The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-25
counr OF GENERAL SESSIONS AND COMMON PLEA

The prisoner appeared and plead guilty OF lal
: ceuy, when tho Attorney-C General withdrew tn
charge of burglary, and he was found guilty Q
petit larceny.
. The case OF the State U.s. Daniel Jonklns, TO
h murder, was then called. L. ". spRArF, .. /
g BuRKE. and r. PERRrSEAU GIBDEs, Esqrs, appear
i. cd for tho defence. After thirteen challenges,
: Jury was organized, and Mr.. VIM BIRD appolntct
: Foreman.
The Indictment was read, charging the prisoner
$ viii, the murdor oil one Robert Dantzler.
E. NT Whiting. Esq, dcposed that he is C9ro
. ner of the District, and was calle>l upon IN tna
capacity, to set upon the body OF Robert Dantzol
n at No. il Shepherd street. He Was informed ny
!, der had been committed in Shepherd street; got
up and went there, and found tll5 body lying On
the sidewalk near deccased's residence; thore Was
a good deal of blood and thrco wounds on the lett
side near the left shoulder; probcd tho WOUNDS,
and found that they wore made by bucksh #; dld
not call in q physician. as the man was dead anu
considered that the wounds caused tho death; I'M
pannelIca jury and they returned then sora!e1
Cross ss-EI0nlntea-From diagram presented,
stated that Mr. Wiley lives southeast corner OF
| Shepherd street. The body was lying With mead
to tic west could not say il it was in the M samo
position as when it fell. The body was still warm,
ficted by buck shot and close together, and inc
impression was that it was ono load; tlere O. was
about half-inch between shots; cloInes OF ,,. oc
ceased were torn, but not charred On PfosoinS
the wound the switch went toward te os Gi se
apparently standing in u side position, with MS
back slightly exposed. ~.
Slr. Fl. WILEY leposed that he lived at the
corner of King and shePheTd sEloet ~ 1al !ausI @
last: has seen the deceased. but did not know his
name: ho occupied house near him; did not Know
the prisoner but by sight; in the morning about
sunrise heard the noise in the street, tho prisoner
was standing III King street cnrsinS VIII Ina man
named Ladsoll, and he afterwards went into Shep-
herd street; he afterwards went to bed, and hear
i ing the row recommenco, he again got up anu saw
4 prisoner como out near the omnibus o1cc curslng
Ladson and Dantzlcr, who had stick III Ills hand;;
Dantz or followed prisoner up, and was told to
/ keep back, hui he kept on until he was four feet
fl, nj prisoner when prisoner shot him; the prls-
| oner haG not been struck, and Dantzer was using
his stick as walking stick and tld nor RAISE lt as
Dantzler advanced, jenkins retrcated backwards;
| Ladson wert home at this time, and only the tWo
we're present; when Dantzlcr was shot, Jenkins
ran away, and was followed by two pollcemen who
| soon returned, saying they could not lind hlm;
deponcnt did not 60 out as he was not dressed;
Dantzer walked about sixty steps before he fell he
was about thirty yards from the place where
he was shot, it was light enough to sec the parties
distinctly; heard Jenkins and DantZler quarrellmg
about month previous and they went up the
road to fight it cut, but does not know the result
Gross Examined Looked at his watch at the
| time OF the murder, but has forgotten the hour;
but it was light enough to see il they were white
| or black, and he could distinguish the features.
Deceased was largo and strong man, and there
was great difference Of size between him and the
prisoner Martha Ladson camo out after the shot;
| he did not see her before. It was not more than
quarter Of an hour between the tworoWs; Ill the
interim ho went to bed. Has never seen the pris-
oner in Dantzlel's house; when he 1irst saw the
| prisoner, he was in King street, half way between
| mis- house and the stable: saw Lndson but not
Dantzer. The first quarrel was between tho prls-
i Ri r,ot m
sons; Latlson did not advance. The second time
Dantzler and Ladson were together on King street.
and Jenkins in Shepherd street, they recommended
cursing, and Jenkins came INTO hing street. Lag
| son then turned and went home, and when the
shot WAS fred there were only the two present.
! When Jenkins came into King street, ho said he.
was not afraid, but whom Dantler followed him, no
said ssKeep back" but Dantzlor still pressing on,
Martha Ladson deposed that sho lives in Shep-
| herd street, and was thcre in August last House
back in the yard, south siue. Dantzler and vito,
herself and husband, occupied the house. Prison
paw the rcut she turned him out about one month
before the row. After he was turned out, he came
| back at night and jumped in the window. Said ho
had done it, and if Dantzler did not Like it, he
could lump it; and Dantzler and him had fight
about it, in which Jenkins was beat and he sworc
ho would have satisfaction. Jenkins must havo
been under tue house, and her husband looked out
| and saw him in tho yard; hailed him. but he would
not answer. i4IQSOu=CllIeu llll.i
kept on, when Dantzler, herring tho row, jumped
out and asked Jenkins what he was d0ggng about
the yard for, and cursed him . ID S. D..
Jenkins told him to come on and ne would tX hlnl.
Dantzler picked up a stick and followed him. AT
ter the first quarrel, the parties canc back friends
and cat dinner together but she told Dantzlor to
have nothing to do with him, as Jenkins had
sworn to have satisfaction If ho had to wait ten
years for it. Heard no noise under Tho house, but
snw the mark OF some one having been there. Lad
son followed first but DantzIer came out and fol-
lowed Jenkins, who said, 'Comc on, I'll fix yOu."
Dantzler had picked up a small billet OF wood, and
followed him up. Jenkins was then at the corner,
the shot, she run with Dantzers wife. Da1ltzlcr
was then staggering back, and fell before they
came up. His wife went up and took hold OF INN,
but she told her to let him alono, as it was against
the law to trouble murdered people, Dantzlcr was
then dead.
Cross -Eran,iaed.--Jenkins was cousin Of hers;
she has lived in Charleston eleven years. Knew
Jonkins after the evacuation; lived with her at that
time Coming street Sod n9 as me- ne cdd to
him she could not keep him; thoy parted without
quarrel, md she got another room Tor him. but
he did not stay there. He ceme back to her house
frequently, and used to sleep on the ground; saw
Ladson heard him and hailed him ms he passed tho
window; did not hear him under the house. TWAS
hardly ten minutes from the time that Dantzler
went out before he was shot. Jenkins was atth
was looking ont OF the window. 1t was about
o'clock, but ponty light enough to SEQ people.
Jenkins had been driving cart at Payne's Farm,
but she did not know if lie was still working th:ro
at the time of tic murder.
Peter Ladson deposed that he is the husband of
Inst witness; on the morning in question heard
racket behind the house, and then somo one pass
ing the window hailed him, and saw it was JON
to be doggng around Dantzlor: then came out and
Jenkins told him ii ho to follow him III
King street. Dantzlcr followed hin, and they mr.
cued in front Of Mr. Willey's: ho told Dantzcr to
ed Jenkins what the HI he was poking around
tho house for, and asked him if he wanted to jump
into the window again; DantZlcr would not leave,
and he went back to tho house; he heard Jenkins
say keep back, and as Dantzler whnled to come
away, jenkins shot him; Dantzler walked about 25
steps and then fell the wound was on the left side.
Cross -Eranained-Jenlin had been living with
them about two months; he had come fro1n the
hos, ital, where he had the smallpox; he was
drl;4ng cart hauling dirt to Paynos farm, but
not working there at the timo OF tho murder, rs
he told him that thel WAS toe much fuss about
the mule, and he had left; Jenkins was creeping
Oft in tho morning when he iiIst saw INN, and, as
he hailed him, ho run; when he lad got out ho
had just turned the corner. and stopped on the
other side; asked him what he was doing, but lie
did not answer; followed up to MIR. Willey's, and
argued with him there; when he returned he met
Dantzler coming out; D. was Walking, and
stopped at the corner and cursed jenkins, WHO
dared him to como up King street; thoy talked
there about ton minutes, when Jenkins dared him
again; he followed him, and Jenkins tod him TO
keen back; ho told DantZer to como home, and
started there himself, when Jonkns told D. to
keep back; he turned, and saw Dantzler turn at
the Same time, exposing his left side, when Jen.
kns shot; after the first row he heard Jenkins tell
Dantzler that he would shoot him if it was one
hundred years hence; this was in King street, and
after they had made friends.
The evidence here closed on the part OF tho pro-
secution, and tho defence having mono to cffer,
the argument was opened by J. PEnEoNEAU GrBDEs,
ESQ, who feeingly referred to the unculturel ma
ture of the prisoner, and that of most of his class
Who suddenly freed, wcre left to meet tho world
r,;l;p 41,ot 1,ofor