The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-11-25
A snooKrNa rnAaRDY.
Three Mon, Father and Two sons, Killed
by q Kinsmnn Particulars OF the Occur

AiuehinE- farttcuihfe OF thS OCcuf-
renee.
(FIom Tee News and Courisr.)
at loon on Wednesday the 18th inst.
q white man, named Corley, and q
negro, named Charles Brooks, galloped
most horrible crime. The victims are
Edward Presley, a white man, who is
over eighty years of age, and his two
sons Charles and Edward, aged about
twenty-six and thirty years respect
ivcly. The murderer is Robert Jones,
also white, who married the grand
daughter of Presley and who lives
on the farm with them. The scene of
the tragedy 10 about eight miles west
of the courthouse.
Tho representative OF tho Mews and
Courier, upon hearing Of the occur
renee, at Onc set out to investigate it
and gathered the following details OF
the horrible affair: Jones, the muir
derer, it appears, came here from
Georgia several years ago and married
Mr.. Pressley's granddaughter. The
Pressleys rent some land i'm the neigh
borhood, q portion of which was occu-
pied by Jones, who, however, paid
no rent for it. On Tuesday evening
before the homicide Charles Presley
went to Jones's house and told him
that he would have to vacatc the land
as he and his brother could not afford
to pay the rent for him. On Wednes-
day about IL o'clock Jones entered the
field where old Presley and his sons
Charles and Edward were plOughing.
A colored man who lives near the
scene of the murder states that he saw
Jones 60 up to Charles Presley and,
| without anv xUnr1c roton n lnrh1,
barrelled gun to his shoulder and
empty the contents of both barrels
into the body of his victim. He then
turned and walked off In the direction
of the woods. Edward Presley, the
brother of the murdered man, putting
down his plough, started to pursue the
murderer of his brother. Jones waited
until he came up and, then taking a
knife, stabbed him in the right side
ripped the knife entirely across his
chest, killing him almost instantly. In
the meantime old Presley was In the
field trying to hold his sons plough
horse which had been frightened at the
sound of the firing. Jones deliberate
~ reloaded HE gun, approached the
old man and shot him dead. He then
went home, mounted his horse and
rode off. John Presley, the only
remaining son, was in the house at the
time and came out after hearing the
firing, only to find his father and his
two brothers lying dead In tho field.
A messenger was dispatched to the
courthouse to get out a warrant. Tho
Pressleys have the reputation of being
respectable, quiet and orderly people,
the elderly con, John, having served
through the war with bravery. Jones
| 90 m ~ E1rnR1ll al~,k -
and settled In the county. His sisters
the wife of Mr.. Parkman GO -
There t. - ouIDreath case.
, g. 80 INC strangcst sequel to this
horrible affair, however. About 2
o'clock in the afternoon a short, thick
set man, alfred in all ordinary home
spun suit, entered the village, carrying
on his shoulder a doublc-barrelled
shotgun. He went to the postoffice,
left his gun with o man In there, aud
then slowly aud deliberately walked
on to the Jail, which Is situated next TO
the court house and which has q front
yard, rallied in by IN ordinary :.iron
railing. "That's jones'" said some
one, and as the news of the murder
had been known for some time o crowd
speedily followed Jones. lie applied
to the negro turnkey, who opened the
gate, and entered the place and gave
himself up. He was followed into the
Jail by q miscellaneous crowd, but no
one made any attempt to injure him.
Upon entering the Jail he remarked
to some Of the prisoners who knew
him that he had killer three of the
best men In the county, but he was
obliged to do it. At this point his
relative interposed and advised him to
say nothing more, and he obeycd the
injunction.
The evidence before the coroner's jury
was brief. Charles Brooks, an eye
witness Of the killing testified as fol-
lows:
III was at my house shocking corn
and the first noise I heard was a gun,
then l heard q scream, and l raised up
aud saw two men running whom |
recognized as Edward Presley, Jr.,
and Bob Jones. l saw them catch
hold of each other and I saw one
reach out of his hand as If he was
using his knife but I don'tknow which
one II was, but i saw Mr.. Presley fall,
aud Nix. Jones walked - with his gun
In his hand, and then I law something
lying on the ground that / took t o be
Charles Presley. Mr.. Jones walked
back In the direction Of where Mr..
Charles Presley was lying and stop.
ped and loaded his gun, after which
he walked to where Edward Pressley,
Sr., was standing and said, "Dog gone
1t, | will shoot you too" aud there
upon no raised his gun and shot him.
MIR. Jones then walked OH towards
his houses about 400 yards of. Mr..
Pressley, Sr., fell as soon as he was
shot. When 1 saw Mr. Edward Press
ley and Mr.. Bob Jones running Mr..
Jones was In front. The first report
that l heard seemed to be IA IL both
barrels were discharged at once. No
one else could have done the shooting
without my aeeing him. l am salts
fed from what / saw that Mr.. Jones
killed oil three Of tho PreSsleys. Dan
Mitchell and myself were about tho
second ones to get there after they
fell. Tlhid not geo any Weapons of any