The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-03
TIE ANN.sEREEr TRAGEDY.
poRoNER,s Observation-Disclosures
MY,TERIOUS AFFAIR.
tn. Governor Requested to Offer a He'
-, for the Arrest Of the Flendish
Murderer.
THE TRAGEDY.

THE TRAGEDY
nhe facts which The NEWS Of the 22d of last
Month nubl,shed reguding the fiendish at
temnt to destroy Mrs. Sarah F. Calder and her
so,r children which resulted in the death Oh
two of The children, are fresh IN the minds OF.
our readers. who will remember that about
two O'Clock on the morning OF the 2lst, Alrs. Cal
der, residing with her father, Mr.. E. q. Prince
was aroused by light in her chamber, in
which she. with her four children, one on in
fant four months old. slept. She Immediately
Jumped up and discovered that the bed was on
fire. burning from the bottom. She gave the
alarm. and her father and brother, MIR. j. +.
Prince, came to her assistance. They rescued
the children from the flames, which, with some
difficulty. and after two beds we're burnt, We're
extrnguished. Mrs. Calder was badly burnt
ON the arm, and Mr.. E. c. Prince on the hand
and feet. One Of the children died that NIGHT
and another the next morning. Coroner hit
ing summoned jury on the 22d, and had
them sworn in the presence OF the bodles'
after which he gave an order for bur1al. On
the Saturday following he took some tes; lmony,
but the principal witness, Mrs. Calder. being
too unwell to testify, the jury adjourned until
yesterday.
THE HOUSE
Is located on the south side OF Ann, second
door from Eizabeth-street. At tho front
entrance ID gate, after passing through which
and ascending short fight of steps there is
q door opening on the porch which runs the
full length Of the side Of the house. Midway
on the porch is door to be known as the
front door, which let's the visitor in the house.
| A flleht Of steps commencing at the threshold
of this door leads to the upper rooms, in one
| OF which the fire occurred. At the rear end OF
the house is the back door, leading into the
ward. We have been thus particular in des-
cribing the house in order to prevent repeti-
ton in the testimony, and also to render it
| clearer.
THE TETMoNY.
The members Of the jury were James Csld-
well, foreman: A. johnson, ]. N. johnson, j..
Il. Darcy, F. B. Dupree, T. W. Bolger, J. J.
Beasiey, James Duffus, P. L. Cleapor, Thos.
B. Pohl, @. Williams. j. W. Campbell, and
Lawrence Pipkman. At their irst meeting
Messrs. e. c. Prince, john E. Prince, and d.
Wohlkin testified.
Mr., e. @. Priuce testified: That on the night
/ in Question Re put out his lamp and placed 1t
on The m.rsoplece when he retired, about
| twelve O'Clock; about two O'Clock ne was
| aroused by scream from his daughter Mrs.
Oalder) who. with her four chidren, slept IN s an
| adjoining room; he arose and rushed into the
room; found the floor in blaze, az was also
the bed: he succeeded in rescuiug the chit
dren, but got burnt himself; two OF the chill,
\ Ciren we're also burnt; when he first entered
| the room the children were laying on the oed
| in q natural position; small brass lamp which
his daughter kept dimly burning Tor use If the
children needed anything during the night was
| burn1ne on the mantelpiece; he noticed after
wards that hls daughter seemed to be perfect
| " stupeaed; when he rushed down stairs with
| the children he found the back door open; he
let Abram Huger in at the front door; he stated
! lin answer to question from the jury
/ that there was some property coming to the
| the children in case Of the death OF Mrs. Cal'
dar fmother of Mrs. Sarah F. Calders hus-
band, and that he had applied to . lawyer to
| learn something about the property; that he
i and his daughter were on the best Of terms, as
she was With all the family; after the fire was
mt ont he found that the lamp under the bed
| was the one he two hours before had put OUT
| and placed upon his mantelpiece.
Mr., John &. Prince testified: That on the
| piehL Of the fire, about half-past o'clock, he
i heard q noise up STAIRS as II some one was
walking about; but after listening awhile at
tributed it to the horses in stable near by
that he was alarmed by his mother g screams
and rushed to her room; that he helped to ex-
tlnpuish the fire, and also tore the bur ains
clothes from his sister; that he found the
| lamp under the bed, and on taking it u ot fei
to pieces in his hand; he recognized it as
lamp belonging to he house.
Mr. d. Wohlkin, who lives next door, testi
fed: That he was aroused by the screams o
fire and aided in extDgushing 1t.
Mr.. VIM. RawInski came to the assistance
Of the family, but knew nothing OF the origir
Yesterday, Abram Huger, colored. testified
On the night Of the fire Was sitting IN m!
l room. which ls near Mr.. Princes house. hold
ing my baby; saw light and flames gushins
ont Of Mr.. Princes windows. and gave tht
alarm Of fire; then ran to the front OF th,
house; the gate was open and also the door o.
the head Of the steps; I ran through them aut
along the porch to the front door; it wa,
fastened; I pressed ag,inst it and 1t sud
denly opened; whether forced it open or Il
was vas ~opened nom the inside I cannot say
T saw the whole family coming down tn
steps, MIR. E. @. Prince ahead with bah.
in his arms; the ladies, too, had children; th'
baby was screaming and throwing It's handl
about; Mrs. Calder was also crying out; Mr.
Prince said: "For Gods sake, come and hell
/ LQ6T6 3 uI0 up SGuiASs kO 0p ooS eaS ~ W.
l went I'd ard saw the fire. then rush
ed ont Of tie front door and got water; helpet
to put out the fire With young Mr. Prince; il
front of the door to the bedstead was on fir
and the bedstead too; appeared to me as
some burning material was on the hoor; ate
ths fire was out went down stairs and helpe'
the burnt ones; after awhile young MIR. Primo
asked me If wouldn's 20 up stairs and he'll
him wipe up the water and remove the burn
bedding; went up with bim. and after relnoV
ing the bedding noticed pretty good size
pile OF burnt cloth or hair or something OF tn
kind: pulled it away and found lamp with
out q wick; as picked it up 1t fell to pieces;
was recognized as the lamp in use at the house
there was clothing on the floor; both Mrs. Cal
ders and MIR. Princes room we're burning; tn
bed was flush up against the wall; tn
lamp was Ilose agalnst the walDscet
. ing, which had great hole burnt in II
Mrs. Sarah F. Calder sworn: On the night
the fire was awakened by light at the nigh
side and also at the head Of the bed; as
looked saw dark form STOPPING at the sid
of the bed; I screamed and the form vanished
have two children now; all four OF my chi
: dren slept in bed with me; the light awoke me
could not tell whether the form saw was
white or colored person, male or female
when saw the torn it was about two O'Clock
: nv clothing did not catch fire at all, but wa
burnt on the arm when rescued the chlldre
: from the a ,mes; as soon saw the fire rushe
into my fathers room; I did not know that
| mao burnt 1,nt,1 4 OoE Iloyyn atnlrs: had on n