The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-25

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thercupon he raised his gun and shot hlm
Mr. Jones then walked on towards his house
about 400 yards of. Mr.. PRESLEY, Sr., fell n
soon as he was shot: When saw Mr iE .Eowats 1v
Presley and Mr.. Bob Jones running Mr.. J0ne
was in front. The first report that hear'
seemed to be as if both barrels were diScharg
ed at once. No one else could have done IN
shooting without my seeing him. am SatlS
fled from what saw that Mr.. Jones killed nj
three Of the PrcSSleys. Dan Mitchell and my
self were about the second ones to get there
after they fell. did not see any weapons o
any kind lying about. | never heard OF AR
PRESLEY and MI Jones having any dl1lculty
J.B. Presley.
Mr.. j. b. Presley, the only remaining mem
Der of the Presley family, except his aget
and palSied mother, who escaped inc wrath
the valiant Jones, testified as follows:
the report of two guns. 1t sounded rs If two
shots were fired first in quick succession, ant
in about five minutes heard one single shol
I thought it was some one blFd.huntlnS.
got done picking cotton and went to the house
and saw the horses that my father and broth
erS were p3Oughing coming down the road
\ negro boy caught the horses and told me NJ
thought that Mr.. Jones had shot my fafher.
then started to where they were, and as
passed Mr.. JoneSs house his wife told me that
iier husband had killed some of them. l was
the first person to get TO them after they were
shot. TEey were all dead but Charley, and lie
could not speak.
Going to Georgia to Die.
MIR. J. II. Terry testified as follows:'
I was at my house, about one mile from MIR
PresSlcy's place. on the road towards Edge:
field village. I was in my potato paich ana
field. and he called to me. stopped, and nc
walked up to me, and after shaking hands
said that he was in great tlonble. He had his
gun on his shoulder at TIC time asked him
what was the matter lie said he had had Il
difficulty with the Prcsslcys about land: He
said he had bought the land and had paid for
it and had papers for it, and that the Prr>s'oSS
had attempted to SOW oats upon II, and tnat
they did, and tha: they had co'nmr""ri to
sow oats this morning. and MH he hGd Mo1
then. in consequence. He then said that he
would 60 to the village and give hlmSelf up,
or 60 to Georgia and die there. ! thought
that he was testing. He then went in the di.
rcction of the village of Edcefcld. lie said
that he was afraid that he had killed Charles
Presley Edward Presley. ST., and Edward
Presley, Jr. He did not give any reason for
the shooting other than That they Ithe Press.
forbidden them. He did not say what he had
shot them Will.
The Work Of an Artist.
Jones is clearly no ordinary everyday MUIR
derer. His sworll was done in the most arts
tic and thoroughly business like manner. He
wanted to he worthy of his adopted home; he
wanted 10 do some killing, and Il heap Of it
and he did ii. He evidently approached his
first victim. Charles PRESLEY, by strategic
flank movement while the latter was plouS-
ing in the field. The physician DR. Jennings,
who made the poSi-mortcm examination.
found two loads of shot in the murdered
mans left side. Tie shots were fired at very
close range, say about eight or ten sters. and
without warning Then when Edward Press.
ley. Jr., ran up to him unarmed. and sought
to detain the murderer of his brother. he pro
cccdcd to carve him up. On the pcrSo.i of the
wounded man three horrible wounds were
found. one in the abdomen, about three inch
es in length and three or four inches deep;
one on the fefl side Of the chest, and in addi-
lion to this the mans left arm was almost
I have mentioned that Jones sa butcher by
trade, and has been supplying the. people of
Edgeiield village With fresh beef for some
tin;c.) The load Of shot which kllled,cld Mr..
PRESLEY was found in the abdomen ana me
left groin. 1t will be seen that Jontss modes.
,y, when he said he thought he had k illcd all
three of the Presslcy's, was worthy Of SO emf
nent an artist,
have not learned that any vigorour pur-
suit OF Jones was undertaken, and natural
ly made some inquiry with = view of asccr-
tanning why lie gave himself up so promptly.
One Of the distinguished counsel in the Cul-
breath case suggested that IL was the fear of
being lynchcd. (which goes to prove" added
after ALL"
AS write this, silence hroods over the ruins
of the village of Edgcficld. Jones is safely
and comfortably Quartercd in the second sto-
ry Of the Edgeficld Jail and darkr eSS covers
the land. Six miles from here an aged and
pasicd dame, trembling on the verge Of the
grave, keeps lonely vigil over the bloody
corpscs of her lifelong companion and two
beloved sons. I am reminded by one of Edge.
feds sons Of the Joke that Judge Maclcy Ct.
JD tells Of Il man who he met on one of the
battcfeldS in Mexico and who he nHticed
seemed to bend all his energies 10 the dodginS
of bullets.
"Iou seem to he rather pert to get out Of the
way Of the bullets" said the Judge TO the
man in question.
"Wall.' replied the soldier, 81 don't banker
arter bullets as a general thing"
"Thcn why the deuce did you come down
here?' inquired the Judge.
WALL you see capen' replied the stranger
81 'llong to OLD Edgetield deeStrick and je$
kim here to get away from danger.'