The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-06-13
THE CORONER,S INQUEST.
Testimony of the Witnesses III the
Shiclds-SI,ton rragcdy--Verdict of

Coroner Smith returned TO The city ycstcr-
day afternoon from the seem" OF the late
tragedy in !iopawcll. wlic"e he Yesterday con
G.. s;tton, the superintendent of the Mary
land and Charlotte copper mine, who was
s s,,jn,ol I"e Nn.srx' 'n nor r n Wni BY }cx Mr. \ p, T M"1, l.:
aid. WIN. Little. B. +. Brown, Jas. :. klrliScy
and |. ~. Hunter, composed the jury, OF in
quest. Immrhiatrly on organizing. the jury
and viewing The body, Coroner Smith went to
work examining the witnesses. The young
lady whom it was alleged SittOn scduccd was
called. but refused to give any testimony be.
fore the Jury. Mrs David II. Shields, sister to
the murdered man, testified that about =
O'Clock on the morning of the murder. she
was in the stove lootn cleaning the stove;
when Tom Shields came to the door and
asked her If she had eaten breakfast. ~ re-
piled, long AGO Smiling, he turned away
and walked into he opposite room to where |
had left my brother sitting by the window,
speaking to him ] heard the deceased laugh.
then | heard Tom Shields say lets 90 upstairs
They then went up stairs, Shields carrying
tEc gun on his shoulder, the deceased in front.
The deceased made Il remark md laughed,
AMI then they went nio the deceased room
ana for about one moment everything was
quiet. Ithcn heard the report OF 4 gun in the
room of the deceased. was thrn IN the me, pa .iI
: nirAn?' and / saw Tom Shields with his
hand on The knob of The dcccascd'S room,
looking in Il stopping position, rs II looking
1T the body Of the deceased. waited no
longer. I ran down TO the field where my
husband was at work and told him that Tom
had killed bud. lie came with me thinking
that | was frightened. and we came to ne
back yard Tom was walking ont there, with
his gun on his shoulder. David asked him
what he had frightened this child so for"
Tom answered, you need not he taking on or
him. i'avil asked 'wlln?' lie answered.
Joe David going M to him said. what did
y"u do that for: He then cooked the gun at
him and told him To stand or or he would
'ShnOt him Ip tEpn went I'D TO him AMI TOOK |
hold OF the gun. Tom thea drew back and
81 i'd. there's Your wife. defend her, act like a
do that FORE He says, 'hc scdnccd my sister,
! would shoot any other man that would do
such Il thing He then says here is the key
of the room and | forbid you to enter then
David told him to hand him the kc%. He
then threw il ut bin. and told him not to en-
! ter the room uIti! sOincbody came. Turning
h" walked with his gan ON his shoulder back
to The store. in the direction Of his own house,
carrying the key Of the dc"caScd'S room with
him. Witness said he called on Thursday be.
fore with his gun on his shoulder, and asked
for tie deceased. on being informed that he
was absent he left. He also called on sab
bath evening. and aSlicd.wiicrc Joe was. Tom
sand 4 SUPPOSE he is sleeping This was my
brothers home, and he was killed In his
room.
u. II. Shields hc!ng duly sworn, says: 81
lrit my house about : 3. M. this day, June 9Th.
ISL. Just as | WAS going ont OF the house |
stopped ut TN" door ana asked Joe il he want
w ~ w t''h' i''"i !" l'Nb 'Nt''s ~ '"'''
Tin not sure whether ri 30 until ate" the
mail comes | then started to my work.
Passing through my back yard | saw Tom
! comm" UP with his gun. ! went ON To work,
about .IW yards from my house, and in about
~ minutes | heard the report of Il gun. In 4
moment my wife came running to me crying
Tom in my back yard. and | said: Tom.
what are you trightrnin" this child for this
wny:' He said: you need not he frightened
and taking on anything about it; have
Swcr was: Il killed Joe ! stepped towards
him. and he said: stop there, or | will shoot
yoI,' andsiic pointed his gun at me. walkcd
towards him and told him TO put down his
gun. liG lowered the gun and said: Heres
the key He threw the key on the ground,
saying: There ii is, bat don't you enter, the
room until somebody comes, picked up
the key and cave 1t to him, and lie then turn
ed and walked of. carrying his sun ana the
key with him. goin. in the direction Of my
fathers store and his own house.
W. \. Alexander being duly sworn says:
con the morning Of June 5:h, 1883, ! came 10
the blacksmith shop near Mr.. David Shields
house, and while sitting in the door Of the
iinmp of Mr.. David Shiclds' hnu.r - in lille
while after ! saw Tom Shields wa!kingthrough
the back yard: meeting David Shields and his
ShirldsS. ] being then about2M yards from the
parties. Tom Shields then came down with
his gun 10 the store, called Inc to him. anu
while talking to me loaded one barrel of his
Ell. IN tlRII slNNNu NV W. E' tl't1l lIi'
store. and called his father to come also; he
said to us; i have killed Joe Sitton; he has
SCduccd my sister, He then told me he want
cd nc to go To o " with him to give himself
up. We then went to his house and he left
the gun. after which We started to Charlotte.
lie, Tom: Shields, said that he was informed
by his sister this morning at the break fast ia
bic. that Joe Sitton had accomplished his
ends and was going to leave to-day, ana didn't
know that he would ever be back. He said
he rose from the table ana went Immediately
to David Shields and asked Sitt0n twice If he
would marry his sister. He first answered
first. and then he tShir'd, stepped back to tic
passage door Of Joc's room, picked up his gun
ami Shot him."
II. \. Grey being sworn says: ''On the
morning of June 9TH. ISL. at the house Of Da-
vid Shields. | hrld II conversation with Miss
{ Mary Shields, the sister Of Tom Shields | !
ASKED her whether the charge that her broth.
or Tom made against her and Joe Sitton WAS
true. She q that II was not true. |
sail 20 her that ] was glad To know that IT, was
not true, that | might be abe to defend her
honor. ] then said to her that ! would like or
some one else TO hear her make the statement.
She conScnt"h. and I called in Mr.. Nc. Sam
pie. I tncn sud about the same to her i'm his
presence, and she said again that the charge !
was false"
X. I. Hampton being duly sworn says: "On
the 9TH day Of June, lNSi, | was present at the
buggy house of TlOs. l.. Shields when W. A..
: Alexander rctul ned from Charlotte, and in Il
: conversation between Mr.. Alexander and Mr..
A.. G. Shields. | heard MI. Shields say that III
Tom had had his pistol this thing would have
happened last week.
The testimony of several other witnesses
was taken, and the jury retired for dclibcra-
ton, and soon agreed ON Il verdict that 81. q.
Sitton clmc to his death by the criminal act
of one Th0s. J.. Shields, by Il shot discharged
from q gun IN the hands of tic said Thos. l..
Shields !
Mr.. ]$;itton's remains were inferred ycStcr- .
| Ia. 80 ,,.t,,, - - ,,, u ,t,t ,k I