The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-08-19
DEAD IN A MILL POND.
WAS 1T ACCIDENT, SUICIDE OR MUIR
DER, WHICH?

DER, WHICH?
A Mysterious Tragedy in Greenville Coun--
ty-A Young Lady Found Drowned-A
Strange Case.
Thomas J. Cureton is IL respectable
and we'll known farmer who lives in
Grove township. nine miles from the
city. on what is known as the "Old
Adams Mill" place. His house is about
$50 yards from Reedy River. where it is
vet damned for a mill which has been
abandoned. Mrs. Cureton is a daughter
of John Adams of this city. and, like
her husband. has a number of relatives
living here, all people Of the highest re-
spectability.
On Friday Mr.. and Mrs. Cureton came
to the city, leaving the house and their
younger children in charge Of their
daughter Mary A. Cureton, known as
Mamie" a handsome girl of eighteen
years. According to the testimony Of
one of the children, a Girl Of ten years,
a young white man drove to the Cure
tons gate in a buggy about 10 O'Clock
in the morning and handed Mamie, who
went to him. a note. The child over
heard him say something about. meeting
somebody ''at the river at one O'clock"
The man, who had come from the direc-
tlon of the city, then drove away.
Miss Curcton returned to the house,
dressed herself in her best clothes and
distributed her other clothes and
trinkets among the children, leaving
with them a handsome gold ring that her
father had given her and putting on her
finger plain black gutta percha ring.
She then kissed thelii good-by, saying
she was going of to be married: and
left. They made some attempt to follow
or dctain her but were rcpulsed.
When Mr.. and Mrs. Cureton return
ed at night they were astonished and
distressed by finding their daughter gone,
and by the account they received from
the children of her departure. She had
no love affair that they knew of, but
they were forced to believe that she had
run of to be married. although they werS
at loss to imagine who she had gone
with. A messenger was sent to the
nearest preacher, but no information was
received and nothing more could be
done until yesterday morning. Then
the direction in whlc'l the missing girl
was going when last seen was obtained
from the children and search was begun.
In path leading through cotton field
to the river Miss Cureton's tracks were
found. They were followed easily in
the soft ground to the brink of The rlvcr
where a high and steep bank leads down
to the deepest part Of the mill pond, the
water being about ten feet deep there.
Down this bank there were distinct marks
,of the aeels of her shoes where she had
Slid from the top to the water: apparent
ly standing straight with her feet close
together. The neighbors were called,
and with poles and hooks made FOR the
occasion the pond was carefully dragged:
After a long trying search, impeded
much by logs and bushes which accu-
mulated in the pond. the body was
found about 100 feet down the river
from the place on the bank described
above. 1t was brought to the surface
BY a pole which had caught III tnc
dress. The young ladE had apparent
" died peacefully aud without pain.
There was no distortion Of the face
and the arms were crossed on the
breast as if arranged for burial. Every
thing about the body was just as Miss
Curcton had left her home for the last
time.
Coroner NIcBcc was notified BY w. NJ.
Lcndermen, who had found the body,
and Immediately went TO the scene Of
the tragedy. A jury Of intelligent cit
izens was summoned and the inquest
was begun. DR.. G. Tupper Swandalc,
of this city, made q careful examination
of the body. lie found that death had
been caused by drowning and that there
had been no other injury OF any kind,
and his autopsy and evidence based on
1t failed to give the least clue to the
mystery. The facts already given were
brought out by the testimony. The
closest examination Of the place where
Miss Curcton evidently went into the
water failed to discover any track but
hers or the least evidence Of struggle.
Her father and mother testified that she
had at times during her life been in a
condition of mind in which she did not
have the full use Of her faculties, al
though she had never been violent or
really insane. 1t would have been easy
enough to conclude from this that the un-
fortunate girl had zone to the river while
suffering from Il slight attack OF insanity
and fallen in accidentally or pnrposcly
drowned herself. But the case was mystic
rious and tho jury was pcrplcXcd by the
story Of the strange man from the city,
! the note aud Tie conversation about the
meeting ut the river. told by the child.
Close and sharp examination Elilcd to
shake her evidence. The statement she
had first made was stnck to iii every de-
tail 50 faithfully a> to carry conviction
OF its truth. The "ricl-stlckcn parents
could give no idea Of who the man was