The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-06-13
The Avenging SHOTGUN.
FEii.ER DETAILS OF TIE SHIELDS
SITToN MURDER.
rive S.tcs - t!:c Siory-Tha Victim
Il Snula t:1ra.ininE che Murderer
Il Revenue G:icCr-Thc Story of
the Sisters Seduction Denied.

two S,tcs - t!!c Siory-Thc victim
Il Snuth tara!inimE Th" Murderer
II Revenue GaicCr--Thc Story Of
the Sisters Seduction Denied.
The faulr"r .y1urmrA-O Observer of Wrdncs-
day gives iuil details uf The sh Dcling murder.
on Tur%Ary last. OF %!r. Joseph q. Sil."ll. STU
pcrinicn'!rut of the Maryland and charlotte
TOPPER Mine. ly Thomas |" Shields. II rrvr-
ma" officer. The mu"'icrcrS story Is us i"l
lows:
"r.ic S~!loniin" occurred early In the morn
my. Just after breakfast. Sitton WAS III !nc
.tGi:>r ui my brother, David IL. Sllirlu*, Eh'
lives near the Inin". ana hui Il Shorl Instance
from my iirn-r. | carried lly >lio!."ln WIN
me. and on arrivin" At my h~:o'hcrS. house
set my gun down nn:>idc the room IN wnirii
Siiton preparing Ia leave. He had hnndicu
ny his clothing for the rIrroS" "l lrtNins.
! told him that he had Srlucrd my sister. ana
asked him point blank il he would NOT maze
tic necessary rc:arati"n hy. marrying irr.
u" replied: 40. not now / begged him to
! rrcpnsidcr and say Il at he would marry hrr:
H. rcpli"l: I'll rot do it'll Ill" ilr>i.
With that | went oul>ilc the door. rirk"d up
my gun, and re anirrin" the room, shot nm
down. took aim at his head. anu did iin'
look nj him after fired. hut turned iInmrii'
a.'lv and l"it tie room, lock ING the honf amer
M. As unir%!y As possible cam. on ~
charlotte and delivered my$"l! up tn the OH
GERS. This i> all want To say about IT,. lhr
killing was ir>tiliahIr. aud "9!y did what l
ol.h: to have dunc. My father is IN old man.
and nv muilcr j. an old lady. AMI this thing
Will almost Kill them, but ! could moi il'ip IT.
| begged Sitinn Ia marry my sister. whom ne
had ruined. AMI he refused to do II, and
Killed him" .,,
on helm. further interviewed Mr., Shields
stated that Siitun WAS about twice inc age on
his .i>ic". who is only sixteen years Oh. re
knew that +iitnn had been corresponding"
with her for Srn,"tiin" and .;,w her Frequent
~. In answer to the question aSin W!lcl or
nj wl,:;t time Siitun had sr,lucrl his sister he
stated iiut me did mi npW-hp Only kllc"
that Silton ls,l s"huccl her. This story. now
ever. is denied by til" mcishhorS, who say that
III" girl hrS not been %>r,lurcri.
The girl was questioned by the nri"llhorS
Immediately after The sliooling aStnili" truth
ni The alleged seduction and most bitterly dc.
MED the charge. Sh" stated in the nrr"cncro
tin"ny in The Court House, that Sition had
never touched her ami the charge oi Scluc-
iion was all false. The people of That com,
munity. who know the young lady, regard
her rs Il pure and viriunuS girl. ANA ono WIZ"
is beyond the willy reach of the s'dncrf.
They arc firmly Of the opinion that there has
been no SrGur.iOn. and So far as appearances
ere concerned there certainly is nolIIlS 10 III
diclic seduction.
one Of the nci.libnrs reports HAT carly in
the morning Mr.. Sittrn was rcadin- Il paper
In II room on the first floor OF Mr.. DAVID
shields house. when Mr.. ThrS Shields enter
cd with q Shotgun, and asked the d"ccaSca 10
walk up stairs with him. Mr.. Siltrn got up
and accompanied Mr.. Shields. the latter car
rNlltp ne Gun III MS nlnlS. non tlc WV
reached the room up stairs. Mr.. shields SHOT
him down. locked the door and left Tor CHAR
iO:t".
b The tragedy is donhly sad 10y reason OF the
family rotations Of the parties cngl1cu: y
sister rf Mr.. Sil,nn married MI. David IL.
Shields, brother to the slayer, and IL was I'M
der this sisters roof that Mr.. Sition was kill
ed. Another sister Of the deceased man was
! married to the Rev. ~. G. Caldwell. of ton-
cord. WHO is now pastor OF Gilcad and lroS-
rcrity Churches. in this county. Tic deccils-
cl came to Mr"klcnburg several years ago
from Duc West. SGItl. Carolina. where lie was
born and raised. For Il short whiir allcr com
ing to this county he taught school in the
Ilopcwcll nrigl5nrhood. and appenred to gain
the respect and confidence Of the community.
I Later he took charge Of the books OF the
Maryland and Charlotte Copper mine, ana
, was for q fine paymnStrr, but was recently
elected superintendent and put IN full charge
Of The mine. Mr.. Sittnn comes from q very
respectable family, and was well thought OF
by the mcighhors. He wHS not married. Mr..
Shields family is one OF the eldest and best
known in the county. Tho slayer has for
som" time been in the employment of the
United States Government as a revenue Dill
Ger. and has four brothers living, all clever
men. and Ill having many friends.
Mr.. james \. S!tion. of Due West, father or
the murdered man. was yesterday notified by
telegraph of thckillin-. MI. Sitt0n's remains
will be sent to Due West for burial.