Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I KILLING a BKANCBVILLE. ABE PEAKLSTENE IS SHOT BY | J. J. JONES. i Difficulty Grew Out of Business Matter?Killing Occurred in the Post Office. Br&nchville was ^erribly shocked Thursday morning when it became known that Mr. Abe Pearlstine, one of the town's most prominent merchants, had been shot and killed by J. J. Jones, Esq., a lawyer residing 4n the town, in a personal difficulty in the postoffice. The particulars of the unfortunate affair, as brought - ? ? iv. L?i>r ohnws out oeiore uie wiuuci o ju.;, ?Mwnv that it was one of those deplorable tragedies that is liable to happen when men resort to force to settle personal matters. Thursday morning at about a quarter to ten o'clock, Mr. Pearltine went to the postoffice to get k his mail, and while he was in the lobby of the office Mr. Jones came | * injto get his mail. As Mr. Jones was about to pass him, Mr. Pearlstine accosted Jones, and handed him a paper said to have been a request rr to Pearlstine for the settlement of a mercantile debt of $37.89 which he owed some house from which he had bought goods. It is said Pearlstine had paid this account to Jones * v some time before and held his re eeipt in full for tne same. Jones made some reply, which seems to have aggravated Pearlstine, ^ who then struck Jones in the face with his fist, bruising him up pretty E; badly and bringing the blood. The E two men then passed several blows, H Jones being badly used up in the J encounter. Hearing the noise outfit/-. side in the lobby, Postmaster Byrd ? rushed out and separated the two I men, requesting them not to renew the difficulty, as his wife was in the postoffice. Pearlstine, who had precipitated the row by first striking f| Jones, apologized to Postmaster Byrd, j&J and assured him that he was sorry ft:for what had happened. Jones, who seemed to be very much excited, passed by Peanstme i?-~- and Byrd while they were talking with the intention apparently- of leaving the office, but he stopped ? just inside the door, faced about, drew a pistol, and. after slipping it Eg out of a case, -opened fire on Pearl8tine,*who was only a few feet away. Jones fired only once, the ball striking Pearlstine in the abdomen. J When he was shot the unfortunate ' , man exclainied: "I am shot/' Post . ?|? mastet Byrd said: "Let's go to the doctor." Pearlstine replied: "I am A 4 dying." ^Ie then tried to support ' % himself by leaning up against the 1 Ik*' , door leading into the postmaster's p? private office; a moment'later he fell 1 8p\ backward on the floor, where he ' ^ breathed his last in less than five minutes after the fatal shot Drs. Wimberly and Parker were ! %" hastily summoned, but were unable J ^ to render any assistance to the dying man. Immediately after he fired the fatal shot, Jones left the postoffice building and went to his law office, where he remained until he , was taken in custody by Alderman S..S. Byrd. He went to Orangeburg, accompanied by the officers, and surrendered to Sheriff Salley, and was J locked in jail. , i Magistrate A. S. Dukes presided over the inquest which was held at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon. There 1 were but four witnesses examined* Postmaster Byrd, C. A. Dukes and 1 Earl Smoak, all of whom saw the killing, and Dr. J. S. Wimberley. Postmaster Byrd testified that Pearlstine wps walking away with him, ' when Jones oame back from the front of the building and shot him. I2arl Smoak was standing partly between Jones and Pearlstine when the . shot was fired. The verdict of the jury was that the deceased came to his death by a gunshot wound in the 1 hands of John J. Jones. Another Account. Dr. B. A. Minus and Mr. L. H. , Pairey, of Branchville, were in Char- ! leston Thursday night. Mr. Pairey ( was a member of the coroner's jury which sat at the inquest over the , dead body of Mr. Pearlstine. When ( seen by a News and Courier reporter Dr. Minus told the story of the trag- J edy as he had gathered it, Mr. Fairey concurring in all that he said. ^ Dr. Minus, in speaking of the killing , < said: ~ 1 "Pearlstine met Jones in the post- office this morning about 9:45 J o'clock and handed him a paper, sup- , posed to be a letter from the law firm of Bowman & Bowman, of Orangeburg, relative to an account said to be due by Pearlstine. He offered the paper to Jones three times, and each time Jones refused to accept it. It seems that Jones had some time before presented Mr. Pearlstine with a bill for $37.50 and , had collected the amount. It is said that Pearlstine held the receipt for the payment of the account. The letter from a law firm requesting him to make prompt payment nettled him somewhat, and it is believed he went to Jones to get an explanation of the case. "When Jones refused the paper for the third time Pearlstine struck him and brought blood from his L face. Postmaster J. Marion Byrd, fearing a fight in the postoffice, walked out in the lobby and asked the two men * not to fight, as Mrs: ji Byrd was in the building and she a was very nervous. 0' ^ "Pearlstine started to walk off 01 with Postmaster Byrd. He begged i8 the postmaster's pardon and asked aj him to excuse him for raising a h disturbance in the building. Jones started out of the front door. Just tl as Pearlstine and Postmaster Byrd C1 were about to enter Postmaster 8j Byrd's office Jones came back, and e] stepping in front of Pearlstine, drew w his pistol and fired, the ball taking S] effect in the right side. The wound 0j was fatal. Pearlstine reeled and n, fell in half a minute. Jones ran out at of the postoffice and across the tl street to his place of business. He st stood in the door aiming his pistol nj toward the postoffice as if he were tl uncertain of having killed Pearlstine and expected him to follow him. "Dr. J. S. Wimberley, who was on ac the street, near the postoffice, heard fl] the pistol shot and ran immediately iD in the postoffice to the wounded pi man. Postmaster Byrd had called pi the assistant postmaster and told b: him to go for a doctor, but before gj he could start out of the building ai Dr. Wimberley appeared on the tl scene. Pearlstine called out to the doctor before he reached him that as he had been shot ^and was dying, vi In a few minutes he had breathed his w 1 -A i.V last. tL "Mr. Pearlstine was a very pop- fe ular mail in Branchville, and when w it was known that lie had been shot af by Jones many of the ctizens were hi so aroused that they began to talk w of taking violent measures with the b< slayer. In a few moments a big $; crowd had gathered around the post- le office. Alderman S. S. Byrd went to ca Jones' place of business and took 're charge of him. He turned him, over ai to Chief of Police M. O. Browning, it who disarmed him. As it was about train time Officer Browning decided it would be best to get Jones to Or- ci angaburg and place him in the coun- di ty jail without delay. Accordingly be he and Mr. Howell Black boarded ai the train with Jones and took him to cl Orangeburg." , to Jones Badly Bruised. th In less than three hours after the ha unfortunate encounter Jones was in at the sheriff's office at the court house w in Orangeburg. He gave evidence of lo having been pretty roughly handled th hy Pearlstine. He had several m bruises on his face which were still a bloody from the blows he had receiv- ai ?d in the fight. After arriving there or he went to a photographer and had H himself photographed. . The picture st shows the scars and bruises he re- lo jeived in the encounter. Jones re- in fused to be interviewed by the press^ Hi saying that he would rather not make be any statement about the unfortunate ar affair for publication. Jones was ad- tei rised by his friends to leave Branch- hi srille at once. or W. C. Martin, Esq., of Branch- til riUe, represented the dead man's Ai family at the inquest, and W. C. sc Wolfe, Esq., represented Jones. It th was brought out at the inquest that while Pearlstine was the aggressor, tie was not armed, not having even ca i pen knife on his person at the time re the fatal encounter took place. It sii Is claimed by Jones' friends that im- he mediately before the shooting, Jones te was set upon by Pearlstine, who be- re ?an beating him very violently, wi knocking him against the wall of the Hi building, which prevented Jones hi from being knocked completely clown; that during this onslaught Jones repeatedly asked Pearlstine to cli desist, but without avail. to Mr. Jones*, who did the killing, is til i young lawyer who has been living* w1 in Branchville some two years or ve more. He came there from Colleton ar county, where he was born and of raised. He is about 35 years of age Li and has a wife and several children. He is a young man of good address ag and deportment. Mr. Jones has not fri the appearance of an aggressive or bi: quarrelsome man. ac Mr. Pearlstine, the victim of the by unfortunate tragedy, was 34 years old. He was born and raised in Branchville, and had lived there nearly all his life. He was promi- sc aent in the business affairs of fo Branchville. Besires being the man- ni ager of a large mercantile business kt there, he was a director of the j ot Branchville Hardware company and sh was a member of the board of di- Sa rectors of the Bank of Branchville. th th Conductor's Foot Cut Off. n Florence, December 18.?A. N. Hicks of this city, who has charge of th a freight train between here and th Augusta on the Coast Line, had his nj foot cut off at Copes yesterday. He a was superintending the shifting of gj cars, and was caught antf thrown under one of the moving cars. He was taken to Augusta as soon as local ^ medical aid could be given him gc where he was. Mr. Hicks is a most y. popular young man, raised in Flor- st ence and has many friends here. He was recently married in Augusta, and is with his wife's family there. SHOT BY SON-IN-LAW. aroche Polite Slays Adam Howard About a $5 Calf. Beaufort, Dec. 26.?Laroche Pote shot and killed his father-in-law, dam Howard, last night about 12 clock, on Ladies' Island as a result i P Polite's taking a calf his mother said to have purchased a few weeks ?o from Polite's wife, a daughter of oward. Sheriff McTeer was notified early lis morning that a homicide had oclrred on the island, and that the ayer was at the home of his moth\ and had threatened to kill anyone ho aDDroached the house. The leriff immediately went to the scene f the killing, accompanied by a ewspaper representative. Arriving : the Polite house, the sheriff found le place closed and apparently dejrted. He kicked the door in and ade a search of the house, finding lat the man had left. Polite Arrested. Polite was tracked for some miles ;ross fields, bogs and creeks, * and aally lost in a woods. Later, leavig the woods, the man was again -essed by the officer, and finally ished toward the store conducted j Magistrate E. M. Dale, where he ive himself up without any resistlce, and was conducted to jail by le sheriff. The story of the killing, as nearly > could be learned from those in the cinity and at the inquest, whiph as conducted by Magistrate Dale, le victim of last night's shooting a w weeks ago persuaded Polite's ife to leave him and go to Georgia, 'ter spending what money Polite id given her. It is said that a few eeks ago the mother of Polite >ught a calf from her son's wife for >, and that after the woman had ft the slain man had removed. the ilf to his home. Last night La che Polite wenf to Howard's house id got the calf from the stable, took away and sold it. Story from Howard's Wife. / Just as to the way the killing ocirred is told in different ways by fferent disinterested persons. Isaille and Elizabeth Howard, wife id daughter of the dead man, deare that "Rochie" Polite came back ? the house at about 12 o'clock and lat Adam Howard went out empty mded to remonstrate with him >out the taking of the calf, and that ithout Earning Polite emptied a ad of shot into his groins and ighs, causing death in about five inutes. They say that they were in few feet of the slain at that time id the slayer was only about eight ten feet beyond him. Isabelle oward says that she had a small Ick about 2 inches thick and 4 feet ng in one hand and another stick the other hand, and. that when oward was shot, she threw the stick >side him and caught him in her ms. One witness at the inquest stifled that Howard was lying on a ckory stick about the size of the te described by the wife aqd idenied by her during the inquest, lother witness, the first on the ene after the shooting, says she saw e stick by his side. Polite's Story of the Killing. Polite says that after_he took the If he went off and sold it and was turning home by the road and was aging,' when in front of the Howard >me, when Howard's wife, a daughr and a son came out of the house, viling him and advancing on him ith sticks, and that he fired at oward with the intention of hitting m in the legs and stopping him. Declared Howard Made Threats. Both Polite and his mother deare that Howard had made threats Pnlite a few weeks aeo. at the Be of the parting of Polite and his [fe. The coroner's jury returned a rdict to the effect that Adam Howd came to his death as the result a gunshot wound at the hands of iroche Polite. Polite was arrested a short time ;o, charged with stealing a hat Dm the store of Wallace & Danner, it was not prosecuted by them on count of the good reputation borne his father and mother. Posse Prevents Lyching. Luverene, Ala., Dec. 18.?After ouring the surrounding country r Tweed Salter, the negro who last ght killed Jack Shirley, a well lown farmer, and wounded four hers, including Shirley's father, a eriff's posse to-day arrived at the liter home just in time to prevent e lynching of Ben Salter, father of e negro wanted for the killing. The >gro's sons have not been captured. After the posse brought Salter to e Luverne jail, the mob set fire to e Salter home. Excitement is runng high throughout the county and lynching is certain if any one of the Liter boys is captured. Banks on Sure Thing Now. "I'll never be without Dr. King's 3w Life Pills again," writes A. ihingeck, 647 Elm St., Buffalo, N. "They cured me or cnronic con-1 Ipation when all others failed." nequaled for biliousness, jaundice, digestion, headache, chills, malaria id debility. 25c at People's Drug )., Bamberg, S. C. I IID. J. DELK!' CARRIAGE WORKS When in need of anything in my line, don't forget the place, No. 24 Main street, Bamberg, S. 0., in front of the cotton mill. We run a first-class repair and wheel wright shop, build one and two-horse wagons, sewing machine and delivery wagons, log carts, and any special wagon; paint boggles and automobiles in factory style. We are agent for the Deer| ing harvesting machinery, disc harrows, compost spreaders, gasoline engines, etc. We carry a stock of the best grain drills on the market. Call and see as ^efore you bay. Anything sent us will have the same attention as; if you were to bring it yourself.; D. J. DELK BAMBERG S. C. . * CHICHESTER S PILLS Wjrv TnE DIAMOND BRAND. A Lodica! Aik.7<wr Drnijlit for /A Cbl-eheo-tertDlnaondBrsndXAX Pills ia Red tid Sold *K boxes, sealed <rlth Blue Ribbon. V/ w S^wS Take no other. Buy of yonr V ['] ~ flf OrnnUt As c forClll-CITCS-TER S I W / DIAMOND 1JRAND PILLS, for U yt* H years known as Best, Safest, Always Reliable ?r SOU) 8V DRUGGISTS EVERYWHERE 1 i 1 Shoe & Harness Repairing I have moved my shop to my new building in rear of Johnson's Hotel, by the passenger depot, where I am read to serve yon with all kinds of harness and irepairing, as well as new work in the harness line. Give me a trial. HEYWOOD JOHNSON BAMBERG, S. C. nn Is the price of HUNTS CURE. This price will be promptly refunded if it does not cure any case oi SKIN DISEASE AT ALL DRUG STORES, 50c. A. B. Richards Medicine Co., Sherman, Tex. Sold by Peoples Drug Co. Bamberg, S. C. - - v . * * - IUUHAN91 King of Externals I Stands supreme under I every test. Feel se-1 cure, keep Go wans in I the home. Gowans al-1 ways conquers Group and Pneumonia and your doctor assents. Gowans Preparation was need on my child when it was desperately ill with Pneumonia. Immediately after the second application my physician called and finding so great an improvement ordered its continuance. The child recovered rapidly. G.J.HECKLE,Druggist, D24 East St. Allegheny, Pa. BUY TO-DAY! HAVE IT IN THE HOME All Drpiilsta. SI* 50e* 25e. 60WAN MEDICAL CO.. DURHAM. N. C. Imitiit, Ml MMf rtfsritl fey your tfuffbt W. E. FEEE Attorney-at-Law N. All business entrusted to me will receive prompt attention. Investigation of land titles a specialty Office for present at court house. W. P. RILEY I f I I Fire, Life f I - Accident | t INSURANCE X BAMBERG. 8. C. G. MOTE DICKINSON INSURANCE AGENT WILL WRITE ANYTHING Fire, Tornado, Accident, Liability, Casualty, in the strongest and most reliable companies. 'Phone No. 10-B. Bamberg, S. C. 9 ....OUR SHOWING OF.... ? 1 Fall Millinery, Hats, & Qoaks I | I IS COMPLETE ! Let Us Show You 1 j r D r??nU?jia |lUld. Li. 1. l/UfJGiailU gja @ Ehrhardt :::::: South Carolina ?||js| i ii . m ? ?? f DO YOU NEED MONEY? 1 Right now, perhaps, yon are wishing that yon had enough money ; I to invest in some goqd business proposition, or, maybe to. pay,, I off an old debt, or possibly, to enlarge your business. m-?&lBB I And it's just this way every month of the year. If one would I 8 I save many of the nickels and dimes that are wasted when'the I time comes for profitable investment, or when bills come doe; (SUSP I there would always be something with which to meet the emerg- I m I Take care of the nickels and dimes by having a savings ac- ' llgB count here. We pay 4 per emit, interest, compounded quarterly. IB ^ PEOPLES BANK ..... Bamberg, S. C. uinsonas hih I! Do yon want to make any one happy? Do yon want to Jiff j strengthen friendship's ties, or do yon want any one to wf If || ^ lore yon just a little more? Send 'em a Christmas Present H || We take great pride in saying that we are showing a IK9H || very creditable line of Holiday Goods. Most suitable Jl || for the occasion, to make the hearts g^ad of yoong and : || old, and if yon just come in time, before the very best m || is sold, yon will be surprised at what a splendid selec- I I tion yon can make from onr display. Yon are very . - || welcome to come just to see around and look. If yon ^ || buy, we will greatly appreciate the same; if yon don't 11 buy we will be- glad that yon came and saw our offer- m 'fMB lugs. Come early, yourself and friends, bring the chil- ||l I || dren, let them see Santa ^laus at work just before II || Christmas. For clothing, dry goods, hats, shoes, ladies' fg|? Jj goods, matting, underwear, top wear, or anything, see W H. KARESHl \^^HRHARDT, SOUTH 4 MONROE HOWARD, JABE GALT, R. F. CRISLER, I W A. L. McMTLLAX, Denton or Canton, Ga. GEO. I. TEASLEJ, w * a?ESj?Sfln|9H^^H W Denton, /Ga. Canton, Ga. ' f 1 DENTON LAND COMPANY IB 5 Jeff Davis County, Heart of South Georgia. ;-W^m 2 This section is traversed by the Southern and ?||jH ??- the Georgia '.id Florida Railway, and it is the M'Sfl 2 healthiest and richest in Georgia, that offers big mmgR 2 bargains in land to homeseekers. 2 Large and small farms; improved and unim- ?| 2 proved to suit any investor. Town lots, both bud- #i||aH 2 ness and residence, in Denton for- sale. Terms AgijH 2 reasonable. Get map of Georgia, locate and come ?j9H 4 DENTON LAND CO. |fl T Denton, Ga., Jeff Davis County. ; {fl| ilT will' soon be time 9 ( i r 2 Tn shoot nartridces and doves and yon should see jf to It that your gun is in first-class shape so as to be able to go the very first opportunity that presents I gf, itself. To be certain that it is right yon should S 3 bring your'gun to me, and I will fix it up for yon at J 9 a most reasonable price. I also repair pistols, bi- 9 ffti cycles, automobiles; in fact I run a first-class repair 1 shop. Also bicycle and automobile parts in stock . - . -V ,,-..:'.v-- :i .-.:.V^fe^^8B cr. ; t-'b.S-'i-:-, y, - '