The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 31, 1897, Image 2
To Prove an Alibi
V , Surprising Developments in
The Murphy Case.
? \ -
There were some startling revelations
';; in the Murphy case yesterday. In the
first place City Attorney Carroll of Au
gesta, the bright and wide-awake attor?
ney who interested himself in the case
of the unfortunate man at the time bis
neck was about io be broken, because
fae believed from what Murphy's broth -
Bl ; er told bim that the man was inoooent,
gave the testimony of a Baptist minis?
ter, that minister's wife and his daugh?
ter, to prove ao alibi. In tbe second
place he presented evidence that the
gun produced by the detectives at the
trial was sot the gue that was sworn to
on the trial as having been sold to Mur?
phy in Oraageburg. bot was a gun pur*
chased by Murphy at Beech Island aod
was in the residence of the minister at
the time the murder was committed.
AU this was sworn to by many witness?
es and it was shown that the tracing of
th ? weapon tallied exactly with what'tbe
condemned mao told his brother about
it. Mr. Carroll went further aud pro?
duced the gun that was bought io
Orsogeburg. Then he produced ao
affidavit going to show that the detec?
tives had practical by admitted' that they
had ' fixed1' their witnesses Aod to
make the ca*e more complete in behalf
of the condemned man be pat Su,psrin
tendent Neal of the State penitentiary
on the stand and proved by him that
Governor Esra o s had given bim orders
no| to 4allow any one to see Murphy
after be was brought here for safe keep?
ing save the detectives io the case aod
those whom these detectives wanted to
See bim. Thus was the delay in pre?
senting the defense accounted for. Mur?
phy's attorneys had applied for admis
-sion to the prisoner, he testified, and
had been refosed admission under this
or?er. /
Mr. Carroll came before Governor
EUerbe yesterday morning with all his
information in the proper shape. He
brcnght along most of bis 'witnesses
?ntl everything that he wanted to pre?
sent was io the shape of sworn affida?
vits. He left no point unguarded and
presented a case that was of intense
interest. Assistant Attorney General
Townsend was present and crossed ex
. amin ad the witnesses. The governor
himself frequently asked them ques?
tions. The examination of .the wit?
nesses occupied alf the morning. In
the afternoon Governor E'lerbe beard
Mr. Carroll present the case Mr.
Carroll made 4 splendid speech. He
arranged bis evidence io logical order
aod' dissected tbe evidence produced at
the trial io a masterly manner. He
laid partida lar stress upon the fact that
the chief State witness. Clem Barrs,
?had already appeared before the gover?
nor and confessed that she was paid to
Governor Eil:rbe listened intently to
everything that was said. He stated
ith?t be wou'.d announce his decision io
tbs evening. At 8 o'clock he an?
nounced that be had wirpd for Solicitor
Jervey and Attoroey Branson, wno
bad represente; ?be State upon tbe
trial, as be wished to confer with them
this morning Io the light of all of
which, it is pretty safe to say that Mur?
phy will not haog to-morrow -The
State.
Sentence Commuted to "Life
Imprisonment.
City Attorney Carroll of Augusta, ;
by his energetic work done in the last
20 days, bas succeeded in saving the 1
life of Daniel C. Murphy, and that un- <
formoate mau will not have to pay the
death peoalty upon tbe gal lows This i
'will be read by many before Mi'phv
knowe,"however, whether h? mu*t d;j
. tro-day or not. He was not told la.-'
dight, the prison gates having been
locked for tbe night before any one
kne w the result. Bis aged, grey haired
father will doubtless be the first to give
him the news at 6 o'clock or shortly ?
thereafter this morning. As the case
now stands, Murphy? sentence has ?
beeo commoted to life imprisonment in
the State penitentiary. Oo tbe streets
every man one could meet approved
:Lis action upon the part of the chief i
executive ^
Gfverror EMerbe has given the ct^e
the greatest a moo nt of careful and
paints'a kine ^ consideration Since his
last i-ireivi<-w wi;h the prisoner, be bas
been convinced cf his guilt, and Mur?
phy would surely have died on th?' gal
low* io day, but far the earnest work cf
Mr Carroll in securing the testimony
of that Augusta minister, wboso char- ,
aster bad been so highly endorsed
Yesterday morning, in response to
the rrqaert of Governor Ellerbe. Solici?
tor Jervey and H. II Bronson, Kcq ,
who prosecuted Murphy, came to IN>
lumbia. and duriog tbe day the gover?
nor bad them io consultation with him.
Tbe Hteoographic report of the evideooc
taken io tbe case tbe preceding day
was read to them. What they had to
say to the governor -is not known.
Both atttoroeys bad been previously
convinced of tbe mao's guilt, but nei
ther of them were men who wished ao
Ui?ocent man executed, if it could be
soo WD that be was innocent.
' Goveroor Eltabe thought the case
ever for some time after these gentle?
men had left the city ; then about 6 30
o'clock he announced ihat he bad com?
muted the sentence to life imprison?
ment in the State penitentiary. Gov?
eroor Ellerbe said that the testimony
that bad been presented to him by Mr.
Carroll was of such a character as to/
or?ate io bis mind the gravest doubts
of tbe mao's guilt ; consequently be
could cot permit him to be banged
This was ali the governor said. His
position seems to be about as follows:
j While the integrity of the Augusta
minister was not to be doubted uoder
the certificates of cbaracer furnished,
there was a bare possibility th?t he was
mistaken as to the days he swears Mur?
phy was at his bouse, and for this rea?
son the governor could not grant tbe
full pardon. If it ever be proven, by
additional witnesses that the minister's
statement is absolutely correct the
stitas of the case is now such that be
can be pardoned forthwith. The case ba?
been ooe of the most inteose interest,
since Mr. Carroll introduced the testi
mooy, a summary of which was given
yesterday. Governor Ellerbe's posi
I tion in having to deal with such a case,
j involving the life of a human beiog.
was. to say the least, most- ucenvia
; ble. He has done what be considered
the only proper thing to do and thus
this case ends f>r the present.-The
State.
A Shocking Tragedy,
Solicitor Thurmond Shoots
Mr. W. G. Harris.
Special to The State.
Edgefield, March 24.-A sad and
unfortunate homicide occurred here
at 6 o'clock this afternoon. Solicitor
Thurmond shot and killed W. G
Harris, a drummer for The Murray
Drrg company of Columbia, S. C.
Mr. Harris ia a nephew of Collector j
of Internal Revenue Townes, and son
of W. G. Harris, a prominent citizen
of Edgefield county
The trouble, it seems, arose out of
the fact that while Mr. Thurmond was
a member of the State legislature he
recommended that Governor Evans
appoint a gentleman named Glover
as magistrate instead of Harris, the
old incumbent and father of the de?
ceased. Since Mr. Thurmond has
has been solicitor he has had noth?
ing whatever to do with recommend
ing applicants for positions of magis?
trate, but under Governor Ellerbe's
admmrstraion Mr. Harris, senior,
was again an applicant, but Glover,
who was appointed by Governor
Evans, was reappointed by Eilerbe.
Mr. W. G Harris deceased, seemed
to think that Solicitor Thurmond was
instrumental in having it done and
about it be accosted Solicitor Thur?
mond this afternoon at about 5 o'clock
in the drug store of W. E Lynch.
Mr. Harris. ' it is said, had been
drinking and used very hit language
Thurmond, to avoid difficulty, left
the Lynch store and went to'h is of
fice. He was there engaged at work
when Mr. Harris passed by on the
way to his lionel, in company with
Capt DuBose. the proprietor On
reaching the doorway to Thurmond's
office Harris stopped Capt Du Bose
walked on a few steps The subject
of former discussion was again
brought up by Harris, the latter final?
ly saying to Thurmond that he (Thur
mond) had acted like a 4 G-d d-d
dog and scoundrel," and threw his
hand to his pocket aa if to <?ratv his
pistol and placed bis foot on Thur
mond's doorstep. Thereupon 'thur i
mond fired from where he was sitting ? I
Harris staggered backwards and fell
upon the sidewalk. He got up and <
walked a few paces, when he fell
dead The ball entered from the
front just below the shirt stud and
passed ii to the cavity of the heart
? jury of inquest has been sum
mooed/and, after viewing the body, j
adjourned until to morrow Great
regret is felt here over the occur
renee. Solicitor Thurmond was
never known to have had any trouble
before and is regarded by everybody
a* a peaceful and law abiding citizen
ile Kiirrendered himself and is now
in j?il He is completely overcome
by Iiis misfortune He has retained
Messrs Croft & Tillman and N. G
Evans to defend him *
VERDICT O* THE ?OR
ONER'S JURY.
Solicitor Thurmond Held for
Murder.
-
SppHnl to The State.
Edgefield, March 25-At the cor
oner's inquest to day, Capt D. S
DuBose, the only eye witness to the
killing, testified that when Will Har
rip, who was on the street, Jenounced
Thurmond as a dirtv scoundrel, Thur
mond from his office door, shot Har?
ris, who never spoke, but died in
five minutes
The jury of inquest found that
Will Harris came to his death by a
gunshot wound at the hands of J'
William Thurmond.
Capt. DuBose, who was only a few
feet from Harris, testified that Har?
ris was not armed.
- mum -i
tlectric Bitters.
Electric Bitters is a medicine suited for any
season, but perhaps more generally needed,
when the languid exhausted feeling prevalga j
when the liver is torpid and sluggish and the
need of a tonic and alterative is felt. A
prompt use of this medicine has often averted
long and perhaps fatal bilious fevers. No medi?
cine will act more surely in counteracting and
freeing the system from mn lariat poison. Head
che, Indigestion, Constipation, Dizziness yield
to Electric Bitters. 50c. and $1.00 per bottle
at J. ?.3F. DeLorae's Drug Store 1.
The Flood Not Over.
Gootinued Rise of the Swol
len Mississippi River.
Memphis Teoo . March 23.
Another fill of one tenth of a foot in
the river at Memphis is announced fby
to Dight's official bnlleotin from the
Weather Bureau. This very slight
drop in the water here is not consider?
ed by the Weather Bureau officials as
being indicative of a permanent or ma?
terial change, but is caused, ir is
thought, by the giving way of the
levee above Memphis
The end of the fbod is not yet dis?
cernible. The gauge this morning
registers 36 9 feet or ooe fifth of a foot
below the highest poiot reached. This
drop bas not made any change for the
worse io Arkansas, wbieb bas been in?
undated by the water rushing through
the broken levees above Memphis.
At Cairo, III., the river is still
rising, the gaoge indicating 31.3 feet,
a rise of three-tenths of a foot io tbe
twenty four hours endiog this moroiogl
At Marked Tree, on the St. Francis
River, the rise is even greater, the
gauge registering 49 feet, a rise of
eigbt-teotbs ?of a foot in twenty four
boors. With the rise continuing at
Marked Tree, and at Cairo, there is no
hope of immediate relief at Memphis.
The rise continues at every poiot be?
low Memphis, except at Arkansas Ci'y.
At Helena, the gauge this morning
registered 49.4 feet, a rise of three
teoths of a foot. The river at Heleoa
is LOW 12 4 feet above the danger Hoe.
At Arkansas City, there has beeo a
fall of four-tenths of a foot At
Greenville, ou the other band,
there has been a considerable rise,
the gauge registering 43 4 feet,
a rise of six-tenths of a foot
Tbis briogs the river at Greeoville
to a height which is 3 4 feet above the
danger une At Vicksburg the rise
bas been even greater, the gaoge in?
dicating 46.8 feet, a rise of a foot
since yesterday.
At point- below Vicksburg the gauge
indicates that the river is rising slowly.
Both the Cumberland aud the Tennessee
Rivers are falling Altogether, the
feeling prevailing in regard to the
condition? may be more cheerful than
it has been at ?ny time heretofore. AU
tbe levees below Memphis are as yet
intact and are being guarded with the
greatest care ard strength wherever
any weak spots "are suspect el The
hope grows more and more cocfideat
that these levees will be able to w tb
stand all pressure in tbe fatnre as they
have dooe in the pawt, been somewhat re?
lieved by the break above Memphis.
Since the Caruthersv[I!c break, no oth?
ers have occurred at anv poiot up to this
writtDg.
All the trains are again ront-i g on
schedule time with the exception of ?he
thr^u^h iraiort <>u the L>ui.?ville and
Nashville Bead
-No further loss of life has beer? r?<
port?di. The relief boa's are no longer
kept busy, &* the ove<?>wed territory
bas b&eu gone over and all in danger
or in distress have heeu brought tu this
city, where * ff ?rf** are now being con
(^titrated in the work of feeding and
lodging thom
? The work of the relief committee
las atisumeil enormous proportion* and
? here is (KU a moment when the head?
quarters in Second street are not be-ieg
el with a m?'b of negro applicant* for
every ki? d of assistance, lt is almost
impossible for the committee to attend
to the ne^ds nf a l who apply, but they
ar? doing great work.
Oh, My Heart!
Palpitation-Weak-Uncon?
scious at Times-Sleepless -
Asthma-Kidney Troubles
Recovery Would Seem Like a Miracle
Yet Hood's Sarsaparilla Cured
"I bad been in very poor health for
several yearsj and two summers I was so
weak I was obliged to lie in bed 3 months
at a time. I was all run down, had
Unconscious Spell?
lasting for an hour at a time. The j
doctors thought the trouble came from j
my heart. I used to say that if I could
only be up around, I should be so thank?
ful, and that it would seem like a miracle
if I should be well. The neighbors all
know of the poor health I had been in,
and how much better I am now. I had
asthma for many years, and some nights
B Could Not Sleep
my breathing was attended with so much
difficulty. Sometimes I would have to
sit bolt upright in bed. As my general
health grew poorer, my asthma grew
worse. I had kidney and other troubles
and seemed to be generally 1 out of sorts.1
I heard so much of Hood's Sarsaparilla
that I decided to try it, and I experienced
great benefit from it. I have recom?
mended it to many people, and I cannot
say too much in praise of Hood's Sarsa- !
parilla. I have not been in bed for over j
a year on account of illness.y' MRS. S. J
WATSON, 432S. Columbia St., Warsaw, Ind.
Hood's5 parilla ;
Is the liest - in fact the One True Blood Puri?
fier. Sold by all druggists. Get only Hood's.
uAi4j)" Tiltia c,,re b'ver ills; easy to
liOOa S PHIS take, easy to operate. 25c.
i). M. YOUNG,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
Prompt auentioo to ?Il business entrusted
to him. Office on Court House Square, in
Blanding office.
For
nih?
Our stock of Spring Goods is now complete.
We have everything that the market offers
in the way of Novelties.
SPECIALTIES IN WASH SILKS-We have a large acd ?eil aborted lot o
elegaot Wash Silks at 25a per y-ird
TINSEL AND SILK STRIPED ORGANDIE;-Guaranteed to w?Vfa
wwbout fading or money refunded.
FEDER'S BRUSH SKIRT PROTECTOR will make every lady happy
that tries it. It is the ?Standari Dress Edge of the World. A*
effective as a Tomming as it in peifeet as a proiecrur. It cleans eat-?y:
A shako and the du*t M off ;
A rub aod it's clean ; J
A brush and it's new,
Ask to see it at our .?.tore.
Brown's Skirt Fastener.
The first and only'ap
pliauce perfectly closing
the placket, aod abso?
lutely securing the Skirt
Band about the Waist.
It also attaches the
skirt to the waist or
barque io an easy and
secure maooer, thus sav?
ing io other devices
much more than its cost. It can be applied to ar>y *kirt, old or new. It fastens
with spring fasteners which are very durable and give no trouble whatever to
fasten or unfasten. You bear the snap and know that you are perfectly dieased.
even in the dark.
PRICE 25 CENTS.
Have you seen the lot of 90o . 753 and 50c, TAM O'SHANTER sample caps
that we are selling at There U not. one in the lot wor'h less thao
50o regular.
Washable Tams at 25a also.
New novelties in Ladies' Pearl Waist Set*.
IN OUR
CLOTHING AND FURNISHING DE
' PARTMENT
We are working wonders. STROUSE & BROTHERS7 Cloth?
ing are, as always, in the lead.
OUR SHIRTS
For this Spring are the nicest we have ever had. Our Shirt
Window is the talk of the city. Prices are the
cause of it. Colored Bosom Shirts with pair of
Cuffs 85c. No wonder they sell.
A large assortment of Men's and Boy's sample Golf Caps,
75c. and 50c. Caps at 25c each.
Have you seen the new
Howard Hat
For Spring, in Black and
Tans. They are beautiful.
Prices $1.75, #2.50 and $3.
Alpine Hats
At 85c, $1 25, $1 50 up to $3.50.
HOWARD STYLE.
Our Straw Hats will be ready Saturday,
March 27th.
YOURS FOR BUSINESS,
The Large Store.
Two Pound?
FOR
We have just received a large ship?
ment of first class writing paper in one
pound packages. It was bought at a bar?
gain and is sold the sanie way While
the lot lasts it will be sold at 15 cents
per pound or two pounds for a quarter
(
?. E. 0S??1
'J
Liberty Street.
?A n/m HAS JJ nc ww PIDO Airooopa Tur.
Tie Sto??er Morita Tire,
resilient, lieh^, durable aod
guaranteed against puncture.
No leather, steel or wire.
STODDKR PUNCTURELESS TIRE CO ,
?3 Warren St., N. Y Ci'y.
Also
STANDARD BICYCLES,
are nigh grade in every particular, pric^
31C0. Special ir due mente to clubs.
Relbia ?gents wanted in all unoccupied
territories. Address
Tie Geo. Hasiraci Co..
7th Ave , 28 & 29th St., >\ Y. City.
March 24.
BEAUTY HATH CHARMS
and all the charms which beau?
ty likes best to don are shown
in our grand display of fash?
ionable jewelry for this season.
Jewels like these would en?
hance the charms of the most
fascinating belle, and surely no
fair one would despise such
brilliant aids to ? her beauty.
Like personal loyeliness, they
conquer admiration on sight ;
they score new victories at ev?
ery inspection. Those who
look over our stock do. not
willingly stop with examina?
tion. Beauty may now be
made ea.i?y irresistible by a
few judicious purchases from
our display of up to date jew?
elry.
L. W. FOLSOM,
9
Jeweler and Optician,
SIGN OF THE BIG WATCH,
Oct. 16.
SUMTER RESTAURANT.
Reduced Prices
Regular Meals 2?cts.
Private Dining Room for Ladies.
Dec. 30.
THE BANK OF SUMTER,
SUMTER, S. C.
City and County .Depository.
Transacts a general Bunking business, also
bas
? Savings Bank Department
Depots of Si ?nd upwards received In?
terest wl?owed ar the rute of 4 ter cent. p?-r
mau ? . Payab'e quarterly, on first davs of
January, April, Ju iv nnd October.
W F. B HAYNS WORTH,
W F. RHAME, Cashier. Presiden:.
J-n 13.
Who Usc I
PENS, INK, $
Paper, Blank Books:|
fi At H. G. OSTEEN & CO'S S
I ?
?You can get everything that you ?
want at the lowest prices. Weare PO j,
J? situated that we cm afford to make [[?
P prices closer than any one else. ty
V Jj
g All Goods are new and of <P
j? the best quality. No shop- |
^ worn goods. |
We maKe a specialty of School %
?Supplies and also keep a full lin*- of di
Stationery, Blanks Books, Etc. ju
^ Come and inspect our goods. $
? H. Gi (MEN & CO., j
ft LIBERTY STREET, ?
I SUMTER, S. C. j