The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-10-18

dered at Breazeale's mill in Anderson
countyi about midway between Anderson
Court House and sBelton. Meeks had
volunteered at the outbreak ofs the var:
and had fought through it until the
surrender, when he took up the long
tramp for his home and the wife and
children he had left there. He had
married a daughter of Harvey Vandiver,
sa Baptist preacher who lived at Breazeale's
mill, and they had lived happily together
until the war and separation came. When
,he returned hesfonnd all changed. His
wife, had gone to live with her father at
the mill and there were rnmors that she
had lived: on terms of too much intimacy
with Dave Breazeale, the son of widow
sBreazeale, who owned the mill.
The husbands Is return was followed by q
quarrel with his father in Law. and he wvs
forbidden to enter the house where his
wife was. One interview he secured with
her. He told .her; then that he was trying
Ito get Is house that he could carry her and
the children to and that he would meet
her at the we'll lin the yard about eight
O'Clock that night. to tell her of the
arrangements. he had made. He then
went away and during the day that
followed secured q home where he
expected ito carry his wife and children.
dark plot was forming meanwhile.
The unfaithful wife told her father and
sBreazeale Of the appointment her husband
had made. The night came, and with it
the hour appointed for the rendezvous at
the we'll Snspecting nothing, Meeks
approached the spot where he imagined
he would find; his wife waiting for him.,
aud wishing, may ybe, for the time when he
should mot he forced to meet her thus
!clandes destinely 80
81 But the wife did not keep. the appoint
sment, She remained in the house and in
her stead three men sought the we'll and
5in the darkness]ay:in wait for Meeks. AS
;he approached Davenport, who was one OF
the three and was waiting, armed with
AN armygun, shot him:in the breast. The.
wound Was not fatal and the would: be.
murderer. Joined with his victim, in 9:
iscnfle, which was terminated by one Of
the other men, VII soseized the gun and re-
sversing It, crushed in the skull of the VIC:
:timWiths asheaYyi blow with its stock The;
third man stood looking on, but took no!
active part zthe struggle. The only;
other eye, witness was 9 negro named Bill;
Brock who had; been impressed TO help In
the blood Work k,zsbuts that the: deed was,
known to:others was shown ns.whens q wild
3Hkriek allowed the ischarge OF thegun,,,
.issning from the interior of the house..
sTs:wasstha crysof the wife at the death
iknelE Of the hnsb band she had betrayed.
The murder was aceomp plished I; What:
should zbes done eSWith. the. body was the
question. The three accompli plices;S aided
sby:the negro, hurried y: carried the body
zofinto t6e esWoodss four; aor five hundred
yards. Tools hastily picked mp were piled
with feYerish patience and q hole, shall
Low and lWitho ssemb blance sof grave;
was was excayatsd, lin the depth of:the wood:
The corpse was thrown lin and the dirt.
piled over it, the dead mans hat having.
been first placed over his face.sSO One
murderer stood on the grave as; his fellow
sghonls threw on the dirt and packed IL
down. 1 sS5.5 !.
sy.kolxIgOE+Sof0uryC<A yC<AAoj H eeAooSA3tAh e4AA.S
which time the ssudd den sdisappee rance of
John wilson Afeekss vas put? down as one
of tie nnsolve mysteries ofthe troublous.
and disordereds times just ollowiDg. the
war. There was much bush hwhacking:
then, and sitssWas supposed that he Rasi
5anotheri7ictim Of: the bush ckers, and;
no ssiinvestigati Awas made. Very soon
after M Meeks,s sdisapp pearance young sBrea.;
szeale: left the country, sit vas supposed to
;eo: to- Texas. Dayenpo who was q large
farmer; IN the e:neigh 1000, and who was;
fcomparatively rich man. having in before
sthes swar:days owned q number of slaves.
lived: .quietl Y and as usual on his farm:
enjoying the respect, ofshis neighbQrs and
max kingS;a good citizen as things went:
The disapp esrance of Meeks had long since:
ceased tosb be interesting gossip and as the
suspicion had never hunted cont the real
lmnfd erers, it oked as. il vengeances had
passed them in its terrible; sway oyerSthe;
ranks Of the guilty 81:
The dream of peace and safety was. !.
Srudely ibrok One day about seven;
Years Years asftsrst tt murder message came.
from: Bill Brock ]; the negro who had been
the sone Ilisinte rested witness Of .thel
killing to- a brother of the murdered;
man: T6e negro was visited and reveal
:of0yv9a detail