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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1924 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE, CLINTON, S. C. PAGE SEVEN YOUTH OF FOURTEEN CONFESSES TO CRM Asbury Wessinger Admits Slaying of Aunt and Wounding of Cousins. Got Mad-About Knife. Declares Story About Negro False. Columbia, Sept. 22.—A pocketknife; of the crime and spoke only in an- “with a corkscrew in it” led to his swer to questions put to him by fatal attack upon his aunt, Mrs. Lina; members of the group about him. Wesainger, and his wmmding of his t These he answered readily enough, if three young cousins Saturday after- laconically. noon, Asbury Wessinger, 14-year-old j His eyes were red and blupred af- boy, confessed Sunday morning to of-, ter a sleepless night throughout fieers in Columbia. 1 . which he had been called upon again Mrs. Wessinger, who died Saturday and again to tell members of the night at the Baptist hospital in Co- posse his story of the unknown negro, fussed at me about it. She was fuss- lumbia, was struck with an axe, the! A more or less typical country lad, ing at me about going un^er your father the truth. Did you do this horrible thing?” The boy did v not look up at him. “Yes, sir.” he answered. “What in the world made you do such a thing?” The father’s voice was strained, breaking. There was no reply. ! “Haven’t I told you your temper would be your ruination?” “Yes, sir.” “Haven’t I taught you as a child ought to be taught?” “Yes, sir.” “0, what got wrong with you?” Tears filled the man's eyes. He tried to edge nearer to the boy, who was now himself also crying as his father. “What made you do such an awful thing?” “The boy found the knife and she boy declared, while the three chil dren—Newman, four years old; Char les Rufus, two and a half years old, and Azallee, one year ,old—were knocked down with an axe handle. the now reticent and stolid and then showing a naive interest in the pro ceedings, he seemed, and nothing more. He had completed the fifth grade in the public schools and would None of the four victims, Young Wes- “this year be in the sixth grade,” he singer said, had any warning of the ■ said, ignoring the, fact that by his attack, save Mrs. Wessinger, who! own words he was making just such turned just to catch a glimpse of the a thing improbable if not impossible, descending axe. ) Once there were tears in his eyes The confession, secured Sunday; that he brushed away with his arm, morning, officially put an end to the this only when he saw his father who search which had been kept up; came in later weeping beside him. through the night for the “tall, slim! Unconsciously it seemed, he fingered negro in a blue shirt and overalls,”. his nose every few seconds and occa- whom Asbury in his first story blam-* sionally he smiled, ed for the crime. The story of the! Concerning the cause of the crime negro’s chasing him away from his the boy said little and to some extent aunt’s house, the boy admitted in his it remains yet unexplained. A quar- confession, was “untrue,” but believ-1 rel over the pocketknife which he had ing it hundreds of armed men spent lost at the house earlier in the after- the nigtft scouring the country about) noon and his aunt’s censure of him the scene of the crime—the Wessin- for crawling under the bed. That ger home, near New Brookland—and w® 8 * even late Sunday the hunt waa con- 1 “It first started off about my tinued by possemen who had not knife,” he said. “I got excited. I learned of the unravelling of the don’t know much about the rest. ... I mystery. Houses, bams, fields were told her I had lost it. She said some- hunted through; bridges and roads thing about us going under the bed. watched. Three negroes were cap- 1 • • • She said the little boy found it. tured, all later to be released. I • • • She was saying some other words, Asbury—a sandy-haired lad fn knee! I Cou ld not understand . . . talking breeches—his confession sworn to and rough ... I lost my temper.” signed, is being held at the city jail | “That is the only reason, you lost in Columbia under a warrant charg-1 y° ur temper?” one of the officers Ing murder, though the inquest has asked him not been held and will not be com pleted until late this week or early next week, according to Solicitor T. C. Callison of Lexington. In the meantime at the Baptist hos- children went to the door, the two pital are the three injured children, ‘ boys to seat themselves on the floor Newman, Charles Rufus and Azallee, their feet on the top step and the first two in serious condition; all U 16 baby to find a seat just behind were reported this morning as “rest- them. ing as well as could be expected.” H e “walked up behind them,” he Both Charles Rufus and Newman s ®id, and with an axe handle picked suffered fractures of the skull but U P* did not say where, struck the after the operation Saturday night tw <> little boys, one after the other, were intermittently conscious during “ as quick as I could.” Neither made the day. The baby, Azallee, escaped a J 1 > r sound, nor did Azallee, the baby. Without a fracture and appears to be Newman, the oldest of the three, was rapidly improving. I struck first, he said. ; The condition of the two bovs, and I . ^ yo 1 u one especially that of Charles Rufus, is ,0 f the * r0U P asked, when it had been Considered critical. . I ob s erv ed that he had omitted ariy Contradictions ,n repeating his ae-, don>t k „ he answ< , red count of the tragedy and his inability: , hit her , don , t remembel ,.. , to explain details of the story led to, steppinK over lhe ura . on3cious chil . the questioning of the boy and his dren he went out jnt0 the d and confession, officers declared. 'Ithere finding the axe near 'the door, T. A. Berley, state constable, who threw away his axe handle and with had joiped in the search Saturday the more formidable instrument walk- night, early Sunday morning brought e d to where his aunt was milking the the boy to Columbia for a brief ex- CO w, a few yards from the house amination here, ostensibly for the Mrs purpose of securing a better descrip- toward him, the boy said, and she did tion of the negro, for whom the posse not see him until he was ready to had been hunting for hours through strike. the rain and night. Asbury, Mr. Bcr-_L..“She could not see you until you bed.” “Don’t you know that doesn’t mat ter. Why didn't you give them the knife? Haven’t I tried to teach you right and wrong? Haven’t I tried to take you to Sunday school every time I could?” ^ “Yes, sir.” And he sat there not looking at his pleading father’s, but stolidly gazing at the floor, occa sionally lifting a hand to wipe away Lhe tears from his flushed cheeks. “Asbury, l may not see you for n while. Give me your hand, son. I’m awfully sorry and I shall try to show a father’s love for you. You’ve told it straight?” “Yes, sir.” " “Why didn’t you tell it to me straight last night?” “I thought I’d get out of it,” the boy explained as he had explained to the officers. , “Didn’t you know that you couldn’t get out of it? Didn’t you know that your conscience would get you?” “I don’t know. I don’t know.” “I can’t understand it,” an uncle of the boy, who had come into the room after the father, declared. “I don’t see the use of Sunday schools any more. Why he’s been going to Sun day school all his life.” “Yes,” the father said. “Even since he was so high.” And he in dicated with his hand. “Ever since he was just a baby. I have tried. . ” The boy said nothing more and the father got up. “Asbury,” he said, “I must go home. I must tell your mother. She doesn’t know. I don’t know whether she can stand it. I’ll come to see you.” So, broken by the revelation that had added even more than he had thought possible to the horror of Sat urday night, Mr. Wessinger turned back to his home where his wife and two other small children—one a baby boy and the other a seven year old girl—waited sorrowing over the un explained catastrophe that had been Visited upon their brother-in-law’s, and uncle’s family, but did not know qf th£ greater grief it was their’s to bear. ^ Mrs. Wessinger, the boy’s mother, told of the confession Sunday after noon, was buoyed up by a mother’s faith in her boy’s innocence. “They have told me,” she told a sympathetic visitor, “that he says he did it. But I do not believe he could have done such a thing.” While the interview was in pro- Wessinger’s back was turned! gress a warrant charging the boy with murder had been secured from “Yes, sir, nothing else.” His aunt, the boy said, left the room after the “disagreement” and went outside to milk while the three THRIFTY TIPS By HISS FLO “‘THE FLAPPER” IS HEADED THIS WAY Salt Shakers: To'prevent damp salt corroding the top of salt shakers heat par-affine and spread it inside the top. While the paraffine is cooling open the holes with a toothpick through which the salt will pass easily. Tiled Floors: Warm water and soap is the best thing to use in cleaning tiled floors. After drying well with a soft cloth, rub with a cloth which has been dampened with linseed oil. An • old piece of silk is better than cotton material. Boiled Potatoes: If you want po tatoes to look snow white after they have been boiled, try this. Lay a| piece of white cloth on top of them, before put**Jig on the lid. 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Pies: Instead of greasing a pie plate to prevent pies sticking, dust carefully with flour. The pie will slide out easily without the least difficulty. Clever Musical Comedy To Be Staged Under Auspices Clinton and Laurens Rotary Clubs. “The Flapper Grandmother,” i a musical comedy of thrills, is soon to be presented before a Clinton audi ence. It has just been released by the Wayne P. Sewell Producing Com pany of Atlanta, and will be staged here the latter part of next week by the Clinton and Laurens Rotary clubs. The composer of the play will arrive in the city shortly to take charge of the local performers to get the stage all set and everything whipped into shape for the approach ing event which ^promises to make a decided hit. ' ' % •' £ Rid yourself of iqps- quitoes by using Sweet Dreams, 35c bottle. Sad- ler-Owens Pharmacy. Thouunds of •■Scref* compl' irly rrliered in 24 !m— new internal pmctipcioa of ' land iprcialint that quickly m I n pollen polaonint thnout the rystem. Kbwb ** V :nrx. Complete relief in 24 hour, po.uvely t —or money back. Send 10c for 24 hoar (— rirnt to Clinical Laboratoriea Co.. Cter *./.« »old by all p»od dmaxma. Sadler-Owens Pharmacy. Copyright 1924 by The Clinical Labor atories Co., Cleveland, O. BOSTON VISITOR HERE Mr. L. B. Ellis, treasurer of Lock- wood-Greene & Company, with head quarters at Boston, spent yesterday here and at Goldville in connection with the building operations and de velopments now under way at Joanna Cotton Mills. Miss Lurea Moore will spend the, week-end in Greer with her parents,! Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Moore. .[ Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Drummond of, Fountain Inn, were guests at the j Rantin-Dow wedding on Tuesday j evening. * I ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ + ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ * * ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ ♦ * ♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ * * * + * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Notice WE TAKE PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THAT THE CLINTON OIL MILL GINNERY is now operating under new ownership. We are in position to handle your Cotton f ‘ Seed and can furnish you with new Crop Cotton Seed Meal and Prime Bulk and Sacked Cotton Seed Hulls. WE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS. Kershaw Cotton Oil Co. « ♦ : ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ ♦ ♦++*+*<fr*+****>>+****+****+*++****+*********+******«*4* ley said, told him that he was certain he would know the negro and that he was a black, identified as Frank Wal ker. The lad was returned to his father’s home, only about 300 or 400 yards from the scene of the crime, and the posse began a search for Frank Walker. The negro, learning that he was< being sought, made his way to offi cers at Cayce, and there about 9 o’clock Sunday morning surrendered ^limself. He was taken to the state got there?” he was asked. “If she had turned her head she could,” he answerde. “When you first drew back to hit her she Iqoked around?” “Yes, sir.” “You hit her as she looked around?” “Yes sir ” “What did she say?” “Never said nothing. . . . She fell offon her side.” C^refuly then he carried the axe penitentiary by Officers Rawlinson j back to the spot near the door where and Connor and at 9:30 o’clock young j he had found it, he said, and then ran Wessinger was brought to the prison I home to tell his father the story of to identify the man. Walker and being frightened away from the house John Hart, a negro, who had been i by a strange negro, sent in.to the penitentiary by Lex-j “There was no negro?” one of the ington officers Saturday, were shown ' officers asked, referring back to a "to him among a number of other statement made earlier in the confes- prisoners and both were pointed out sion in which he had declared that by him without difficulty. He knew the story told his father and officers both by sight, but neither was the, was untrue. - “tall, slim negro,” whom he had seen, j “No, sir. not at the house,” was the he said. The negroes were released ; reply. “I saw one in the road.” from all connection with the crime, as ! “How come you to think about tell- was also a third negro, Jim White, ar- j r>f y 0Ur father a negro did it? You rested in Columbia Saturday night. ; thought you would put it off on some The boy’s father, D. V. Wessinger, one else?” it was subsequently revealed, had im pressed upon his son, leaving on this trip to view the two men, the impor tance of his decision. “Be sure you have the right negro; do not kill an innocent man.” At the penitentiary the conflicts in ‘Yes, sir.” The questioning close: ‘Has any one tried to make say anything that isn’t so?’’ “No, sir.”. ‘Has anyone been rough with you, drew rear its Asbury's statements were noticed an! mistreated you, or abused or threat- the boy was taken to the Columbia en( ^ you in any manner?” police station, where he confessed to j “No, sir.” T. A. Berley, state constable, S. S. i “You are telling the truth of just Shorter, chief of detectives of the' ^ hardened?” Columbia police; Sheriff E. A. Roof ..yes sH.” of Lexington, and F. S, Strickland, T ' ’ ’ ' ... .. . chief of Columbia police! This con- . Wta* hr. Walker was tranecrib- fession was not taken down in writ-! stenographic rotes of the m- ing and for lhe purpose of securing r‘» r ™ w ,' J ;. e sm ' a signed statement the boy was .*.|»«* and then at he officers jest.n- «d to repeat his confession in t . le fimgs at. each c-her. V, h-ic so or presence of Mr. Berley. Chief Strick- ^Sed thev d o not notice -ho amva i.rtH rvim-f QWtnr. QWfff 1W I of D. V. Wessinger, the boy s i.it ev Lexington county and under this au thority he is being held at the city jail pending the verdict of the coron er’s jury. This will be delayed until Solicitor Callison’s return from court late this week or early next week, it was announced, the postponment be ing also designated to permit the jury to await definite word as to the con dition of the three injured. Coroner Warren C. Weed bf Lex ington county Sunday Ympanneled his jury, however, and after the jurors had viewed the dead body adjourned the inquest subject to call. No evi dence was taken. The members of the jury are: R. -T. Mallonnee, Milton Rikard, Verner Caughman, J. T. Whittle, W. M. Rob- nson, and S. E. Carter. From the hospital Sunday came ex pert testimony to strengthen the case built up by the confession, one of the surgeons attending the injured hav ing ’ informed officers that he was convinced that the blows were not struck by su< h a man as’ the "tall, slim negro.” Examination of the axe, with which Asbury says he struck Mrs. Wessinger failed, how ever, to" produce any evidence of value. Capt. H. L. Cade, the peni tentiary finger print expert, found blood spots Upon the weapon but nothing, he said, “by which identifi cation could be made.” Lexington county, Solicitor Cal'i- son said Sunday after the confession had been secured and arrangements made for the holding of the boy at the Columbia jail, is “particularly grateful” to the authorities of Co lumbia—county, city, and s^ate—fqr assistance rendered in the case. It’s wonderful, try it out on a hill or a straight-away— tramp on her and fefel her pick up. The price is three cents a gallon higher than ordinary gasoline, but we think it is Well worth the difference. who in the little rn'er om was tva ;h land, Chief Shotted. Sheriff Root, 1 Sheriff T. Alex Heise of Richland, ... i i ■ Chief J. D. Dunnaway of Richland ,he E rou I> th, ° u * h thc d '" ,r - rural police, H. F. Koon, rural police- i “It* the boy’s father,’’ some on man; a newspaperman, and Ashley explained, and Ruval Policemar. P. Walker, secretary to the chief of Koon, a relative, left #he room with police. • others to inform the father of his Seated in k chair and surrounded son 8 con I esaion * by the officers, the boy told his story Mr. Wessinger turned to his boy •without a sign of nervousness. He 1° bo P e * denial, did not enter into the lurid details, “Asbury,” he said, “Asbury,'tell IAY FEVE Ct mplete relirf in 24 houtf fri m cvrry t%x? of li*y fever poa.t.veiy guaranl-td wi'h new intnr.jl prmrrptiT.n of Cirrelai d tprralist t'ist I completely nriittiilizrs pollen poison:ii| ihr.iout die tyUem. Money Lac!; instantly if every «) mj>- tor.i—runny eyes and nose. »nrr>-.ing. l.eadachtjT fc-.ct—doei not cUap.pear in 24 Lour*, ffts- ipti.n now Lnown as Rinex. _ Tree Trial OMcr •lest now. Uirougn a apeciai introductory arrangrmmt. - od e-.n obtain a trial treatment entirely FREE. Simply ro to any of tbe drug stores named b*low and ask for a rial e-kace of RINEX. No oblifation at all on yojr -art. d-jt be sure to ask for your free treatment within lie next three days — this offer la limited, it may be burned in tbit city at SI Sadler-Owens Pharmacy Copyright 1924 by The Clinical Labor atories Co., Cleveland, O.