The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-02-18


opened the gate she looked out across
the street and saw ''plat" lying on the
pavement,
The ''plat'' is" the false back hair
which is much affected by colored ic-
males. and Il plat" was,pointed ont on
her own head by Rosa Mitchell in eX
planation of what she saw. Just then a
colored man, an old carpenter. came
along and she pointed out the ''plat" to
him. and told him to go over and look
under the church. as she thought some
thing was wrong. There was nobody
there at the time. The old man hesi-
tated, but did 60 over. and looking at
the blood and the ''plat' ana the sur
roundings generally he walkeI away
without making any further lnvestlga-
tons. Rosa Mitchell then closed the
gate, and that was ali she knew about it,.
The screams she heard were very faint.
and she first supposed them to be those
of q child. -
Soon after, the occurrences related by.
Rosa the crowd began to assemble. The
workmen who were at work repairing
the church did not enter the church yard
and the crowd stood outside looking at
the blood on the pavement and speculat,
ING on its probable cause.
There were about hundred people.
mostly colored, present when the officers
of the law arrived on the scene. 1t was
easy to trace the progress OF Nancy
Rivers from the bidod spot on the street.
Just near the blood there is depression
in the soil leaving a space between the
ground and the lower railing of the fence
through which one or two persons might
have cash spassed into the churchyard.
That such was the case was evident from
the fact that from the fence over to the
church there, was a bloody trail, over
which the woman had been dragged
either for concealment or for tiendlsh
purpose beneath the church. Policemen
Burns and Meyers and Sergt. Smith, the
officers who arrived promptly alter mott
fication, had, therefore, little difficulty
in finding the unfortunate woman. She
was lying under the church just inside
one of the foundation arches. Beside:
her head was anotherpool ofblood. Her
clothes were much dlsarranged, as if by
a desperate struggle. Pieces Of her
clothing lay around under the church
and also in the yard, across which she
had been forcibly carried or dragged to
the arch under which she had been
thrust.
When she had been taken out she was
in a terrible condition and presented a
horrible sight. On her forehead there
was a. cash of about four inches IN
length, from which the blood had flowed
.nrofusely. Near the right ear there was
another frjShtful wound, which had also
bled copiously. Between the right ear
and the right eye there was confusion:
though not severe. Her upper lip was
cut badly and there were slight wounds
all over her.. Her whole appearance
indicated that she had undergone the
most diabolical treatment, and that. II
the pcrpctrator intended TO Kill his VIC
tim. he had lcftnothing undone omake
it a most fendish murder.
AS is usual among the extremely en-
citable colorcd people the first thing
they thought of was tie Mcknight mur
der. Another nlgger killed by a white
man, Killed by a white tramp &c.,
were the expressions that were Whisper
ed around among the crowd. This was
evidently why Rosa Mitchell did not
know whether, if she saw a man at all,
he was white OF black.
This point was, however, settled by
Macy Rivers herself. She made an
ante-mortem statement, which was over
heard by person who stated to Re-
porter that she had given her story IN a
very few words and substantially as
follows
She left home about 10 O'Clock and
was on her way to Louisa Hazel's
When she got to the corner Of Thomas
and Warron streets she met a tall black
man, who accosted her in friendly way,
He asked her name and she replied
Nancy Rivers He thereupon struck
her heavy blow with something (she
did not know whaD which felled her tc
the earth. She knew nothing further
until she wastaken from under the build
ing Yesterday morning.
This statement was somewhat differ
cnt from that which she made in tho
morning, when she stated that before
she was struck she screamed out. L
she did. then Rosa Mitchell, who wen
to the window Immediately upon hear
ing the scream, would have seen hel
either on the ground Or being dragged
across tho churchyard. On the contrary
she only saw 4 man walking away from
the spot where Nancy Rivers was strucl
down. The men whom Nancy River:
saw vas an, entire stranger to her, anC
sic would not know. him again il sh(
saw him.. i F.:
The in ;truncnt with which the blows
were inflicted was q piece Of hard ma
tcrial. like fragment Of -iiaystone. l
was. covered will llood. of course, alt
it IS Of such Il character that death mi9h
easily result from even one Of its blows