S. Barr and H.A. Graham have completed their telephone lines from the Coleman Hotel to the depot, and the 'phones are now in operation. Messages transmitted for the nominal sum of five cents each, with unlimited time in speaking.

The County Record, April 29, 1897