The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-06-17
THE TRIPLE MURDERER.
SIXTH TRIAL OF THE EDGEFiElO
FAMILY ExTERMlNATOR.

SIXTH TRIAL OF The EDGEFlElO
FAMILY ExTERMlNATOR.
Jones: Case On In the Lexington Court
a Formidable Array of Witnesses--Story
of the Murders--one Witness .Exanin-
ed.
LEXINGTON, G. H., S. g., June TO-
In the Court General Sessions this morn
ing the case against Robert T. Jones for
the murder of Edward Presley, Sr., was
called, and the trial entered upon.
There was only one eye witness to the
three murders which Jones is charged
with, but the case has grown to such
magnitude as to require 100 witnesses
to tell the jury all about it.
At the roll call this morning thirty
four witnesses answered on the side Of
the State and the defense have had sum.
moned sixty-seVen witnesses, the most
Of whom are in attendance. Among the
prominent witnesses are Senator M. c..
Butler, Congressman George D. Tillman,
Capt. George B. Lake, DR.. Jennings,
T. R. Denny, Capt. Lewis Jones, Mark
Toney, S. l.. Ready, Jos. r. Edwards,
Col. Robt. Hughes, Hon. W. H. Tim"
norman, NJ. H. Minis, DR.. W. L. Pres"
colt, w. A. Strom, Coroner Johnson.
A. l.. Broadwater, Capt. .. R. Brooks,
David Means.
Jones's wife and three little children
are here, and will figure prominently in
the court scenes.
Jones, who arrived on yesterdays
noon train from Edgeield, gives every
appearance of being in pretty good
health and spirits, and he will receive at
the hands Of Lexington's sheriff that
distinguished consideration which his
celebrity as a successful slayer ofthree
of the human race entities him to.
The facts of homicides are 50 well
known to the public that as prellmi-
nary or introduction to The States re-
ports of the trial it is only necessary to
state briefly the circumstances o! the
killings.
Jones and the Pressleys hand misun-
ding as to the right to cultivate
small tract Of land which they had at
first bought from the Sinking Fund
Commission of South Carolina, and
afterwards, on account Of inability to
meet the payments, the Pressleys rent
ed, the State having foreclosed on the
land.
On the 18th of November, 1885, Jones
saw the three Pressley's plowing this
piece of ground. With his gun he went
to where the Pressley's.: were in the field,
and, addressing Charles, he said:
"Charlie didn't tell you not to work
this ground until it was decided who
had the right to plant it," Then he
shot both barrels ofhis gun into Charlie,
killing him instantly. He next paid his
respects to Edward Presley, Jr., and
cut him to pieces. Jones then reloaded
his gun, and. retracing bis steps to where
the father of the two young men he had
just murdered was standing, holding his
son Charley's mare by the bride, he shot
him to sdeath. This last killing is the
one that is now being tried.
Mr.. Edward Presley, Sr., was seven
ty eight years old, and in addition to his
extreme age he was afflicted with palsy,
which made him as helpless as child.
Jones was placed upon his trial for the
first time on March 6, 1886, for the mur-
der of Charlie. A mlstrial was the re-
suit. The State then concluded that it
would try him for the killing Of Edward
Presley, Sr. He stood his second trial
on March 10, 1887, and was convicted
of manslaughter. An appeal was taken
to the Supreme Court, and a new trial
was granted.
Since then Jones has had three trials.
The trial that Is now in progress makes
the sixth that he has been subjected to.
Five Of them we're had in Edge6eld
County. The case was transferred to
Lexington County on a motion on the
part Of the State for change Of venue,
which the grand jury of Edgeield Coun-
ty recommended in their presentment Of
1890.
Solicitor Nelson, in the prosecution of
the case, IS assisted by S. McG. Simkins
and w. w. Butler, of the Edge6eld bar.
The defendan: is ably represented by
Maj. w. T. Gary, Earnest Gary, George
Evans and Maj. II. A. Meetze.
The following compose the jury: John
J. Cutler, P. &. Lowman, P. Brooks
Sailor, A. L. Summer, e. a. Bockman,
A. L. Price, James A. Keisler, Charles
c. Sharp, J. K. Davis, Henry ". Mar
tin, John NJ. Hite and j. G. Wingard.
The foreman of the jury is Hon. J. K.
Davis, a member of the Legislature
from this county.
The only witness examined up to the
time Of adjournment this morning was
Charles Brooks, the negro who saw
Jones kill the last two of his victims
Presley, Jr., and old man
Presley. Brooks was on the stand for
five hours, three hours of which time he
was put through a most rigid and severe
crosse Examination by Maj. W. T. Gary.
This witness has always, in the five
trials, given his testimony in
a manner which bafied the legal skill Of
the deien dant's attorneys to break it
DOWN: MAJ. GarY, 10 use common
phrase, "paralyzed" him on the cross
examination. He twisted him, tangled
him and placed him before the jury in
light which, it is thought, has seriously
impaired his credibility. The witness
got very much mixed up, and made
several very material contradictions,
which. OF course, the astute counsel Of
the prisoner will play on before the jury
for all they are worth.
The State, however, cannot fail to
make strong case against Jones. The
facts and details of the killings are so
overwhelmingly against the prisoner
that it is believed his plea Of self-defense
will not avail him before Lexington
jury.
For the first time since this case has
been undergoing investigation the clothes
worn by the three PreSsleyS at the time