The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-06-01
HORRIBLE MURDER.
Mr.. and Mrs. John L.. Harmon the
Victims
From the Abberiue Press and Banner.

| peclally OF the vicinity IN which this ter
rible outrage occurred, were shocked on
Thursday morning last at the informa-
ton that Mr.. and Mrs. John L. Harmon,
of Winter Seat, in Edgefeld Co., four
miles below Milway, had been murdered
by unknown parties in their own house
in the early part of Wednesday night.
We learn that although the negroes in
the yard heard "a noise like killing rats"
and heard Mrs. Harmon scream out
"Don't kill Mr.. Harmon" that they
never suspected anything wrong going on
in the house.. and did not know of the
murder of these old people until next
morning, when the man who feeds the
stock knocked at the door as usual for
the keys, and finding the door not
fastened pushed it open and saw
THE BODIES OF THE MURDERED PEOPLE
ON THE FLOOR,
and Immediately went off to the neigh
bors to appraise them of the fact. At an
early hour quite number of citizens had
assembled at the house, and the greatest
feeling ruled, and if the perpetrator of
the deed had been pointed out we doubt
if the courts would have been troubled
with his case. Suspicion, we learn,
rested upon a certain negro man, who
perhaps was in the employ of Mr.. Har-
mon, but there was no proof, and hence
he was not lynched.
The murder occurred before Mr.. and
Mrs. Harmon had gone to bed. 1t
that Mr.. Harmon was sitting at the CEN
tire table, with his back to the door, hold
ing pencil in his hand, which he never
released, but still held in his hand next
morning, and it is the impression that
Mrs. Harmon was sitting near the fire
place with her face towards Mr.. Harmon
and the door. 1t is supposed that the
murderer opened the door unobserved,
and upon walking into the room Mr..
Harmon turned his head to see who it
was and received
THE BLOW ACROSS THE EYES AND FORE
HEAD,
breaking the frontal bones, which felled
him at full length on the floor, and from
the position of the chair and Mrs. Har-
mons body next morning it is supposed
that she arose from her seat and attempt
ed to 20 to the assistance of her husband,
when she received three incised wounds
one on the right side of the head, one on
the left, and the third across the throat,
severing the larynx (windpipe) and the
carotid artery or jugular vein, which laid
her senseless on the floor. After the
felon had accomplished his work of death
he deliberately laid upon the centre table,
without disturbing the lamps, vases, or
anything else,
THE DoGwooD STICK
which had been carefully peeled for the
purpose for which it had Just been used
1T was about two and half feet long and
of the size most effectual in the deadly
work, and to make the work doubly sure,
the murderer proceeded to
CUT THE THRoATs OF BOTH HIS VICTIMS,
from whom great pools of blood ran and
were lying on the floor. After this he,
it is supposed, as one of Mr.. Harmon's
pantaloons pockets was partially turned,
took the store keys and unlocked the
store door, took the kerosene can into the
dwelling and set it on the floor.
A FIRE WAS THEN KINDLED ON THE
FLOOR,
and as it seems that the murderer was
afraid of the kerosene, he kept it at dis
tance from the fire, opened the fosset,
turned the can over and left the house,
thinking the oil would run out and reach
the fire. The kerosene ran out on the
floor, but was prevented from reaching
the fire by the blood which was on the
floor.
THE FIRE WAS STILL BURNING
next morning, but had burned so slowly
that but little damage had been done.
Everything in the house was in its place
with accustomed neatness. The fresh
flowers in the vase on the centre tables
gave out the sweet perfume as if nothing
unusual had happened, and the fingers
of the solemn-ticking clock pointed out
the hours as had been its wont, and
everything gave testimony that there had
been
NO STRUGGLE.
The murderer accomplished his work of
death most effectually and Systematically,
the only failure being in the attempt to
burn the house.
1t is said that old soldiers who had
been accustomed to scenes of death and
blood never saw anything more horrify-
ing than the sight which was presented
on entering the house where these people
were murdered the evening before and
lay unguarded all night long with the
consuming element so near, making slow
but gradual approaches to the destruc-
tion of the premises.
As far as we know,
THE MOTIVES
assigned for the commission of the bloody
deed were partly plumber and partly re-
venge. The first was evidenced by the
fact that the gold watch and jewelry of
Mrs. Harmon was stolen, together with a
sixteen-shooter Winchester rifle, a pistol,
and Mr.. Harmon's black cloth coat, some
gold and other articles, all the provisions,
including -four, bacon, sugar, coffee, &c. !;
whilst doubtless a feeling of revenge was
excited by a previous search for stolen
goods which had been made by Mr.. Har-
mon, under an official warrant, in the
homes of various negroes.
THE INVESTIGATION.
We are glad to hear that althoug h the
locality of this diabolical murder is sit
uated in Edgefeld County, still that the
citizens of Abbeville County living in
the neighborhood are showing great in.
terest in the investigation, several of
them taking an active part in it. The
court and jury is, of course, composed of
citizens of Edgefeld, but the clerks who
are aiding the Coroner in recording the
testimony are Capts. J. w. Perrin and
w. z. Cothran, both of this county. We
are gratifed, too, to hear from a reliable
source that Coroner Barker is doing his
full duty.
FURTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS.
Since writing the above we learn that
Trial Justice John A. Barker, who had