The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-03

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|TERATURE, MORAL
fset that her husband We. soine to tsks
her 10 the country TO sec 'his> relitioht,
with whom she was unacqusintsd.
+ 4: 4 DxAD WOMAN IN THE. WOODS,
Just eleven days after that Sunday,
san old gentleman Of Heprieo County,
walking through his wooded property,
found the dead body Of Z. woman lying
slmost Immediately in his path. The
spot was an unfrequented one, long
distance from the farmhouse, but not
very far from negro cabin. No at
tempt had been made to hide the body.
It was lying upon its face, aud tho
damp garments were decently smoothed
out. One hand was under the head,
and tho other, stretched out at full
length, tightly clasped a tuft Of grass.
There was bruises about tho eyes; the
nose was broken ]; there were finger
marks about tho throat and the arms
legs and abdomen seemed to have boon
beaten with some heavy, blunt intru-
ment; on the ground, juss beneath the
breasts, was q pool of what appeared to
be blood and water.
AN INQUEST HELD.
The finding Of the body having been
reported to the nearest magistrate, an
inquest was held, and the jury found
that diseased came to her death by
violence at the hands of some person or
persons unknown, whereupon the body
received a pauper's burial. But the
facts being published in the newspapers
ofthe day, created an excitement almost
unparalleled, the officers of tho law were
aroused, and every effort was made to
discover the perpetrator of a murder
committed under such mysterious cir
cumssanoes, and upon young and ap-
parently respectable woman. But all
effort seemed unavailing, and when af-
ter two months the murdered woman
had not been identified, new sensations
took the place of this, and the "Drink.
er's Farm Murder" seemed forgotten by
the world.
ARREST OF PHILLIPS.
Meanwhile jealous magistrate and
an expert detective were at work, and
four months after the finding of the
body the community was startled by tho
announcement that youHg man hith.
erto of unblemished reputation, and the
son of an ex-sheriff, had been arrested
as the pcrpetrator of the Drinkers Farm
murder, and committed to Jail. The
accused was Jeter Phillips. The muir
dered woman was said to have been his
wife. The news was the more startling,
because Phillips was supposed to be
single man, and at the time of
his arrest was actually engaged to be
married to tho daughter of q well.known
citizen of Henrico County. But in his
trunk were found articles of woman's
apparel, several woman's trinkets, and
books with the name "Mary Emily
Phillips" upon the fly leaves; and, to
crown all, the certificate of MARI iage was
brought from Essex County, and with
it came the brother of Mrs. Phillips,
who had been present at the wedding,
and who identified the exhumed body
as that of his murdered sister.
LODGED JAIL.
The prisoner was very soon visited by
Miss Roxanna Pitts, the sister, and
Mr.. B. Il. Pitts, the brother ofthe de-
ceased.
GLOW are you Frank +? How arc you,
Roxy" exclaimed Phillips.
Both drew back, and the brother
cried out, "Don't touch him, Roxy"
Phillips repeated the words, "Don't
touch me," and with head hung .retired
to another part of the cell.
"wnERE Is MY SISTER 2"
Miss Pitts then asked: "Mr. Phillips,
whore is my sister, whom you took from
US on the 18th of February 2" No reply.
Presently Phillips inquired when Mr.
Pitts left home. The latter exclaimed,
CLONE! Whose home? No reply was
given, but Philips sat down and Mr..
Pitts continued: "Where- is your wife 2
D.d you carry her to Surry, as you
said 2" Still no answer, and Miss Pitts
then asked, "Oh Jctcr, do you remem.
Der what occurred in our parlor on the
18th Of July?" She alluded to his wed.
ding day.
ga great many things" he replied.
"Do you remember when you sat on
the sofa with Miss Anna Dishman and
she asked whether you were frightened?
You told her mo and asked if your
voico trombled, when you said, Il will
You said EN- was more frightened than
ou."
Tho prisoner again hung his head in
silence.
Frank Pitts then asked, "Do you re-
member promising to protect her, saying
clearly you would 2"
Receiving no reply, Miss Pitts asked
if he knew that DR.. Baynham, the min
lister who performed tho marriage cere
mony, was with them
"I have heard so.'
"Can you face him 2"
eyes"
"Can you face our mother p"
dyes canO