The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-10
THE UNION MURDER.
Testimony of those Present-Verdict OF
The Coroner's Jury.

Testimony of those Present-verdIct OF
the Coroner's Jury.
The Columbia Union prints the following
evidence, taken at the jury of Inquest In
panelled to inquire into the killing of Robert
| Jster and Pearce Giles, In Union County, as
already reported by special kilograms to The
NEWS: ii
Jefferson Spencer being sworn, says: He
| knew the deceased, Robert Jeter; was With
| him last night In the road ami some one shot
him with q pistol as long as his arm TO the
| elbow; there were two white men; think one
man done all the shooting; shot witness hrst;
| then shot the deceased; the deceased Tell; wilt
| ness ran down the road, and was fired at once
| as he rap. When we met the two men there
| were three or four of us together; the de-
| ceased, Pearce Gyles, Horard Gyles and Wit
| ness: both OF the men told US to stop, slop,
| stop, by GOO you don't pass here; We
| stopped land they got down off their horses and
told US to march out In a line, they were going
to shoot us; witness started home; one OF the
men said stop; witness stopped, and was shot
Immediately, being about Two and q half feet
from the man who was shot; the deceased was
then shot down. The men had nothing over
their faces; one had on black pants and black
coat, the other grsyIsh coat and pants. l do
not know who they were, newer saw tnem as
I know before. One Of Them talked sorter
like Mr.. English; do not know who the other
talked ike; one looked like he would weigh
one hundred and thirty or forty pounds, the
other about one hundred and fifty pounds.
They talked like lrlshmen. / do not know
who they we're, and do not have any Idea who
thew were. One was on a dark lron-gray
horse, and the other on o mule. Witness says
he Is not afraid to tell all he knows, or to ex-
press hls idea. The larger mar caught hold
Of The lesser man, and shook bis head while
In the act of shooting. Witness knew the
horse, but did not know the mule; IL was
Thompson Glen's horse. The shooting was
| about one and a halt In the nisht-in the fore
part of the nIght-in The road opposite Polly
| Slmm's place. Both men, l think, had Side
whlskers.
Pearce Lylea, being sworn, says he was
| along last night when Robert Jeter was killed;
| Hayward, Jrfferln Spencer, myself and de-
| ceased. We were standing In The road when
tie deceased was shot. 1t was at the little
gate at the potato patch at the Polly simms'
place. We had bags OF cotton. We were
coming along the road when TWO men met US.
They halted US. They asked us what we had.
Witness told them q bag. Was asked what he
had in the bag. Witness answered, cotton.
Was asked where he got 1t. Told that he
worked last week and made 1t. Was asked
where he made 1t. Told that he worked with
q black man, and he had no money to pay,
and paid In cotton. Inc man toid US there
were fifteen hundred of them sent from up
above TO kill The God damn cotton toters; both
men talked at the same time, and said The
same thing; ordered us to walk of down the
road, they were going to kill us; and we
would not 90 and one man turned round and
shot JEFF, then turned and shot Robert, Then
turned round to ehoot me, and snatched Mr..
Lyles before me, and Kept Inc man ron
shooting me; the mans pistol went OF and
tbe powder burnt my lip. One man done the
shooting; 8 little low man. did not
know him; they started to drive jeff of down
the road: was behind and started 10 run.
Mr.. Dolphus Lyles said, God damn you. come
back; you amt going to run nowhere. came
back to Mr.. Lyles and told him l want going
to run from nobody; then JEFF was shot; then
Robert was shot: then shot at me; the men
were about five feet from us when they shot;
they then jumped upon their horses and went
off; and l come back and called Bob and felt
him, and he did not ansWer-he was deadi
| and I vent on home. Witness says the men
| did not have anything on their faces; they
had on dark clothes; l was about i've feet
| down; the stars shone bright; one of the men
| was McEngIish; do not know the other man;
| do not know that ] ever saw him before; 1t
| was about seven o'clock; daylight was not
| down; the men were riding; one riding q red
| looking mule, and the other q light gray
| horses did not know the horses; they were
| back behind the mel; certain 1t was q horse;
| one man had q black moustache and no other
| whiskers; the other had no whlskers at all; Ii
| he had I did not see them; McEDglish had the
moustache; McEnglish did some Of the shoot
| ing; the men called Lyles, and Lyles answer.
| ed and came to them; they called Lyles three
| or four times; do not know where Lyles came
from; was about four minutes after they called
him before Lyles came. Does not know any
thing more.
HAYWOOD Lyles being sworn, SAYS: Last
| night he was with Bob Jeter, Pearce Lyles and
! JEFF Spencer, going along the road; near the
Polly Slmms place We met two men riding;
| one was riding q mule and other a gray horse;
| thew told me 10 halt, and l run and know no.
thing more; but heard some one say halloa,
and MIR. Lyies answered halloa, and 1 heard
him coming out OF the house, aud heard three
REPORTS OF q gun. I run because / was scared.
Thomas G Jeter being sworn, says: He saw
Robert Jeter last night, where he lies DOW; 1t
was about nine o'clock; he was dead; | did not
examine him; | cannot say what means caused
his death. saw some person ride BY on q
horse; 1 could not tell whether the man was 8
white man or q negro; the horse was q strange
horse to the neigh0orhood; he was riding IN q
canter when | first heard him, but passed In q
trot, then struck a canter again. / was at the
place where the body was lying near three
hours. Do not know anything more.
Ruben s. Thomas being sworn. says: l came
to Polly Slmms's place last night between
| eight and nine o'clock, an l found Robt. Jeter
dead, with shot hole in his lett breast; do
not know how he came to bis death; there
was no person at the body except those who
went with me. Some one rode around the
house, but I could not tell whether the rider
was q white man or a negro; when 7 first
heard him he was riding in a lope, but passed
in Q rot, then struck a lope again. One other