The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-24
Ts,pecial to News and Courier. !

anu q iOaQ Oi SuOt GllteISO tlS 16lI SlO0
of the forehead about the temple and
tore the head very badly. It is sup
posed that the first volley at him came
from one of the murderers who was on
the right hand side of the road, and
that it took effect in the right side and
one of the shot went as far as the fore
head. By the scattering of the bullets
it is thought that the first volley from
the right was fired at longer range than
that from the left hand side, which
took effect in few inches.
+ The evidence is that the men took a
station some little distance from where
the fatal shot was fred, but for some
reason they changed their station.
There were evidently two men, as
there were footprints Of different shoes,
and as they are of small size. not over
number seven shoes, it is thought that
the murdarers were white men. For
some reason the n1urderers, who stole
the keys and satchel containing what
silver money Mr.. Copes had, did not
60 into his left pocket, where over $500
in greenbacks WIS deposited. The
satchel and keys were carried away.
One of the theories is that the men
were frightened away before they had
time to 60 into the pockets. 1t appears
that the driveTless carriage, which was
recognized as that of Mr.. Copes, caused
Mr.. Andrew Myers to make an imme-
diate investigation and give the alarm.
He went to the city, ten miles from
the scene of the murder, and gave up
the books he had found and reported
the murder.
The next thing to do was to make
every effort to capture the guilty par
ties. kilograms were sent to Governor
Tillman asking him to offer a reward
and to have the States bloodhounds
sent to the scene. kilograms were sent
to all neighboring places to look out for
The murderers, and messengers were
dispatched to watch all bridges to see
that no one escaped. A messenger was
sent to Branchville on the night train
to advise all stations that were not to
be reached by telegraph. The blood
bounds reached Crangeburg about II
O'Clock and were Immediately putupon
the trail. They bad no difficulty in
following the trail and tracked the meu
20 the North Edisto River, where the
murderers evidently got into boats.
The trail was suspended until this
morning. Special watch is kept over
ell bridges crossing the river and a
number Of bateaus were obtained with
which to patrol the river.
Another reason for suspecting that
the murderers were white men is that
they used breech-loading guns and had
rim cartridges, two of which were
thrown by the side of the road after
being fred. Upon inquiry it was found
that no rim cartridges Of that kind
were sold in Orangeburg or anywhere
else in the county. They were sold in
Bamberg, it is said.
. 1t is somewhat noteworthy that Mr..
Copes fully realized the danger be was
running in going around collecting
taxes. For that reason he never trav-
eled al night with money, and scat
tered bis visits as much as possible.
On the day before the murder he
went to Fort Motto to collect taxes, and
while in conversation with q fellow
passenger. Mr.. 7. w. Bowman, men,
ber-elect to the House, he told him, 80
it is said, that be realized the dangers
Of his work, and that some day he or
some other county treasurer would be
killed, and then the law requiring the
county treasurers to go around the
counties would be changed. The ar
rangement did no good, as the people
did not pay their taxes until the last
few weeks, and that they then went to
the county seat to pay them. He made
it a rule to have as little money as pos
sible about his person. Sometimes he
bad q companion travelling along with
hIm, but be could not afford to pay
someone to 60 around with him regu-
larly.
The people of the State can il afford
to lose such men as Robt. Copes.
THREE BOYS SUsPECTED-A START
LING REPORT ABOUT THE ORANGE
BURG TRAGEDY.