The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-11-26
WILL MURDER NEVER CEASE: {:
A New Tale of Horror from Unfortunate
Edgciield.

Especial Dispatch TO Ncws md Cooier.)
EDGEr1ELD, November 1S.-The oil
County of Edgefeld seems somehow t
be under dark and bloody ban. Whil
thirty-one of its citizens are in jai
awaiting trial for the murder of Cul
breath-while the double murder in
yolved in that case is still undcr investi
gation-the Courthouse is appalled, this
morning at the news of triple tragedy
in which the blood of three of the
best citizens is spilled and an ole
man and his two sons hurried off into
eternity by the hand of the assassin
at noon to-day white man, named
Corley, and q negro. named Charlie:
Brooks. galloped into the town with the
news of this 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
respectively. The murderer is Robert
Jones, also white, who married the
granddaughter of Presley and who
lives on the farm with them. The scene
of the tragedy is about eight miles west
of the Courthouse.
The representative of the Ne,cs and
Courier, upon hearing of the occurrence.
at once set out to investigate it and
gathered the following details of the
horrible affair: Jones, the murderer, it
sppears, came here from Georgia several
years ago and married Mr.. Presley 3
granddaughter. The Pressleys rent
some land in the neighborhood, portion
of which was occupied by Jones, who,
however, paid no rent for it On Tues.
day evening Charles Presley went to
Jones's house and told him that he
would have to vacate the land as he and
his brother could not afford to pay the
rent for him. To-day about II o'clock
Jones entered The field where old Press.
ley 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 Press.
Icy and, without any words, raise a
double-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 o knife,
stabbed him in the right side and ripped
the knife entirely across his chest, Kill.
ing him almost instantly. In tho mean.
time old Presley was in the field trying
10 hold his sons plough horse which had
been frightened at the sound of the firing.
Jones deliberately reloaded his gun, ap.
preached 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 the field. A
messenger was dispatched to the Court.
house to get out warrant The Press
ley's have the reputation Of being re.
spectacle, quiet and orderly people, the
eldest son, John, having served through
the war with bravery. Jones came here
about six years ago from Georgia and
settled in the County. His sisters are
married here, one of them being the
wife of Mr.. Parkman, one of the defend
ants in the Culbreath case.
There is the strangest sequel to this
horrible affair, however. About 2
o'clock this afternoon a short, thickset
man; attired in an ordinary homespun
suit entered the village, carrying on his
shoulder q double. .barrelled shotgun.
He went to the postotfice, left his gun
with o man in there, and then slowly
and deliberately walked on to the Jail,
which is situated next to the Courthouse,
and which has front yard, rallied in by
an ordinary iron railing. 'That's
JONES'" said some one, and as the news
of the murder had been known for some
time crowd speedily followed Jones.
Hc applied to the negro turnkey, who
opened the gate, and entered the place
and gave himself up. He was followed
into the jail by a 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 killed three of the best men
in the County, but that he was obliged
TO do it. At this point his relative inter.
posed and advised him to say nothing
more, and he obeyed the injunction.
The murder is very freely discussed on
the street. Some men speak of it with
depreciation, and fully realize that fresh
horror, coming so fast upon the heels of
the Hammond. .Culbreath horror, is
staggering blow to the good name and
prosperity of the County, but as a
general thing the matter is talked of
quite coolly and as matter OF not more
than ordinary interest.
The tragedy, it is true, is one that
might happen in any community, but
the people of Edgefeld, who have an in
terest in the patriotic old County, can't
help but feel that this is a heavy blow.
The inquest will be held tomorrow.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE TRAGEDY.
JoHNsroN's, November 1S.-Several
gentlemen have just arrived here from
EIdgefcld bringing the astounding intel
igonce that Mr.. Edward Presley and
two Of his grown sons, Edward and
Charles, were killed 10, day by Robert
Jones. Jones killed the old gentleman
and one of the sons with double barrel
shotgun, and then killed the other son
with pocket knife. The difficulty arose
about the sowing of piece of land in
oats. 1t seems that Mr.. Jones and Mr..
Presley and the sons had bought the
land together. Jones had paid his part
on the land, the others had not, and 80
the rights of the parties who had not
paid up were brought into question.
Mr.. Pressloy was en- old man of 80 years.
He leaves an invalid wife. Mr.. Jones
claims that he did the killing iu self-de-
fence; that they entered the field while
he was at work and would have beaten
him TO death had he not killed them.
He Immediately went to the sheriff at
Edgefeld and surrendered himself to
save himself, he says, from being lynched.
The killing took place about three miles
west of Edgefeld Courthouse.