Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-07-07
Mistellameuns &eadiug.
THE LANCASTER TRAGEDY.

\ IL SASSN WV
clerks and citizens generally, in the neigh
borhood of the intersection of Main and
Church streets were startled by the clear
though ominous reports of two pistol shots,
in quick succession, proceeding from that
locality. We, together with others, rushed
to the place from whence the reports came,
and on reaching Main street, found Mr..
Bell lying on his face, just across the drain
in front of the grocery store of Heath,
Springs & Co., with his feet in the direction
of the store. Mr.. Springs was standing in
his store door. He admitted having done
the shooting, but stated that he had acted
in self-defence.
Friendly hands gently turned Mr.. Bells
body over, face upward, when it could be
plainly seen that he was dying. From his
mouth blood was slowly oozing, and after
two or three Intellectual efforts made by him
to breathe, the eyes of the young man closed
in death. AS soon as he could possibly
reach there, and before life was extinct, DIR.
NJ. P. Crawford examined Mr.. Bells body
for his wounds, with the view of giving
him relief if possible. But it was soon dis
covered that he was beyond the power of
human skill. He died of internal hemor-
rhage. He never spoke after being shot.
Two wounds were discovered by DR.. CraW-
ford on Bells person-both shots having ia
ken effect-one on the left side about five
inches below the armpit, the ball having en-
tered the body between the seventh and
eighth ribs and reappearing just under the
skin on the right side a few inches to the
right and above the right nipple, and the
other in the right wrist, which was broken,
the ball having struck on the under side
while the arm was evidently uplifted. The
shot in the side, of course, was the fatal one.
DR.. Crawford afterwards cut the balls out.
The one which struck the wrist was badly
fattened, while the one which passed
through the body, having struck no bones,
was intact. Mr.. Springs was deeply affect
ed by the fatal results of the difficulty in
which the shooting was done, and wept bit
terly after 1t was over with.
Tit facts leading up to the trouble, as
gathered by US, are as follows: Last Sunday
night shortly after dark Mr.. Springs, who
had just returned from driving with a
friend, was accosted in front of the Catawba
House, by Mr.. Bell, who was at the time,
in company with Mr.. B. F. Welsh and Mr..
Will Blakney. No one else was present.
Calling Mr.. Springs aside, Mr.. Bell charged
him with having laughed unseemingly at
the fire last Thursday night and associating
his name with its origin in a questionable
manner. [The fire here referred to was
the burning of three tenement houses in
course of construction and nearly finished,
which Mr.. Bell was building for B. F.
Welsh Mr.. Springs emphatically denied
the charge and pronounced Mr.. Bells in
formant a liar whom he was ready to face.
Mr.. Bell replied that his author was near at
hand. At this juncture Mr.. Springs realiz-
ing that he was unarmed and alone among
parties not friendly to him, and %apprehend-
ing an attack, turned and walked up the
stairs of the hotel to his room. After re-
naming there a short time, Mr.. Springs
started down stairs to the dining room of
the hotel and on his way passed the parties
whom he had lately left in front of the
building. He was subsequently informed
that Mr.. Bell had started to his room to
attack him. Mr.. Springs went at once to
the residence Of his partner, Mr.. O. P.
Heath, and informed him of what had
occurred. Whereupon Mr.. Heath and Mr..
j. NJ. Heath returned to the hotel with Mr..
Springs and remained with him in his
room until a late hour of the night.
About midday on Monday as Mr.. Springs
and Mr.. o. P. Heath were sitting on a sill
in front of their grocery store, Mr.. Bell
came walking down Main street towards
them, and when opposite to where they
were sitting, stopped. Mr.. Springs first
spoke. Addressing Mr.. Bell he said, "What
did you mean by your conduct last night?'
Mr.. Bell replied, Damn you, 1 meant just
what I said" and accompanied the words
with a blow with his fist, which, however,
was warded off by Mr.. Heath as he and
Mr.. Springs rose from their seats. Instantly
Mr.. Bell threw his hand to his hip pocket
as if in search of a pistol, ~whereupon Mr..
Springs fired two shots at him with a self
cooking pistol, Smith & Wesson, 80 calibre.
After failing to find his pistol in his hip
pocket, Mr.. Bell began to search his coat
pockets for his weapon, but before he could
lay his hand on it, Mr.. Springs bullet had
done its deadly work. Turning round, Mr..
Bell slowly made a step or two, dropped on
his knees, and then fell forward on his face.
His pistol was shortly afterwards taken
from his inside coat pocket by the coroner.
1t is surmised that Mr.. Bell, having, pull
ed off his coat during the morning while
at work on the Riddle buildings, removed
his pistol, which he habitually carried,
from his hip pocket to his inside coat peck
ct in order to conceal it from view, and
when he resumed his coat before going
down street neglected to return the pistol
to its proper place, which accounts for his
abortive attempt to draw it..
Several parties heard Mr.. Bell say Mon
day morning that he had cursed Mr.. Springs
the night before. 70 one gentleman he re-
marked that he had not only cursed him,
but wanted to attack him. 70 another he
said just before starting down street that he
expected to have a difficulty with Mr..
Springs.
While it is regretted by some that Mr..
Bell came to so violent all end, the sympa-
thy of the community is entirely with Mr..
Springs, who, in the eyes of the public,
acted purely in self defence in taking the
life of his fellow being. In addition to Mr..
Bells overt acts on this occasion, Mr..
Springs knew the reputation of the deceas-
ed as an arms bearing man, and in taking
his life, under the circumstances, it is adj
mitted on all sides that he only acted as
any other prudent man would have done
who valued his own.