The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-03-09

from south Carolina charged with
Nurder-ExtraOrdInary Revelations
Progress of Great Moral Ideaa'' In
she1sOutns =
1t will aforementioned that on the 7th
Of March A. D, 1864, Colonel William Par
ker White, ofthe Battalion of Georgia cav
airy, was shot whilst sitting in his head
quarters, by a ball from a rifle, in the
hands of some one outside. One Eli g.
Grimes, OF the command. was arrest
ed for the offence, and there stated that
he had committed the deed and had been
instigated thereto by G. Q. Bowen his
former captain, and now member OF Con
gress from this district. For this Mr..
Bowen was arrested, and charges prefer
red before the military court attached to
General Beaureguard's department. On
the way to Charleston, Grimes jumped
from the car and escaped, and was never
heard of until a short time since. Mr..
Bowen was never tired, their being no
witness or evidence, but remained in Gus
tody until or about the time of the en-
trance of the Federal troops into Charles
ton. Afterwards he was made, under the
Federal authorities, clerk of the. provost
court, counsel for the freedmen, and finals
ly was elected by the republican party to
congress, Eli G. Grimes was lately arrested
on the affidavit ofSteele McAlhster White
the son of Colonel w. P. White, in Geor-
gia, and was brought to the city of Charles
ton, and yesterday was committed to Jail
under a warrant of Mr.. Caulield. Trial
justice, upon the following affidavit made.
Grimes is a young man, about twenty-four
years of age, spare figure, some V feet
six inches height, and of dark complexion,
hair and eyes.
Personally appeared Eli G. Grimes; be-
fore me Al. Caufield, atrial Justice, in
and for the county and state aforesaid
says he is about twenty-four years of age
and q resident of Lee county, Georgia;
says that he was present in March, 18-
64. at Waccamaw Island. near George
town, South Carolina, at the killing of
one William Parker White and one Chris
TOPPER G.. Bowen was the murderer; by
the threatening of my life he caused me to
shoot and kill Colonel White. | was only
a boy of seventeen years fage he urged
me to do it. Colonel White was paying
some visits to some young ladies that
were on the island, and Captain c. G. Bow
en- fixed a blind on the road that he trav-
elled as though he was agoing to shoot tur-
keys. He loaded a gun n gave 1t to
me he told me that 1 should go and
shoot Colonel White, either on his going
or returning from these Fyoung ladies 1
told him that l did not want to do it, but
he &C. c. Bowen) said that l should 10 1t.
/ told him the second time that / did not
want to do it, ne &c. C. Bowen) persisted
and told me that | sho uld obey HIM, as
he was a commanding officer he told me
if there was anything wrong he would
stand the brunt he handed me the rifle
which he loaded, and told me to go to the
blind, and commanded that I should not
let Col0nel White pass without killing
him. l went to the blind and sat down
there / was there but q few minutes
when / had taken the lock off the gun and
broke the handspring off the lock I car
ried it back and told him that l went to
cock the gun and the handspring got
broken he said that it was did strange
that the handspring should get broken by
cooking it (the gun) he went and got an
other gun. and fixed it up and loaded it
and then fixed up another blind on the
other side of the road leading to the boat
landing, and told me that I should shoot
him Colonel White) from that blind
l refused to do it, and he then told me
that he was coming to Charleston, and
that he would be back on Tuesday morn
ing if I did not kill old White" by the
time that he &C. c. Bowen) would come
back that l should meyer see home. !
put Oh anu SluUlcG InIl 1ue5udy nlBul,
and he &C. G. Bowen } was to be at camp
on Tuesday morning, | took the gun that
he &c. G.. Bowen) gave me. The colonel
was sitting at his window; l could have
shot him through the head or through the
body or anywhere, l thought but L would
shoot away from where he was and miss
him entirely, but he was sitting with his
, feet stretched out from him the ball
struck his leg, 1 turned round and walked
of, and threw the gun INTO a ditch, near
the house, l went on to my quarters then
laid down. Nextday I went to Colonel
White and stated all the facts to him.
Captain Russell and Lieutenant Platt
were present, and l think Captain Law,
of Savannah, was with me. Colonel
White told me he did not blame me Tor it,
but he said that Bowen was a black heart
cd scamp. Colonel White talked with me
and advised me as though 1 lad been one
Of his children. have always said that
if Captain G. G. Bowen was. arrested that
would come forward and make this state
ment, and Ihave made this statement In
the presence of Mr.. w. P. Laramore, and
his father, John l.. Laramore, and Mr..
Peter Laramore. in Lee county, Georgia,
in the year 1867, and since 1 would not
have killed Colonel White were it not
that / were in fear of G. c.. Bowen taking
my own life. Mr.. G. G. Bowen said that
he would kill me if I would not do it
that is if 1 DID not kill Colonel White. 1
voluntarily come forward to give my evil
dence against Captain G. G. Bowen, so
that he should be brought to Justice, and
to relieve my conscience. as it has given
me great trouble OF mind, and heart too,
ever since it was done. 1 also told my
wife and Mr.. w. j.. Willoughby, in Nc
Dufie county, Georgia where I now live
temporarily, lately, if c.. C. Bowen was
arrested and If l knew where any of Colo
mel Whites friends were | would write to
them and say where 1 was living, so:that
they might know where Twas, and get my
testimony against G. @. Bowen. l did
not want him to know where 1 was. for
fear that he would have me killed. l first
got acquainted with c.. G. Bowen about
1860 or 1851 in Lee county Georgia. He
persuaded me to join the Confederate ar
my, I worked with him before 1 went in
the army, and 1 cursed the day I ever
knew him. In this statement 1 have told
the truth, freely and voluntarily, before
God and man.
ELI G. GRIMES.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
9Th day otFebruary. A. D. 1871, NJ. CAyL-
e.. I ~