The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, April 22, 1965, Image 4
THE CUNTON CHRONICLE
Clinton, 8. C„ Thursday, April 22, 1965
The Bluebird groups of the West Clinton area com- winners are Janice Metts, Lynn Wilbanks, and Debbie
bined for an egg hunt last Tuesday at Pine Haven Nelson. Refreshments were served. Above is shown
Park on the Whitmire Highway, directed by their lead- the group that attended the affair.—Photo by Dan Yar-
ers, Mrs. J. D. Hanley and Mrs. Murray Adams. Prize borough.
WiBe Bell Chren Death Sentence
(Continued from page 1)
and met officdB at the bead of
the steps.
Bridges and one other witness
said the office quarters in Clin
ton had been sound-proofed for
onetime use as a radio station.
Charles Tucker of Rt. 1, Lau
rens, testified he was in the
Laurens office of Bridges and
heard the telephone conversa
tion with Mrs. Bridges from
Clinton and heard Bridges tell
her to send the client to Laur
ens.
C. E. Wiles of Clinton, a con
struction engineer, presented a
detailed map of the Utopia
Building’s second floor and the
law offices. He bore out the evi
dence of sound-proofing.
Marvin N. DeYoung, desk
sergeant and radio operator with
the Clinton police departmnet,
told of receiving the call from
Bridges and of later visiting the
scene of the murder.
Lt. Rufus W. King, Clinton
police officer, said he arrived on
the scene within a minute after
receiving DeYoung’s radio mes
sage, met Bridges at the top of
the stairway, and told of finding
an open pocket book, a billfold
some distance away, and
“blanched, large type salted
peanuts scattered over the
floor.”' He told of calling for
other officers.
Lt. J. L .Casque of the State
Law Enforcement Division
(SLED) said he went to the
scene in Clinton with SLED Chief
J. P. Strom and LL J. K. Wil
son. He told of viewing the body
and obtaining evidence scrap
ings from beneath Mrs. Bridges’
fingernails and loose hairs,
which were sent to the FBI
laboratory for evidence.
G. B. Padget, Jr., Laurens
mortician, told of helping to ob
tain the evidence mentioned by
LL Casque, and of removing
clothing from the victim for evi
dence.
LL Wilson, a laboraotory tech
nician, told of evidence turned
over to the FBI for analysis, in
cluding debris from the victim’s
clothing and the scrapings from
beneath her fingernails.
Dr. Jtdian Atkinson of Laurens
and Dr. W. M. Waters IH of
Greenville told of the cause of
death of the victim.
Clinton Asst Chief of Police
William B. Blakely told of the
murder scene and of articles
found in the room, and later re
lating a disturbance caused by
Bell in the Clinton jail when he
ripped out plumbing pipes and
threatened anyone who came
near by striking the door with a
long joint of pipe.
Chief Strom and Sheriff R. Eu
gene Johnson told of the state
ment made by Bell to them,
“I've got to kffl another white
woman and bathe my feet and
head in her blood.” Also of con.
fronting Ben by his uncle, Sher
man Bel, who told Bell he had
reported Bells’ admission to him
that he killed Mrs. Bridges.
SLED LL Harold Fortson said
that Bell once asked him, “If I
tell you about killing Mrs. Brid
ges, will you protect me?” Asst.
Chief Blakely also testified that
Bell called to him in the Clinton
jail and said, “I will teU you all
about killing Mrs. Bridges if you
will promise me life in the pen
itentiary.”
Chief Strom said that on an
other occasion when he talked
with Bell, the defendant volun
tarily told how he went up the
stairs of Utopia Building, ask
ed Mrs. Bridges for money, was
told she had none, he “got mad
and struck her’’ with his fist. He
denied use of any other weapon.
LL S. F. Wyndham of SLED
also said Bell made the same
statement to him.
SLED Lt. M. N. Cate produced
head and body hair he said Bell
provided voluntarily and which
was sent to the FBI laboratory
for comparison with hair found
in examination of Mrs. Bridges’
clothing.
The officers also said that Bell
could talk intelligibly and that
he rambled off on religious and
supernatural utterances.
Chief Strom said, “He can talk
with good sense. He can turn it
on and off. He’s a good actor.”
v Much testimony in the case
was first heard by Judge Single
tary without the jury being pre-
Johnson and State Law Enforce- ject, said Bell worked his last
ment Division Lt. Harold Fort- day on the Tuesday before the
son. He said he premised to keep death Friday and that he re
in touch with them and keep ceived a check Friday at 8 a. m.
them informed. “He was a good hand" and had
The convict said he never got “**> mental inability.”
any reward except he was given T. J. Young said he saw Bell
some cigarettes and that he will on the fatal Friday morning and
not even be eligible for parole drank gin offered him by Bell,
until October, 1967. He said he went with Bell to a
On June 29, 1964, Bell and store where Bell bought salted
Shelton became ceUmates, Shel- peanuts. (Several witnesses earl-
ton said he was asked if he was ier testified that peanuts were
afraid of Bell but replied he was scattered about the body of Mrs
not, although he “had to watch Bridges when she Was found.)
him all the time ... I figured Johnny Metts Jr., said he saw
that he was a mean man ... He Bell on the fatal Friday and Bell
threatened me.” left a suitcase with him at a
Yet he said Bell wanted them c *^ e until he returned. He did not
to be “blood brothers ’ and Bell return so Metts took the suitcase
gave him a Bible clipping with to the store where a cousin of
the corners burned off. saying Bell, John D. Bell worked and
he should keep it always and left >t with him.
never let any Jew get it. He Mrs. Mary Martin, manager
said Bell talked often of Jews of a Clinton clothing store, testi-
even said he was half Jew, once fled she sold Mrs. Bridges some
that he was half Turk, another shorts about 1:45 p. m. on the
time that he was God’s brother, fatal Friday and that Mrs. Brid-
Except on reUgion, Shelton wa * shopping for play cloth-
said. Bell talked intelligently. (She 811(1 her husband had
Concerning Mrs. Bridges Shel- P lanned a trip the next morning
ton said Bell over a period of 40 Fontana, N. C., according to
more than a month told how he ear l* er testimony.)
had gone to the office in Clin- Miss Mary Robinson, now a
ton’s Utopia Building on Mus- Win thro p College student and
grove Street about some law then a Belk’s Department Store
matter, was asked to see at- clerk at Clinton, testified that
torney Bridges in Laurens and Mrs. Bridges bought two “knit
left. Shelton said Bell told him shirts and a shorts and blouse
he saw Mrs. Bridges leave the set there between noon and 2
Bell already is serving a
four-year prison sentence on a
firearms pointing offense from
Laurens County, which occurr
ed the day after Mrs. Bridges
was killed.
Bell spent 30 days at the
State Hospital for mental obser
vation and was returned with
a finding that he was legally
sane.
Jurors in the case were John
W. Whaley (foreman), A. P.
Nesbitt, Robert D. Nabors. R.
E. Rushton. Warren G. Cox,
James K. Thompson, John W.
Cook, John M. McDowell, W..
R. Swearihger, Lonnie L. Willis.
James A. Pams and Ralph G.
Charles.
Alternates seated w.th them,
to serve should any of the reg
ular jurors become incapaci
tated, were Ralph W. Ousts
and David Stuart. They were
excused before the jury began
deliberations.
Tor ring ton Employee
Dies ln ( Cor Accident
Spartanburg — A Laurens
woman with an uncommon blood
type died in the Spartanburg
General hospital emergency
room at 12:10 a.m. Friday of in
juries she received in a wreck
on Interstate Highway 96 about
9:15 p.m. Thursday.
Mrs. Mildred Babb Nalley, 34^
wife of James H. Nalley of 209
Owings St., Laurens suffered
chest injuries and leg fractures
when her 1964 Buick bit a bridge
abutment near Enoree.
Two pints of B-negative blood
were given her at Spartanburg
General Hospital and n call
went out to Anderson, Wood
ruff and Greenville hospitals
for more. She died 10 minutes
before a pint was brought in by
R. L. Koester, the State High
way Patrol officer who investi
gated the crash.
Mrs. Nailer was employed by
the Torrington Bearing Plant at
Clinton.
office, then saw her return later
with a package. He said he fol-
p. m. on the fatal Friday.
It was Mrs. Jack Holland, an-
after the judge ruled it was ad
missible.
Ironically, it was testimony by
a Clinton Negro that was con
sidered extremely damaging to
Bell’s case.
Jobie Shelton, Jr, SLyear-old
man serving a life term in the
state penitentiary imposed in
1987 for attempted kidnapping
at Clinton, was one of the state’s
principal witnesses on Friday.
He spent several weeks as a cell
mate of Bell at the penitentiary,
making regular reports to in
vestigating officers.
“I know all the names I will
be called, maybe from now on,”
Shelton testified. “Rat, Snitch,
Uncle Tom, hut I just did what
I thought I had to do.”
His testimony was extremely
gory and delivered in filthy lan
guage.
Shelton said he happened to
meet Bell when Bell was trans
ferred to the penitentiary to be
gin serving the four year sen.
tence he now is under for a fire
arms pointing offense. He said
Bell told him about being in
volved in the death of Mrs.
Bridges and that he felt com
pelled to report it.”
“I have a wife and a daughter
and I wouldn’t want nobody do
ing to them,” be said
Shelton said he wrote letters
to several lawyers and officers
and finally he
by the victim’s
ens County Sheriff R.
lowed her up the stairs to the other Belk’s employe at Clinton,
second floor office. whose testimony apparently was
„ Shelton quoted Bell
he beat and choked her. He time of the slaying. She said she
showed Shelton, the witness said, was returning from work after
scratches she made on his arm lunch, supposed to be back at
and side. Still later, the witness 2:10 p. m. but was late by about
said, Bell told of bow he slashed five or 10 minutes. She said she
and “jugged” a knife into her, passed the Utopia Building and
performed otljer mutulations “heard thumping, bumping nois-
beat her brains out, tore her es at the top of the stairs and
clothes off, “did all God told him echoes, like possibly children
to do,” and left her lying on her playing.” She said, however,
back. that she did not look.
The cellmate testified that Bell Paul M. Stombaugh, special
told him how he washed up at a agent of the FBI, an expert in
sink down the hall from the hair and fiber examination, tes-
office.
tilled that he found hair remov-
He said Bell related he killed ed from the clothing and body
Mrs. Bridges “because she of Mrs. Bridges to be identical
wouldn’t come under his con
trol.”
And Shelton said that at no
time did any officers teU him
i n microscopic examination
with head and body hair pro
vided by Bell.
Dr. E. M. Burn, S. C. State
any details of the Bridges death Hospital psychiatrist for 18
or direct what questions he years, declared that he had
should ask Bell. spent “several hundred hours”
The defendant’s unde, Sher- with Bell, that he found him of
man Bell, took the stand to tell .. very go ^ „*** « bm ty,” of
how he had gone to Columbia “been mind” and “he does
to see Bell because he was told right from wrong.”
Bell wanted to see him. He said i n south Carolina, the legal
al° ne for three hours te*t of sanity is simply ability
and that M “told me he killed to know right from wrong.
that angel Bridges.
Dr. Burns said Bell had no
The ancle said Bell “talked evidence at all of mental ill-
sort of crazy” and said he was
G nL*«n t tv T>nf He said obsession with re
uimon pawnbroker J. D. Put- ngion was a “defense mechan-
man Sr., took the stand to tosti-
fy that on Tuesday prior to Mrs.
Bridges’ slaying on Friday Bril
bought what he called a “fruit
Asked on cross examination
he could explain the ca-
» ___ ZrMZff ~ mmtA parity of a human to do such
La*, knife tram hi, plnce- » „ a* during of Mn.
about six i«iwg
Sjjfj.; Kh, X ^ •
are haring oar houns warning tonight. We
than we thought... Thanks to the
en the financing w« gut at Citizens
-n—^ Bridges and be sane, he replied
-STtoaTtSTtlS^todJ ** * "Primitive urge” was
opened. He said that late on neewsarily mental Ulness
because “a person can be well
the afternoon of the Friday Mrs. . . ....
Bridges was killed, Bril come h * 18 doln « 88(1
la to buy e cheap JB caliber pis
tol and a second-hand suitcase
The psychiatrist said mental
Negro cab driver U 18 *** was a condition in which
Roosevelt James told of driving 8 P*" 08 was “not in contact
Bell to the of his unde with reality over long periods
late on the afternoon of the slay- °* time” and that an attempt
tog. He srid Bril appeared to to cover up a wrong deed was
have been drinking and was evidence of knowledge that the
♦miirtig **1001 talk” to which ho 6eod was wrong. The mentally
did not listen. m, he sadi, would not try to
James T. Hamilton, foreman hide his deed,
of Harper Brothers Construction As to BeU, he said, there was
Co., under whom Ben had been “not one bona fide indication
workteg on n Clinton school pro- of mental illness.”
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PERSONAL
MENTION
Miss Patsy Henderson, stu
dent at Georgia Southern Col
lege, Statesboro, spent the
Easter holidays with her pa-,
rents, Mr. and Mrs. J. W.
Fewer.
Visiting Mr. and Mrs. J. B.
Arnold during the holidays were
their daughters, Jean, student
at Winthrop College and, Mar
jorie, student at the College of
William and Mary in Williams-
wit
Marjorie wag her classmate.
Miss Joan Speer of West Palm
Beach, Fla.
MOVE INTO NEW HOME
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene John
son have moved into their, new
ly constructed home in Merrie
Oaks. They were former resi
dents of North Broad Street.
VISITORS FROM FLORIDA
Mr. and Mrs. Norwood Mc-
Lamb and children, Jan and
Lee, of Casselberry, Fla., vis
ited Mrs. P. M. Pitts and other
relatives on Sunday.
VISITORS FROM DELAWARE
Guests during the week-end
of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Todd
and other relatives were Miss
Grace Bossard, Ernest Bossard,
Sr., and Ernest Bossard, Jr., of
Seaford, Delaware.
Mr. and Mrs. Bailey Dixon
and children spent last week
end in' Talladega, Ala., with
Mrs. Dixon’s parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Norman Wood.
Mr. and Mrs. John McBride
and daughter spent the geek-
end in North Carolina with
their parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Claude Money in Thomasville
and Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Mc
Bride in Lexington.
Whittel High Mon
In Ment ot ‘Laurent
Laurens — Clinton defeated
Laurens Wednesday in a track
meet, 62-61. Clinton’s Joel Whit-
sel was high scorer with 24%
points.
Broad Jump—WhRsel (C) 20’-
2%”.
High Hurdles — Hampton (C)
0:16.3.
100—Whitsel (C) 0:10.6.
Mile—Moore (L) 5:00.
Shot Put-Robinaon (L) ST-
8%”.
(80 Relay—Clinton (Hampton,
Sanders, Lydia, Whitsel) 1:36.7.
440-Cooper (C) 0:86.3.
Discus—Rice (C) 1101”.
Low Hurdles—McDowell, (L)
0:33.0.
8ML—Baker (L) 2:14.3.
Pole VauM-Brown (L) 11’.
High Jump—Whitsel (C) SI”.
Medley Relay—Cttnton (Lydia,
Sanders, Hampton, Cooper) 1:48.
t.
220—Whitsel (C) 0:34.3.
Mile Belay—Laurens (Estes,
Baker, Bogle, Moore) 8:57.2.
CARD OF THANKS
' We wish to thank our many
friends and neighbors for their
kindness and sympathy shown
us during the illness and at the
death of our dear husband and
father. All the prayers,, kind
deeds, food served and the
beautiful flowers were great*
ly appreciated. Also we thank
Dr. Rhame and Dr. Sullivan
for their faithfulness. May God
Mess each of you.
—MRS. IKE JONES
AND CHILDRBN
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