The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, October 18, 1905, Image 1
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The Lancaster News
LEDGER 1852 REVIEW 1878 ENTERPRISE 1891
VOL. I. HO. S. SEMI-WEEKLY. LANCASTER. S. C., OCTOBER. IB. 1905. PRICE-FIVE CENTS PERCOPV
Trial of Fish<
THE MOST NOTABLE CASE
IN MANY
The Jury, After Many Hours <
leged Safe Crackers Guilty
to Mercy, Which Saves
prisonment?The Te
As stated in Saturday's issue
of The News, when the paper
went to press last Friday evening
the court was engaged in the
trial of the famous case of John
Fisher and Charles O'Day, charg
ed with safe cracking?what is
known as the Heath Springs burglary.
The names of the jurors
empanneled, as well as the fact
that Messrs. Williams & Williams
represented the dolendants,
were published in our last issue.
The trial, which consumed all
of Friday and Saturday, proved
to be one of the most intensely
interesting ever heard in Lancaster.
The court room throughout
the hearing was packed and
jammed with spectators, many of
them being ladies.
The noted prisoners, who were
kept closely guarded, were, of
course, the cynosure of all eyes.
While giving close attention to
everything going on, they talked
but little, even to their counsel,
in rear of whom they sat. Loth
i.l._ J "? "
mwii wore nenuy uressea. instior
looks to be about 35 years old, is
about 5 leet, 5 inches in height
and apparently weighs about 120
pounds. lie has black piercing
eyes, black hair and dark complexion.
O'Day is a taller man,
being about 5 feet 10 inches in
height and weighs about *135
pounds. He looks to be a younger
man than his companion, by a
few years. He is clean shaven
and has a heavy set jaw. Both
men look somewhat pale and
thin, probably not having fully
recovered from the effects of the
desperate wounds they received
when captured in North Carolina.
They retained remarkable
.. composure throughout the trial.
THE TESTIMONY.
Many witnesses were examined
by the State, and their testimony
follows:
Frank White, colored, about
10 years old. On 1st April 1005,
saw store door of Springs B. A
If J 1 - '
ivi. uo. open ana cinsel lying
there, about 7 o'clock in the
morning. Left side of door splintered.
R. B. Mackey. Cashier and
general manager of Springs Banking
and Mercantile Co. at Heath
Springs. Went to store after
Frank White told me. Saw door
open and chisel at door. Found
vault door open and safe blown
open. Found drill brace on
floor. Things scattered on floor.
Sledge hammer lying near safe.
Describes in detail condition of
safe and marks on inside. Door
to steel chest knocked off. Soap
srand O'Dayl
i HEARD IN LANCASTER
YEARS.
of Deliberation, Find the AlWith
a Recommendation
Them From Live Im:stimony
in the Case.
and Iluid around the inner ed^e
0 of
the combination. Door to
steel chest split in too. Found
$500 00 in gold in a bag in pigeon
hole of chest and about $25
in nickels and dimes. Kept pa
per money in safe, $15.00 | one
dollar bills and one $5.00 dollar
bill, all practically new money.
These were "display bills." Had
them only a few days. Small
chest with display money inside
shown witness, who identified it,
jone like he used. A week prior
to robbery my attention was called
to two strangers in the store.
Cross Examination. Didn't
say anything about display money
on prelimina * hearing.
Didn't state how much money
was on floor at preliminary hear
ing. Helped Mr. Garner, representing
Casualty Company, count
the money. Had mouey in safe
insured in Casualty Co. Don't
know tor what amount our claim
was made out for. $500 in gold
we fouud in safe was not included
in claim we made out. Two
claims were made. The difference
in claims were because the
Sale Co. would not pay for safe.
Our claim was $700.00 including
safe and vault door. Dou't re
m' mber for how much money
t claim was made out. No
T1
reason tor Keeping quiet about
$500.00 in gold. Don't know
that I have been charged with
| using explosives myself.
O. C. Oroxton. Booakeeper
for Springs B. & M. Oo. Put
books, papers, money, etc., in
safe on night of burglary. Put
away $1,040.18 in safe. This is
what books show. Found $500.
in gold in bag in pigeon hole and
some loose silver amounting in
all to $26.75 and some checks
Cases with display money was
taken away. There was $25.00
in gold and $10.00 in currency
that night which disappeared.
The checks found were $105.74.
Describes condition of door to
store and condition of safe. Drill
hole in safe door about g of an
inch in diameter, bour doors in
all to vault and steel chest, which
Iwa]/a n r *
wnc X uunu MHfe mown
open Saturday morning April
1st 1005. On 23rd March 1905,
on Thursday, was informed that
suspicious persons were in store,
but did not see them.
Cross Examination. Was in
Lancaster 23rd day March 1905
and left Mr. Mackoy in charge of
store. Claim in Casualty Co.
was made through Mr. Springs
oflice. Got up posse and blood
hounds and tried to ferret out the
matter, but couldn't get on the
track of any one. Gave Casualty
Co. credit for $500. in gold and
the 26 75 in silver,the amount of
the checks and all of which was
found in the safe.
Re,?ly. #500.00 in gold taken
out of safe by R. B Mackey in
my presence on morning of robbery.
Had told him that morning
where the gold was in the
safe.
I T7> /I * "* ?
?j. rj. \jreea. Heard two explosions
on morning of April 1st.
1905, about 3 o'clock. Explosions
were close together. Clock
struck 3 shortly after t heard explosions.
Thought it was a gun.
Live about ? mile from Springs
B. & M. Co's store. Explosions
a dead kind of sound, not like a
gun, but I ihought it might be a
gun.
A. W. Bush, col.,?On 1st
April last, lived on Mr. Duncan's
place, at Lloath Springs. 1 am
blacksmith. Went to store and
found a chisel, punch, pair
tongues, sledge hammer and monkey
wrench belonging to myself.
They were in office of S.
13. at j>i. i;o. Top of my blacksmith
shop door was split off aud
staple gone. Tools of witness
found near safe exhibited to him
and offered in evidence.
J. T. Porter?From Lylesville,
Anson county, N. C. Constable
of township when prisoners were
arrested. Now constable of town
of Lylesville. On 8th of April,
1905, arre3ted the two prisoners
late in the evening. Had information
that two suspicious men
had got off train at Wadesboro
and were coming toward Lyles
ui] | p PflAno^ oknuiff
. . UUUVU OUQllll nuu ?UL up
posse and sent, men in different
directions, and closed?in on them
on all sides. They were on top
of bank and I went down R. R.
tract under them. They were
lying down on ground, with a
valise between them and opened
canned goods by them. I ordered
them to surrender. Tried
to get them to stop. They went
about 40 yards. They made a
break for rail road and made
signs as if they were about to
draw flams, and wn firail ~?
One fell and the other ran about
75 yards and gave up. Found a
pistol on O'Day. They would
give no information?wouldn't
give their names. Both were
shot, O'Day worse shot. Found
money on O'Day and a lot of
cartridges. Got money and
watch from Fisher. Found Fisher's
pistol near where they ran
from. Found .$182. in all on
the men. Identifies satchel containing
fuses, bottle of nitroglycerine,
dynamite caps, cotton,
hot water bag, steel wedges and
wire. NVheu found there was a
dark lantern, books and maps in
the satchel. Mr. Bennett, attorney
for prisoners, at NVadesboro,
not the dark lantern. O'Day
badly shot ? was operated upon.
Fisher not so badly shot. Mr.
.John Bennett, attorney for prisoners,
got the pistols. I made
demand on him lor them. 1
turned money over to sheriff
(Continued on page 2.)
A Word Explanatory.
And a Word Otherwise?Of j
Interest Mainly to those
Who have not Yet Subscri-1
bed to The Lancaster |
News.
In the first issue of The News,
r\~ 4. ?
v/ct. -tin, it was stated that for
two or three weeks the paper
would he sent to all the subscribers
of the three old papers,
Ledger, Review and Enterprise,
in order to give them an opportunity
to determine whether
they wished to become subscribers
to the new paper.
The News has entered upon
its third week of publication
and, while many of the former
patrons of the old papers have
become subscribers to this newspaper,
there are some vet to be
heard from. Reader, if you
happen to be one among th**
latter will you not kindly let us
know at once what your wishes
are in the matter ? We are anx
ious to have youi name on the
new list we shall soon make
out?we want, in fact, every
man, woman and child who has
been taking the old papers to
become patrons of this one, but
it is not our purpose to send
The News to any one who does
not want it. Please therefore
let us know without further de
lay what your decision is. We
prefer not to drop your name
unless you tell us to do so.
The News has been published
long enough for the public to
form some idea as to what, kinrl
of a newspaper it is going to be.
It is improving with every issue
and its management will not
rest content until it is made
second to no publication in this
section of the state. As heretofore
stated, The Nkws will lie
enlarged just as soon as it is
practicable to do so, though in
its present size?eight pagos of
five columns each?it furnishes
more matter than is given by
the average newspaper. And
when the further fact is considered
that it is published twice
a week, which means eighty
columns weekly of reading and
advertising matter, every one
must admit that the paper is remarkably
cheap for the price?
only $1.50 a year. It is certainlv
the cheanestnnhlir?ofirk?
4- r ?.^4.v??v?VU OVO|
issued in Lancaster.
Some of those whojpatronized
the old papers, by the way,
have an idea thatjthey must pay
what they owe on thoir]old subscriptions
before they can take
the new paper. This isjof course
a mistake. The News has noth
ing whatever to'dojwith what
you may owe the old papers.?
All that is necessary to become
a subscriber to this newspaper
is to furnish your name, post
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if yon want itjforja year; if for
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If not convenient to call at'
this office, please make remit-'
ance by mail. During the next
few days we hope to hear from
evory old subscriber who has
thus far remained silent. We
take occasion to state liore that
the management of Tub News
profoundly appreciates the very
liberal and prompt support being
given the paper by the old
friends and fo miAr nntnnno
. v . .>? VA pwvx VUO V/l
the retired newspapers, as well
as by the public generally.
Other Proceedings of Court.
Two Murder Cases Disposed
of and a Third Being Tried
?Motion for New Trial in
Safe-Cracking Case Refus- ,
ed?Burner of Creed's Store
Gets Ten Years?One Life
Sentence.
The court of Generjil
resumed business again Monday
morning, Mayor Wylie acting as
Solicitor until the return of Solicitor
llenry from Chester.
The following cases have been
disposed of this week:
Will Drakeford, charged with
arson?the burning of Mr.
|Creed's store in Heath Springs,
was convicted, with a recommendation
to mercy. Such recommondation
was made by the jury,
it is said,on account of ihe defenjdant.s
weak mental condition.
| lie was sentented to (he penitententiary
lor 10 years.
! Will Massey, alias Bill Milly,
was convicted of forgery and sentenced
to the penitentiary for 18
months.
Steve Lavard was acquitted of
the charge of house breaking
and larceny.
Lee Hilton, charged with
murder, was acquitted.
.John Sadler, charged with
murder?the killing of old man
Joe Mcllwain?was found guilty
with a recommendation to
mercy. He was sentenced to
the penitentiary for life. It
will be recalled that his trial at
a previous term of court result
ed in a mistrial.
The motion for a new trial in
the Fisher and O'Day case was
hoard Monday afternoon. The
Judge refused to grant the motion.
The case will bo appealed
to the Supreme court, on
the ground of the alleged unconstitutionality
of the Act under
which the parties were indicted.
The prisoners have not
yet been sentenced.
When Tiik News went to
press yesterday afternoon Ilenry
Pratt was on trial for murder?
the killing of old man Simeon
Morgan.
Tho following grand jurors
of this year's panel have been
drawn to serve in 100(1.
J. 11. Sistare, II. P. Mobley,
U. \j. McManus, d. M. Courtney,
J. Clark Itobinson and T. M.
Hughes.
The rate from Lancaster to
the State Fair next week will be
tor the round trip, $2.95, which
includes one admission to the
grounds.
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