The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-03
CORONER'S INQUEST.
The Testimony Taken, and the Yer.
dict of the Jury, az TO the killing
Of David A. Wardlaw.


By request of some Of the many readers oil
| the Press and Banner send you the evidence
at the coroner's inquest. l hope yon VIII
publish II. Nick.
SHERIFF NANCE is back from Chattanooga
Tenn, whence he went for the Mt. Carmel ne
groes who slew the church deacon last Fall.
| Gov. TILLMAN sent check for 81 .S9l to pay
fines and costs imposed by the United States
Court on the SberIffs in the railroad cases,
omitting only TO pay Sheriff Nance's fine and
costs.
Troy, S. c., May !, 1893.
| The State Of South Carolina,
County Of Abbeyille.
The case of state wgrajpS. gs; Psad Body of D. A.
| w. w. WARDLAW, sworn, says:
| l live at Mccormick. S. G.. On last Friday
morning, the 2lst day OF April, 1888; Jack
| TO q picnic on Savannah River. About four
O'Clock In the evening he drove of and left
| me, and when got here went In post office
ana got my mail and went + on on o 10 d s9PPgsr Per-
store. / asked him what In the devil did he
leave me down there for. He Jack said Jim
Robinson told him TO come ahead. SAID you
hack. Jack said II you have not principle
enough TO pay they could pay. said II you
come over that again you and I will have
fight here In this store Jack then n dsred arS, me pc
town, but will have II out OF town; | then
said will have IT out right here Jack then
| went out Of the store cursing and going on.
Every minute or two he would come peeping
In the door TO see II WAS in there, reckon.
In few minutes Buddie Dave came over To the
store and told him about II. He Buddie
asked me where %as n sad AND see bm
about IT, He Jack was up street and Buddie
and myself went to see him. John Smith,
Bob Agee and Jesse Wilson was with him
Whitten's hit store. Bnddie asked Jack what be
said to me. Jack told him II l did not have
principle enough 10 pay they would pay.
Buddie says Jack you must take this back or
come out here in street and you and Will
have 1t out. Jack said right here Will do.
They were then In front OF J. N. Whitten's
store. Price or Jack was setting down and
him. Jack shot Buddie. Bob Agee taken
hold OF Buddie. l tried to pull Agee off Of
Buddie. 1 had holt Of Agee and Agee had
holt OF Buddie. Then the shot was hred. II
was fred by Jack Price. Buddie fell. Jack
jumped out and caught Jack by the arm.
Jack then jerked loose and run about fifteen
steps and turned round. shot three times at
me. am positive the first shot he made af.
made at me the ball went through the leg of
my pants. Pants on exhibition. He then
shot again at me and run. then went on
of his back. l took a cIgarettee out Of his
mouth. 1t had not fell ont l lifted him up
and held him until some one came and when
got help we brought him 10 the hotei, ana
and DR.. Mattison attended him. do not
think Buddie had time TO choke Jack before
he was shot. No one bad hold OF Jack but
Dave. did not see JACK draw the pistol; !
fire. I never heard Dave make any threats,
privately or public Dave told about half
hour before he went to where Jack was and
said, said 1 ought to pay my part, &c. Think n
Jack was shooting at me he was standing
still. He shot three times at me and then
but think he did. l am seventeen years old.
VIII be eighteen in August next. am clerk
here In drug store. l do not know what
Agees intentions were when @ ~ ne ne grabbed
sworn before me this 9OLh day of April A.
D. 1893. F.A. Cook, Trial Justice A. c.,
Acting Coroner.
r. 8. AGEE. sworn, says:
live at Mccormick, s. G. Myself, Jesse
before last. Mr.. Dave and Willie Wardlaw
came up 10 where we was and Mr.. Dave
Wardlaw said to Mr.. Price, what kind Of
down here Mr.. Price said told WIN II he
did not want TO pay anything for the hack l
would just trust II to his principle, Mr.. Dave
will settle it with you. Price said no. l am
you can Settle 1t here. Mr.. Wardlaw jumped
over on him and collared him and com
and took holt Of them; l had one hand on
Jack and one on MIR. Wardlaw. Then Dub
Wardaw took holt OF me and told me, let
never saw any pigtol.. thought II was
pistol l never had holt Of them when the
pistol fired. AS soon as Dub TOOK hOlt OF me
turned them aloose, and as soon as the pls-
tol fired run and come up this way In direc-
tion OF Mr.. Sanders house, and Mr.. Sanders
was coming out the gate and followed halt.
halted then turned and come back behind
Mr.. Sanders and went down where pave was;
then they taken him up and carried him to
the hotel. l never said anything to Mr.. San
ders, but Jack Price said TO me when he pass
ed h o haxs g0 oay
Jack on the corner. did not see any weapon
In Dawes hands and did not hear him or Jack
make any threats; JACK did not ,,a have ave on tn
do not know whether he chok ed Jack or
not. 1 was on the right hand side OF them
when 1 tried TO pull them loose. think 1t
was Jack Price who shot the pistol. saw
Dave Wardlaw fall. / do not know how
many times the pistol WAS shot, put more
than once. Bob Agee:
1888. F. A. Cook, Trial Justice,
Acting Coroner
JESSIE WILSON. sworn. says:
Mr.. Dave and Dub Wardlaw came walking
up the street where me, Jack Price, Bob Bgee,
and John were, and asked Jack Price what
big talk was that he was giving Dub down at
there TO ask him, Dub. for the quarter he was
to pay for riding 10 the break. Dub says,
am not going tO pay 1t, and Sack said l VIII
come up here to settle it with you, and said,
walk out on the street. Jack said. no, am
going nowhere. About tn at time Dave Ward
law grabbed Jack around the throat; and Bob
Bob Agee and flung him out In the street. and
said no. let them fight. Jack Price shot Dave
Wardlaw with q pistol, reckon, as that was
what he had. AS soon as the pistol hred' |
heard four pistol shots. Dave and Dub Ward
law were not armed. as l know Of / have
seen Mr.. Price with pistol at night some
times. do not know that either of The
Wardlaw boys ever went armed never
heard Jack say anything about their difficult
ty. am certain Dave took hold OF him by
the throat or collar. / W as on the bench by
him when he collared him. / never heard
Jack say Anything about their difficulty.
am certain Dave taken hold OF him by the
throat or collar. was on the bench by him
when he collared him. nevered heard any
threats made by Dave Wardlaw. l was about
four or five yards, think l could have seen
the pistol had 1t been pulled out and held up.
Jack never shot till Dub jerked Agree away.
Jessie Wilson.
Sworn, F. A. Cook, T.J.A.C,
Acting Coroner.
]. N. WHIrTEN, sworn, says:
/ WAS in bed at the time OF the shooting.
When heard the shooting jumped up and
dressed as soon az / could. heard scream
ing OF m urder IN front OF my shop and when
my house. / asked him what was the matter,
and he said Jack Price had shot Dave Ward
law. BY the time ! got to the front Of my
house several had rushed TO where the shoot
ing was. found Mr.. Dave Wardlaw there.
but my eyes being bad did not zee him.
The crowd carried him to the hotel. l never
heard any threats made by Price. did not