The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-19
THE s.rSr OF TIE TRAGEDY.


4 receipt for tax cOllcctlOiiS Talu inlo tut
treasury. The room is rather conilhcl III
size and with It's furniture added. mace an
arena for oDn,bat wonderfully adapted to pro-
ducc mortal consequences.
TIE CAUSE: OF TIE TRAGEDY.
The real facts in all their Legitimate conncc.
tiOnS which preceded and led up TO the ialh'
encounter are difficult 10 he aSccrtnlhcd III
the present state of affairs. One oi the actors
Is dead and the other seriously wounded nro
forbidden to talk upon the subject. Cthcl
parties acquainted with the main facts nave
TO be relied upon for the mutter OF the present
narrative and these statements made during
the intense excitement following the dread
! full event may unintcntiOnally be somewhat
1T variance with the facts developed upon q
judicial Investigation hereafter. We have en-
uravOred to get at the truth In the matter
and we give the connected account made NJ
from the statements Of those who would con
sent to speak Of them. They are to the e:Tecl
as below given.
THE CONVICT ACT
Was passed by tho Legislature In 1856, under
which the convicts OF tho state were leased t.C
companies formed and designated as "pciii
Tertiary companies" one Of these compa-
MES was composed Of several gentlemen,
among whom were Senator Gordyn, Il. i
Lockett, w. Is Lowe and Colonel {. Is. How
ard. The convictS of the State arc divided In
a certain manner between these companies
for a fixed sum per annum for each convict,
and arc employed by the ~lrSsecs In labor upon
! lttTIllS, i'll HllncS tIlu u tllIoN VIE uStloiir
etc, as they may he made most profitable.
Mr.. Cox was Il sublrsSee undcr(fcn. Gordon
and had about sixty of the cOnNictS engaged
in agricultural labor upon n farm in Taylor
County. Gen. Gordon has been for some time
anxious to sell out his interest in the lease
and sever his connection with the employ.
mcnt of convict labor under this system. lie
has been endc:lvuring to do solur Solnemonths
and whcn Col. Aston, who has always been a
warm personal friend of Gen. Gordon, LEFT
Washington u few days agO, Gen. Gordon
gave him power of attorney TO sell his in
tcrcst in Pcni!cntiary Committee No. :.
THE dbl y DARGAISISG.
1t appears that Mr.. Jessie Walters, OF Al
bany, who is q representative from Dougher.
Is County in the present Legislature, had
been in correspondence with Gen. Gordon up
on the subject of this Interview, ana was de-
Sirous of purchasing the same. When len.
Gordon placed the interest In the hands oi
OIL. Aston for sale he wrote to Mr.. WATERS,
informing him of The fact and suggesting that
he see Col. Aston concerning The matter.
. Several days ago Mr.. Walters came to this
city with Il view OF meeting Col; AiStoh ana
negotiating about the interest offered for sale.
Col. Aston reached the city from Washing
ton on Sunday last, and on Monday had an
Interview with Mr.. Walters. In the mean
time Mr.. Cox, who was 4 nclghbor OF Gen.
. Gordon and Col. Aston. and an intimate
friend Of many years standing of the latter,
had decided to get out Of the lease business
himself. and some arrangements had been
made between him and Mr.; walters upon
we learn, thar in tho event Mr.. Walters pur-
chased the Gordon interest upon advantage
Gus terms he would also take Mr.. CoNs inter-
est upon terms satisfactory to tho latter. Up
on this account Mr.. Cox was particularly
anxious that the Gordon share should he
passed over to Mr.. Walters. and naturally set
himself to the task OF aiding this result.
When Mr.. Walters ana Col. Aston met, how
ever, the former would not consent TO pay
the price demanded by Col. Aston, which
wac $1,000. Col. Aston was acting as the
agent OF General Gordon. and was an>ions as
his friend and agent, to realize from the sale
Il sum that would free General Gordon from
The lease without loss. In other words, that
N:nount of money would have lust covered the
expenses of Gen. Gordon in the transaction:
Col, Aston refused to make better figures. and
Mr.. Walters said he would not buy, and badc
Col. Aston adicu. This to Col. Aston was
an understanding that negotiations were al
an end In that direction. He looked else.
where, and found Il party who would buy In
the person Of Col. {. Il. Howard one OF tho
co-lessecs. Col. Howard agreed to purchase
the interest for Si,UNl, and it is said part OF the
purchase none was paid to make the bar.
gain certain.
TRYING TO BREAK THE BOSp.
When the fact was made known that Col,
Aston had contracted with Col. Howard, ii
Is alleged that Mr.. Cox became greatly sNcit'
cd and declared the matter should not take
that direction. lie was SO intent upon max
. ing the trade so rs 10 give himself the advan.
ta.c he sought, that lie sought out Col. Aston
to try and effect his purpose. Prior to finding
Col. Aston he visited Col. Howard and ask.
cd to know whether, in the event the trade
was cOnSumlnated, he, Toward. would con
! sent TO trade with him. Cox, for his Interest
in the matter. Col. Howard replied that Inc
would not talk about that at that time; Inc
could not make but one trade ut II time, and
he was buying the Gordon interest as 1t STOOD
subject to the suitcase held by Cox. This
turn OF affairs, II seems, led Mr.. Cox to q
! stronger determination to upset the TRADE
and secure the transfer of the interest to Wal
tiers. Whether Walters had anything TO dc
| with this determination we know not fur.
Their than that he is understood 10 say he die
not.
TIE FIRST A~LTERCATIoS.
The fact appears to be that Cox first encnun'
tered Aston In the barber shop Of DOuglcrty
Hutcllins, on Marietta street about noon. Ht
asked Aston into the back room to talk, and
Aston afterwards stated tina Cox demanded
ard and make the one with Walters, stating
thai Walters would pay more than Howard
for the interest at stake.
Col. Aston replied to him that it was now
Impossible to do that thing. Hc had sold to
Howard and tie trade must stand. He had
offered the refusal of the share to Walters and
he had declined to lake the same. -,
Mr.. Cox persisted, and said if Aston did
not sell to Walters, he COX would be broken
or ruined, and he did tot intend to stand 1t.
His duty 10 his family. he said, demanded the
contamination of the other transaction and
it must be done.
reasons. It is here stated that their CONVEX
sation became audible tothoSc In the shop nj
the time. and that Alston was talking IN q
conciliatOry way while Cox was angry and
much excited. lie denounced Aston sweep
ingly rs not having treated him right, and
demanded that Aston do as he, Cox. desir-
cd. -.
Aston said he could not do 1t and would
not If he could. He told Cox he would not he
bullicd into doing the thing proposed to
him. =.
1t is stated that Cox drew or had In his
hand, q knife with which he threatened to
CUT AI4sToH s THROAT
Unless he acquicsccd in the plan proposed.
lie seemed to have had an idea Of frightening
Aston into compliance.
Aston told Cox lie was unarmcd and dcSir-
cd no difficulty with him. Cox then told him
to go and arm himself and meet him there ut
that place IN five ortcn minutes. Aston said
he would doit, and they parted. After Aston
left II Is alleged tina Cox INDUCED IN very,
abusive language about Aston, and said II
Aston did not do right In the matter he
would kill him before shutdown.
twas then seen that both the men were
excited and angry and a serious difficulty
was expected to arise between them.
PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT.
We learn that Mr.. Cox went into the saloon
of Mr.. Pause, near by, and net several par
tics there. He attempted to borrow a pistol
there, and said he wanted oncd--d quick"
and remarked TO Col. a. l.. Harris that he
had had u fuss with Bob AlSton, md intcnd-
cd to kill him. He made no concealmcnt Of
this intention. but he was refused the loan of Il
weapon, and advised not to have Il difficulty.
But he persisted and went to the gun store of
Heinz Bcrkclc, on Whitehall street, after Il
pistol. He said he wanted a ID good one
and well loaded" He bought II new nickel
plated revolver Of the "Swamp Angel pat
tern, We believe, and 1t was carefully loaded
for him by the vendor. He then went back
evidently upon the lookout for Aston.
AISToS'S MOVEMENTS.
When Colonel Aston left the barber shop
he went into the State Capitol and entered
the Office 6f. the State Treasurer. He met
there Colonel Renfroc, Colonel Howard and
Others, and spoke OF the entire transaction
with Cox at the barber shop. lie detailed
Cox's demands and threats. and hts own part
in the quarrel. He seemed ready and ,dispos,
ed TO return to whore Cox was, nsi he had
promised, but his friends insisted upon his
not doing so. and prevented him from IT,. Ife
had evidently armed himself for the ahTfty
which he said he knew was certain to be pro
yok ed. Where he procured the pistol, or
from whom, Is ut present In mystery.
While he was thus engaged In con vcrsntion
n messenger arrived from Cox. This person
was a young. M8n named Sans; we learn,
who WAS In the employ or COX. lie prougnL
word to Aston that Cox
WAS READY AND WAITING
For him to come and see 1t out, or flght'it
was drinking, and Sans replied that he did
not know, but that he was very much .eXcit
ed. a.
Aston told Sans to 60 back and tell Cox.
thathe would not come to meet him., but lot
Cox to attend to his " business, and he,
,,onId ottnnj RI btu. that, ha wautad