The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-12
CLrCumStan Evidence.

A young LADY, forget the name, but
we will supply fictitiously-NIaryA Adams,
was missed from her home. Her disap-
pearancc caused intense excitement, and that
excitement ran wild when it was at length
announced that she had been murdered
Her body had been found tho o,,orn rf q
tributary vr tiIv IIu,lsun River, will, b, uiSes
upon her head, which gave ample evidence
that her death had been violent ono
Such bruises might have been gained by
falling upon the rocks above the spot where
the remains were found, but there were
other circumstances that pointed in another
and more ghastly direction.
a. young man named William Claypolc
was arrested under accusation of tho m,lr-
der of Mary Adams. A preliminary cx-
animation before a Justice afforded suD-
cicnt evidence to bind him over to appear
before jury. Claypo c had waited upon
Miss Adams for year or more, and during
| the two or three months last past their in
tcrcourse had not been of the happlcst kind.
She was proved to have been gay and
laughter-lovng, with light, volatile dis
position, heart warm and impulsve, and
impatient of restraint Caypolc, it ap-
peared, had been exceedingly jealous and
cxacting, prone to fault-tlnding, and ready
to make his at1ianccd miserable and fearful
if she dared TO look snilingly upon another
man.
1t was proved by several witnesses that
Claypole had threatened Miss Adams with
| terrible vengeance if lie ever caught her do
| ing certain triffing things again; and man
OF the town-a man respectable and relia-
blc---had seen the twain together in angry
discussion on the very night Of the disap-
pcarance.
He had been on his way home on foot,
and walking lcisurely along by the river 8
bank, not hundred yards from where the
dead body had been found. He had heard
Claypole use language of terrible signifi-
cancc, and one sentence, spoken loudly and
distinctly, he could repeat word for word,
and swear to 1t.
1t was bright moonlight evening, and
he had gained but short distance from
the angry pair when he saw the man grasp
the girl by the arm and fierccly cxclaim
'Pd rather kill you and throw your body
into this cold flood than live under sucl,
torture as you've made mo suffer for the
last few weeks. Beware tell you, wo-
man, am desperate" -
10 this the man sworc most positively
He remembered the circumstances and the
exact date, and this was the evening on
which Mary had left her home not to re-
turn. William Claypole was committed
for trial, and in due time lie was brought
before the jury.
If anything, the evidence before the Jury
was more conclusive than had been the
! preliminary evidence. There was more of
1t, and 1t all pointed directly to the accused.
In fact, If Mary Adams had been killed, ii
was an absolute impossibility that any one
else could have done it. That she could
have killed herself was q proposition not to
be entertained. Nome,
William Claypolo told his story. Most
of the evidence he had heard he acknowl.
edged true
He had been exceedingly jealous, and
ho had threatened the girl, and though he
could not clearly remember all that he
might have said under the influence of
strong passion, yet he would not deny that
the man who had reported his last terrible
speech upon the rivers bank, had reported
1t correctly .,t5,l,.sr
! Ho said he had been there with Mary on
that evening, and he remembered that he
saw the witness on tlie"road. After seeing
witness, he spoke the angry, impulslve
words to Mary. He could only swear tic
tho simple fact that very shortly after using
the language just presented he had become
startled by his, own fierce passions, and hat
sent tho girl from him Aiad bade her 20 ts
I her home, telling her that he hoped b,
might never see her again. With that sht
had left him, and he knew no more. n
] Claypole's story bore the stamp Of truth