Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-31

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that Billings treated his wife kindly, and
that her suspicious concerning his relations
with the Curtis woman were unreasonable;
but in regard to his relations with his wife the
evidence was weak compared with that on the
other side, and although no criminality was
proved regarding his intimacy with Mrs.
Curtis, it was shown that be had been on init
mate terms with her.
A remarkable feature of the case was the
appearance on the stand Of the daughter of
the accused to give evidence against her faith
er. She testified in great agitation, and on
the first day, after being on the stand two
hours and half, she tainted, and for hours
was in an hysterical condition but the evil
dence she gave was clear, intelligent and she
believed her father guilty. She testified to
the wretched life her father and mother had
lived together for eight or ten years, and be-
lieved, as her mother did, that he had twice
before attempted to kill her. She also testi.
fed to efforts her father had made to get her
to give him aid in getting her mother placed
in an insane asylum. When her father came
into the house after the murder she accused
him directly in the presence Of others of the
crime, having expected that he, would some
time kill her mother and perhaps herself,
and she had said that, in case of her mothers
death by his hands, she would expend every
cent of her fortune in prosecuting him.
Billings is man now 6fty.two years old,
born and brought up in that neighborhood,
as was his wife. He has made his own for
tune in business, and is reputed to be worth
a quarter of million of dollars while his wife
had q separate fortune of $4,000. During
his imprisonment and the long trial, which
began on the 10th of September, he has
borne himself with much frmness, but never.
theless shows plainly the marks of anxiety.
His aged father, a physician, was with him
in court daily, and, while believing him in
nocent of the charge brought against him,
was overwhelmed with the shame Of it. g
The case, after argument of counsel, ex-
tending over several days, was given to the
jury at 4.40 P. M. last Friday. They were
discharged Monday afternoon, unable to
agree. They stood eleven for acquittal to
one for conviction.
q How THE BRAVE BENNER MET HIS FATE.
On Friday evening, the 11th instant, while
the relief boat was lying at Grand Gulf,
Mrs. Leonard came on board and asked per.
mission to remain till the arrivalof the steam.
er Pargoud, on her way up to Greenville.
Mrs. Leonard had just buried her daughter
at Port Gibson, and was returning to her hus-
band and remaining child at Greenville.
Grand Gulf is rigidly quarantined. Ropes
are stretched across the roads and streets lead
ing into the city, and negro guards, armed
with shot guns and rifles, are posted at each
end of the rope, with orders to shoot any one
entering from the country. Mrs. Leonard
passed around the town, took q skif and made
her way to the boat Lieut. Benner having
only single-bedded room, gave it to the lady
who slept in itiuntil o'clock Saturday NOR
ming, when the Pargoud came up. Lieut..
Benner accompanied the lady on board, but
in returning the gang.plank slipped, throwing
him into the mud and water. He occupied
the bed just vacated by Mrs. Leonard, the re-
mainder of the night Sunday morning he
was seized with the usual symptoms, but du.
ring the night bis condition became critical.
IN MS u1r1fIum II ret1ursu TWO srr0bg men 70
keep him in bed. At noon Monday his tenn
perature was 1901. pulse 120, skin dry, and
tongue very bad. Black vomit seemed immi-
nent Surgeon Keys never left his bedside.
The most experienced nurses were in attend
ance. At Q p. M, their efforts seemed re.
warded by reduction of the temperature.
A gentle perspiration was induced, and at the
hour of ten, p. m, the crisis was confidently
stated to have been passed, when he was con-
sidered out of danger. He had relapse,
however, and yielded up his brave young life
at 2 80, Thursday morning.
FIRE AND BRIMsToNE.-The Rev. j. S.
Furnis, (aptly named) an Englishman, has
written an interesting and graphic description
of hell, "for the instruction of the young"
He'll, he says, is situated 1000 miles from here,
at the middle of the earth, and is tenanted by
millions and millions of tormented creatures,
mad with fury, who dwell in the midst of
screams, groans, yells, cries, shouts, shrieks,
roarings, hissings, howlings, wailings, fearful
blasphemies and thunder, not to mention The
sounds of oceans of tears running down from
millions of eyes with great splash upon the
floors Of hell" The Rev. Mr.. Furnis then
says: "The roof is red hot the floor is like
a thick sheet of red-hot iron. See, on the
middle of that red-hot iron floor stands girl.
She looks to be about sixteen years Of age.
She has neither shoes nor stockings on her
feet The door of this room has never been
opened since she first set her feet on this red
hot floor. Now she sees the door. opening.
She rushes forward. She has gone down upon
her knees upon the red-hot floor. Listen, she
speaks. She says: I have been standing with
my bare feet upon this red.hot floor for years.
Day and night my only standing place has
been upon this red.hot floor. Sleep never
came upon me for a moment, that / might
forget this horrible burning floor. Look at
my burning, bleeding feet Let me 60 off
this burning floor for one moment-only for
one short moment Oh that in this endless
eterDityof years, might forget the pain for
one single moment The devil.answers her
question. DO you ask for moment-for one
moment to forget your pain No, not for
single moment during the never.ending eter-
nifty of years shall you leave this red.hot
foor'"
CORRESPONDENTS BY HAIR L1NE."-Not
long ago capillary correspondence was at
tempted between noted Partisan thief in
durance vile and his comrades outside. The
prisoner was sent letter from his intended
bride, containing merely lock of hair,
wrapped in the leaf of book. The jailer
did consider the souvenir important enough
to be delivered, but few days after came
similar enclosure, and yet another. This
aroused suspicion and the Governor took the
matter in hand. He examined the leaf of
the book. 1t was only that Of common
k-,o+u ~ 1;ooo ~, q rooo Than bo