The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-13
Eve NEGROES KILLED BY NEGROES.
L Weeks Fearful Work Among the
. COlOred People of AbbevilIe Conn.

Last week was notable week. even in Alb
beviles recent bloody history. The killing
Of negroes by negroes has got to be so COM
mon in this county that The average citizen
seldom knows when he is up with the news OF
the latest killing. Often reports OF later hon-
icides are mistaken for previous killings, and
the reports of killings on the Railroad excite
no special interest with anybody. But last
week we had variety OF strange and unus.
ual homicidrs.
On Friday night Ned Burton's wife, Julia
Burton, was found dead in her bed. with Il
great gash, cut or indcntation In her head,
which had evidently been made with an axe
At the saine time, Ned Burton. the jealous
husband, was found suspended from n rafter
of his house. One end of q trace chain had
been run through the ring at the other end
so as to make Il loop or slipknot. The loop
encircled his neck. The other end was twice
put around the jolst or rafter, with the last
link arranged in another link, to make the
fastening perfect. 1t Is supposed that he did
this work himself and then Jumped from the
loft The balls of his feet were on the floor,
while his heels were within perhaps half inch
Of the floor. Examination proved that his
neck was dislocated. He could with his
hands have reached the rafter standing flat
footed on the floor, and when standing, or
hanging, he looked SO like a man in life that
one man on entering the house a. addySSsed TS,a
the killing and hanging was going on, other
members OF the household were absent at
church. All this in Diamond Hill township,
The next killing was 4 plain "Rnilroad
murder and hns excited little Interest. II
seems that the slayer had induced negro wo-
man to enter the camp. She atterwarl went
man. talk occurred Sunday morning at
the corner of q cabin, between the slain man
and the woman. While engaged In the talk,
report has 1t, the SLAYER walked up behind
The slayer Immediately left camp, ana IL Is
supposed, moved on, to work elsewhere on
the road. This is said tc have occurred In
Winder's camp.
But the strang st and most unusual story is
yet to be told. The dead body of Nelson
Nash was found in q gulley last Monday,
| near Wardlaw's bridge, about eight miles
west Of Abbeville village, and thereby hangs
the tale of bloody deed. Nelson Nash was
q farmer. He had the care or Sam Nance and
Marion Nance, orphan children or his Drotn-
lively At ten and eleven years They are now
in cell in tho Abbeville Jail. and talk freely
Of their bloody deed, and have no hesitancy
in showing the bloody spots on their clothing.
They say that their uncle was cruel TO them.
and whipped them severely on various occa-
sons and at the time Of the killing the boys
were under threat Of another severe beating
which he held In store for hem. That one OF
them some time ago had run away from
home because of cruelty, and he went after
them on horseback and used buggy whip on
them /: II tie way home. Only 81 few days he
had whipped one OF them cruelty because
tie cows Jumped out Of the lol. he charging
them with not fixing up the gap. They as
serted yesterday, over and often, that the wife
Of their uncle urged them to kill him, stating
would not be punished. They said, they told
their aunt that they thought they couldn't
| kill him. Sam Nance said, "She told US to
slip up and hit him with the hntckct unbc-
knowings to him." This was salt! 10 the boys
Saturday night after The fuss between the nn-
Gle and his wife had subsidized. The killing
was 10 be done while the vile was away nt
church. Nelson Nash was stopping in the
act Of putting cabbage In the pot for the
Sunday dinner,-whcn Sam dealt his uncle q
fearful blow In the back Of the head with a
haLrhet. Nelson said, "OE," nnd went TO the
door falling in the yard. He was then hit
with heavy pole or chop axe, which must
weigh some six or seven pounds. The bead OF
the negro was horribly beatcn, and blood and
hair show how deep the blade Of the axe was
driven into his head. The younger boy, Mar.
ion Nance, says he hit once after his uncle
was dead.
When the deed was complete, the youthful
murdercrs set To work to conceal the body.
They say that they tied the dead man s feet
with chain. hitchcd the chain 10 single.
tree, and took the horse and dragged him of
across cotton field at noon on Sunday, To n
neiShboring guliey; and there covered @ MN
Johnson. another negro, aged about twelve
years, with helping 10 kill their uncle, but
they do say that he assisted In the work Of
hauling Off his dead body, and In trying to
separate cell. He tells nothing, admits
nothing, denies everything. He Is older and
smaller than the Nance boys. The Sheriff
has in his possession the Ratchet, the axe. and
a big hoe-the hoe handle especially being
bloody. 1t is perfectly certain to our mind,
that the simple Nance children have been
coached, and II Is not improbable the older
boy Alfred Johnson had as much TO do with
the murder as the others. Three bloody in
StrumentS were found.
Nelson Nash was regarded as q peaceahle
and inofiensire negro. He was q faithful!
work er aud a successful farmer, who had the
respect and confidenceof his white nelghbors.
And now we record the final murder story
for the week. On the 27th OF July. John Con.
nor sent n bullet from his pistol through the
skull of Rosa Wilson, which penetrated the
brain just above The eyebrow. II was
thought she would survive. but yesterday
morning she died. and her slayer now Ian.
guishes in Jail. This killing was witnessed
by no one except the parties to the affair.
John ConnUr says his pistol went or acci-
dentully. In her ante-mortem statement she
max eG q statement which is not contlrmntory
of his story. Both were young people. and
opinion exists that John Connor Is not
biamccSs.