The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-27
Il HORRIBLE MURDER.
Tho ITnnaf.saI Deed ofa Negro Mother in
CSarcndon Couuty-.Slae Confesscs Her
Crime.


Tho Unnat.raI Deed ofa Negro Mother in
Clarendon County. .Slae Confesses Her
Crime.
LFrone tho Clarendon Ente,prtse ! !,
Ono of the darkest and most cold
bloodcd murders that has over stained
tho annals Of Clarendon county has
just como to light, About three or
four months ago tho child Of negro
woman suddenly disappeared, and tho
mother gave several and conflicting
accounts of its Disappearance. Sus.
picion was finally aroused and last
week she was committed to iuil to
await her trial. She had, however, so
well concealed her crime that 10 posi-
tive proof could be obtained, and if
she had only had sense enough to have
Kept her tongue silent, it is not likely
that she would ever have beon tried for
her life. She however gave sufficient
indications to justify the belief that foul
play had been used and so she was
arrested. She then confessed to the
sheriff that she had committed tho
deed, and agreed to go with him and
show him where the child was. Tues
day.a deputy and two or three Others
Wcrc conducted by her to Court House
creek. about five miles from Manning,
and about fifty yards from the road
side. They found the child almost
concealed in q low marshy mud hole
near the creek. The top of its head
was all that was visible, and the mud
had been pulled aside bv her hands
sufficiently to conceal tho child, after
which she had thrown some trash and
tcV rails on it. The body was taken
APP and brought to Manning, where 1T
was laid out On some straw in the
street In front of the courthouse, a
glasty sight, for tho public to gaze at,
and it remained there until late in the
when it was taken away
and buried. a jury Of Inquest was
organized and gave its verdict. Ex-
animation showed that its skull had
been fractured Mt the back of the head.
When found the child was buried face
down. and it may have been that the
fracture was causedby the rails thrown
upon it. If she had not carried the
shcrlf's posse to the spot it is not like
ly the child would ever have been
found.
The woman has told several different
stories about the matter; so the re-
porter Of the Enterprise, by the kind
ness Of the sheriff, was allowed to
Interview her. lie found her in the
Jail room, standing, and her manner
considerably unsettled. She is about
medium height, rather dark colorcd,
and with the usual negro pcculiaritics.
Upon being addressed she gave u ready
assent to an interview, aud in q somo-
what broken manner told her story.
Ifcr name is Cornelia Days, and she
is about nineteen years old. Her chih,
was born in March, 1881, and was
killed, rs she expressed il, in "cotton-
picking time," last fall. She COM
planned most bitterly of her pcoplc,
who hated her and had matrcatcd her
in many different ways. Her grand
fathcr who died some time ayo was
her only friend, and had many times
kept them from beating her. She said
they did not .loyc her or her child and
would not let her have any pcacc. and
that they would drive her from their
bone. IAeraunt'slusband. she claimcl,
was witch or some such dcviisll
person, and had said she would go to
| tho gallows yet, ffcr aunt had at one
time taken her clothes from her and
given them to her daughter. Manv
such complaints she put up, stating
that life was uncomfortable, and that she
7 ,rnn :" a; '''-hdl"t" hat clio didn't knn,u
what shc was xioing. She stated that
she left home on the fatal day with the
deliberate purpose to drown her baby,
ana that she stood on the bank Of the
stroam and threw her sleeping babe
into the vater. and thnt as it sank shc
| exclaimed, "My God, what have I
donc" She said that there was some
fatality that caused her to kill the
child, and that she is not to blame for
il, but her people who drove her TO
desperation is the cause OF tic crime.
The girl has never been married,
and that probably was the real cause
OF her killing the child, and what
snakes tho matter worse, she is q
second time in an interesting condi-
ton. 1t may bc that the girl is crazy,
but there Hpe few who believe this to
bc the case. The general verdict ia
that 1t is cold-bloodcd murder. Her
case will not bo tried 1T this torm on
account Of her condition.