The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-06-27
The G1h0nls Gone to GaOl.

CHARLESTON, June 22.-The call of "order'
at the court house yesterday morning was
the opening of the last act in Charleston's s
great corpse trust drama. The prisoners
we're arranged in a sort of semi-circle, facing
the audience. Mary Nelson, who played
the part Of the widow in the Dudley case,
v1s first in line. She was sad, serious and
sorrowful in her bearing, and her skin as
dark as the "weeds" she wore. To her right
were Matthews and Evans, the two negro
ghouls. Next was T. E. L. Shafer, 1nan
of about 25 years, tall and viry, with high
projecting forehead covered Unusually in
such cases) by hair hanging almost to his
brow from his auburn scalp. His eyes were
large, blue, and glossy, nose somewhat
plugged, and lips contracted ty o corpla-
cent smile playing constantly over his pole
face. This was the worm that would 60 to
the cemetery in the stiffness Of the night,
and burrow ten feet beyond grave toward
the head of the corpse, and when he struck
fruit, would cut into the end of the coffin,
run his bony fingers into the mouth of the
sti!f body, and drag his cold victim into the
pale moonlight Of a resurrection morn
With the stiffness still unbroken, and un-
seen, save by, perhaps, dumb tombs and
the twinkling stars, he would drag the body
Of, and after being joined by Mattbewsand
Evans, HE away to the woman made happy
When the bridegroom comes. Next. Thom-
as Bond, an intelligent and neatly dressed
young man with black hair and dark eyes.
He was corresponding secretary of the COM
rany. Then Dr.. Jas. P. Bond, who crushed
in the skull Of the Dudley corpse, and gave
certificate of death by accident" besides
taking part in other brutal deeds too nu-
merous to be mentioned. He is q medium
size man, of about 2S years, graceful as can
be- an d of easy manners, with black hair
and beard, on intelligent face, but a suspi-
cious, coy, unsocial look, and dark eyes
that droop guiltily downward when you
catch them. And next, John II. Bond, the
father. He furnished the fictitious names
for the putatire subjects, arranged insurance
policies, &c. lie is an intelligent, neatly
dressed business man of about 50 years,
cool and apparently unconcerned, smiling
occasionally as tho be were the winner Of a
jack pot in lively game of poker. Next
and last, the ole man Of about 70 years, DR..
L. NJ. Shafer. He sat tremulously in his
seat in front Of the Judge, bending forward
in deep meditation, with his large blue eyes
glaring downward from their haggard
sockets.
"His withered cheeks and tresses gray,
Seemed TO have known better day.,
for, although his clothes were seedy, his
locks were smooth, and pair Of gold eye
glasses dangled on his breast: He it was
who acted the holy divine, and with bible
in haud marched down the aisle Of the
house of God, reading the funeral service
over body stolen for the occasion, followed
by thieves for mouraers, and q lude white
woman for weeping widow!!!
There they sat for two hours, listening to
the reading of the indictments. At the con-
clusion they al rose and pleaded guilty,
save Dr. Shafer who brought down his
doom with nod. Jas. S. Purse (whIte)
and r. H. Wilson (colored) pleaded not
guilty. a mistrial was rendered in Wilson's s
case to day, and Purse is not likely to be
tried before October.
The prisoners Will be sentenced next
week. A desperate legal fight is looked for
between the insurance companies and the
banks.
There's millions in it, if they
SE8IIT EHr EKAT.