Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-06-01
ATRoc1oUs MURDERS.

uVe, duu ulS Wllo, SobuoAiuo "A. AotniVu,
aged fifty, perpetrated at Winter Seat, in
Edgefeld county, near the sAbbeyille line, on
Wednesday night, the 18th ultimo. The
murders were committed on Wednesday
night, about 8 o'clock, it is supposed, ,,in the
front or sitting room of Harmon's resideice-
q two.story structure situated on the rightsof
the road leading to Augusta, about . quarter
of mile from the bridge crossing Hard La
Dor Creek, and distant from the nearest neigh.
bors about half mile The house was oc-
cupied by Mr.. Harmon and wife alone, and
one cabin in the yard was tenanted by the
cook Betty Perrin. About forty yards from
the dwelling stood the storehouse, in which
Mr.. Harmon kept an old remnant of goods
and supplies for his own private consumption.
The murder was first announced on Thursday
morning by negro man, Stephen Lake, who,
according to his own story, had gone, as was
his custom, to get the crib keys. The alarm
was instantly given and a runner was dis.
patched to the various neighbors with the
horrible intelligence. Eight or nine gentle
men repaired to the house and at once enter
ed by the front door which was unlocked and
by which, as was supposed, the murderers
L.
THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY =
The sight which met the gaze was most
horrible. The room was filed with smoke,
and the odor of blood and burning kerosene
To the left of centre table, on which were
placed four lamps, Bible and vase Of roses, 9
and upon which rested the bludgeon that had 8
been used in the murder, lay the body of Mr..
Harmon. The murdered man was lying on
his back, with his head turned up exposing to
view the CHASTITY cash in his throat, which had
been cut from ear to esr; ywithfhis right hand
raised above his body clutching pencil, and
with his left in the same position slightly near
er the wound-the pencil touching the left
hand, but pointing directly to. the wound. :.
Between the knees of Mr.. Harmon lay his
hat and near his feet his spectacles. About
four feet from Mr.. Harmon, near the fireplace
and in the left hand corner of the room, lay
the body Of his wife with two gashes on@her
head, one on each temple, and her throat cut
from ear to ear. She had fallen upon her
front with her face slightly turned towards
her husband, and had apparently died with
out struggle. The floor was dyed with
gore-the blood from Mrs. Harmon's body
passing across the room and under the person
of her husband. The FIRE, which had BEEN
kindled by the assassins for the purpose of
covering up the traces of their hideous crime,
was still burning when the room was entered
on Thursday morning. 1t had been kindled
with garment saturated with kerosene and
was slowly working its way. The oil had
been procured from the store roomfin a ten
gallon tin can which was supposed to have
contained about half gallon Of oil. The
dwelling and storehouse had been robbed Of
everything of value in clothing, money jew
elry and provisions, in the search for whichi
the iends must have spent the greater portion
of the night, and just before day set the kerr
osene on fire. 2taHh;r oigisss.R
. .~ THE INQUEST. E8s Sliss
DR.. J. A. Barker, a trial Justice of Edgefeld
county, living some twelve ,ailes from the
scene of the murder, was sent for, and made
his appearance about four O. clock on Thurs.
day afternoon Ajury Of inquest was at once
impanelled, Mr.. John Callisona as fore
man. The bodies of the murdered victims
were examined by two physicians and then
delivered to their friends. Mr.. Harmon had
been struck between the eyes with dogwopd
club, peeled for the purpose, and the back Of
his head was found to be almost a perfect
ielly. After these blows his throat had been
cut. Mrs. Harmon, from all appearances;
had been killed entirely with the knife. n The
evidence Of Stephen Lake, Betty Perrin and
Larkin Holloway, all colored, was taken,
That of Stephen Lake was so conflicting that
he was committed to jail at Edge6eh. Among
the facts developed at the inquest were these:
That Mr.. Harmon, on w Wednesday, was in the
field dropping cotton, and Larkin Holloway
was ploughing; that the latter. at eleven;
o'clock, dropped his plough, saying that he
was sick and would go home the next day,
after the murder, his tracks were discovered
leading to the spot, where ether foot marks
were found, and where dogwood club had
been cut and stripped and the bark buried
This club was found near the murdered cou,
pie, blow from which had crushed Mr.. Harfr
mons skull. The cooks story was that she
awoke late on Thursday morning, went to the
house and knocked, but failed to get any an.
swer then went to Stephens house, and found
him asleep. They then proceeded TO the
dwelling and Stephan went in through the
front door, which was open, and in the parlor
found the dead bodies in pool Of blood, their
clothing and the floor saturated With kero-
sene, the latter on fire, the blood surrounding
the bodies preventing the flames from burning
them The alarm was then given. sR1 f'5'3''ssss
The bodies of the murdered couple were
buried in one grave at Rehoboth Churebsonl
Friday afternoon, the funeral sermon: beng
preached by the Rev. R. P. Franks. :. i ,,sj,j3
The inquest was adjourned from day to day,
the excitement in the community running
very high, and fresh developments constantly
resulting as to the fearful crime, eliminating
on last Tuesday morning in the 7,}t&3 7ets
CONFESSION OF ONE OF THE MuRDERERssst
A negro named Austin Davis, alias Sam
Perry, was caught Tuesday night below Edge
knowledge of the murder, but finding the,
proofs accumulating against him, he finally
made clean Breast of the whole affair. The
substance Of his confession is as follows: ,.3 e
CATER working for one month for Mr. Har-s
mon, I left on Monday preceding the day Of
the murder and returned on the Wednesday,
following and met Lark Holloway on Har.
mons place about II o'clock, A. M. We
parted, he going to his house, and ] retiring
to shade to rest. He returned to me about
one and half hours by sun and cut a,dog-'
wood stick, (the same as exhibited to jury.)
asked him what he would do with it. Here
piled: You will see.' then. came to Mr.,
Harmon's residence, arriving: about supper
time. sat on the stone steps a few moments,
and went into the house. Next time / sew
the dogwood stick it was in the dwelling .inF
the hands Of Stephen Lake, / being4in the
house when Stephen Lake came inta Mira
Harmon was alone in the room when / entered.