Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-22
The doctors

removed the murdered man s Scalp,
and about his face and skull, found
the marks of no less than II distinct
blows from the hammer referred to,
and eight fracturing and penetrating
wounds. The head was completely
served from the body, all except the
spinal column, and the muscles behind
it. Judging from the fact that decom-
position had just begun to set in, and
that the flies had begun to deposit
their eggs, the doctors calculated that
the man, at that time-about l o'clock
Sunday afternoon-had been dead
not less than - hours. They also
gave it as their opinion that the effort
10 cut the mans head off was made
not less than Is or 90 minutes after he
had been killed with the hammer.
This conclusion they arrived at from
the fact that the frightful hacking at
the neck, seemed to have drawn little
or no blood. The blood had either
run out, or coagulated, before the hack
ing was done.
After the doctors concluded their
work, the jury of inquest prepared to
continue its investigation. The whole
affair was still dark mystery. There
was no evidence, and absolutely no
clue, to the murder except the ham,
mer and the knife. George Williams,
q colored boy, had been heard to say
that he knew who the hammer be-
longed to, and this was the only straw
that the jury had to look to as guide.
George Wilkerson, D. S. Russell,
and Charley Russell, gave their testi-
mony as to the circumstances of finding
the body, and Charley Russell said
that he had seen the deceased in York.
Vile the night previous, shortly after
the arrival of the Narrow Gauge train.
George Williams, already referred to,
was sworn. He testified that he had
seen the hammer mentioned, in the
blacksmith shop of John Robinson,
and that he had seen the knife, or one
like it, in the possession of white
man named Daniel Whitener, who
lived about mile and half from the
spot where the body was found.
Whitener was sent for, but was not at
home. The Jury then decided to ad-
iourn to the office of Captain ]. R.
Lindsay, in Yorkville. Mr.. John
Robinson was sent for. He testified
that the hammer was not his, and that
he had never seen it before. Unable
to do anything further just at that
time, the jury decided to adjourn SUBJ
ject to the call of the acting coroner.
Whitener was arrested Sunday night
and committed to Jail. 1t is under
stood that he says he can prove an
alibi.
On Monday morning, suspicion be-
gan to center on one Wilson Mont
gomery, a large ginger-cake colored
Negro, who lives about two miles
east of town, near Fishing creek tres
tle The first whisperings of the sus-
picion came from Montgomery IS moth
er. She said that it was Wilson's Gus
tom as a rule, to get up early on Sun
day mornings, eat his breakfast and
be gone for the rest of the day. On
last Sunday, however, he departed
from his usual custom. When the
other members of the household heard
of the murder, they went to the scene.
Wilson "could not find his Shoes" and
remained in or about the house all day.
A little later, Mr.. w. G.. Turner,
who lives in the same neighborhood
with Wilson Montgomery, brought
his two boys in to see Captain Lindsay.
The boys described the knife that had
been found at the murder about as it
has been described above, and said
positively that they had seen this knife
in possession Of Montgomery only a
few days ago. He had tried to trade
it to them.
Josh Smith, colored, came in with
the information that he could identify
the hammer most positively as the prop
erty of Jake Montgomery, the father
of Wilson Montgomery. Several other
parties swore to the identity of the
hammer, and Jake Montgomery ad-
mitted that it was his property. He,
and also others, stated that the ham
mer had more than once been at Rob-
inson's shop.
Jeff Williams, colored, told story
that throws some light on the subject.
He said, in effect: "While in YorkviIle
Saturday night, 1 bought second
hand buggy. Jake Montgomery, who
lives out my way, was in town with
his wagon, and he agreed that if 1
would hitch my buggy to his wagon, he
would haul it home for me. Wilson
Moutgomery-Jake's son-and Isaac
Blair, helped me to hitch up Jake's
wagon. This was at Mr.. J. w. Dob
sons corner, little before the Narrow
Gauge train came. Jake had gone
down street after something, and us
three remained at the corner waiting
for him. After while, Wilson and
Ike went off and in about 10 minutes
came back. In the meantime, the
Narrow Gauge train came. Jake still
did not come, and got tired waiting
for him. Wilson and Ike left again
and I started to drive home slowly.
Where Wilson and Ike went l do not
know. l drove over as far as the
Three C's railroad. There heard
- g..