The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-02
The Franklin Murder.
ABBEYILLE, April 25,

Your readers must have been startled
during the last Chrismast holidays upon
hearing of she murder of George and
and Drusilla Franklin, near Greenwood
in this county. The circumstances were
very similar to those of the Harmon
murder in Edge6eld two years ago. The
victims in this case were an aged brother
and sister, living by themselves in a
house with two rooms; they were known
to have money they were penurious,
and all their circumstances were such as
to attract the cupidity of the money
loving murderer.
On Friday morning, December 81,
1877, the two helpless inmates of this
house were found dead; one, the brother
having fallen just where he had been
sitting at supper, and the sister in the
room adjoining, where she had fled,
probably, when the assault was made
upon her brother. The instrument used
to effect the butchery was persimmon
club, freshly cut from an adjoining wood.
This was found in the house after the
murder, and was produced here in court
yesterday, bearing the ghastly evidence
of its use upon it in the gray hairs OF
the murdered victims still adhering
to the rough bark. Trunks, bureau
drawers slni other receptacles were found
rifed of their contents, the search being
evidently prosecuted with view to se-
curing money.
News Of this terrible occurrence hav-
ing spread, the neighbors gathered in
numbers and proceeded to do what they
could to secure the murderers. The Club
furnished clue, which was followed out
thus: Knowing from the character of its
bark that it must have grown in suitable
soil, and finding tracks leading towards
a thicket near BY, the parties followed
them up, and aoon came upon freshly
cut persimmon tree, to which the. club
was adjusted, and it vas found that a
certain hollow in the club fitted exactly
into a continuation of the same in the
remaining stump, and the top lying by
fitted in size the other end of the club.
This then vas certainly identified.
Pursuing the tracks they were led to
the house of one JEFF David, who was
taken along, and after walking towards
the tracks that led in the direction of
where the club had been cut, he was
asked to put his foot into one of the
tracks, and it was seen that it fitted ez-
actly. Seeing this himself, JEFF cried
out: "For Gods sake don't murder me !;
give me a hearing" He was then ar
rested. Jeff was then asked for his
knife, and it having been produced, the
blade YVES found to be stained in color
which the acid of the persimmon pro-
duces on steel. Upon these accumula-
ting evidences of completely in the MUIR
der, JEFF was arrested, along with his
wife, son and another man, all colored,
and lodged in the county Jail.
These facts were elected yesterday Oh
the part of The State, represented by So
licitor Cothran. On the part of the de.
fence, it was shown that the pipe which
was exhibited in court had been found
in the house of the Franklins on the
morning of ahe murder-the bowl in the
room where the body of Drusilla Frank
lin was found, and the stem between one
of the plundered trunks and the wall Of
Lut uUuSe Lear NucIc Vic IEuuh otuOu,
The pipe was identified as the property
of one McGarvey now in Jail here on a
charge of burglary and larceny, it hav
ing been seen in his possession so late as
last November. The fact that every par
ticle of the evidence was circumstantial
was urged upon the jury, and it was con-
tended that as to all of the parties ac-
cused, except JEFF David, there was no
evidence to- connect them with the COM
mission of the deed. This was virtually
admitted by the Solicitor, and the case
was finally given to the jury about II
o'clock last night. They returned YER
dict about o'clock a. m. to-day of guilty,
as to JEFF David, not guilty as to the
others.
The defence was ably conducted by
two young practitioners, Messrs. w. G.
Benet and Samuel G. Cason, who we're
appointed by the Court to defend the
prisoners. They did their duty we'll
IhrrssnonIsnce Ne,rs nnd G0urier.