The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-02-01
OF DETECTIVE WORK

Hunt Blind Tigers-He Boards with
n Moonshiner and Gets Evidence on
which Forty-Eeight Warrants are
Issued.
Special to The News and Courier.
DARLINGTON, January pa das-
tardiy assassination was attempted at
Hai tsville in this county last night and
the victim may yet die. The attempt
was made against the life of G.. l.. Jen-
kins, q special detective sent to Kelly
town, near Hartsville, about twenty
miles from Darlington, by Pinion's De-
tective Agency. jenkins was sent on
December by the United States Gov
ernment to see if illicit whiskcy traffic
was not carried on in the neigh borhood
of Kellytown, and Governor Evans
employed him to look after the same
interest for the State Government.
The work in the particular section re-
ferred to required careful handling,
but jenkins sixteen years expert
encc with nOoushiners fitted him for
the task admirably.
Your correspondent hunted Jenkins
up today and had u long interview with
him, and was surprised to learn on
such unquestioned authority that
moonshiners were doing a lively busi-
enss in this county. | had to wait
several hours before Jenkins could be
seen, the physician in charge request
ing this.
Late in the afternoon was admitted
to Jenkins room. The steps and door
way were marked by many large drops
of blood. The room was fifteen feet
square, with two windows, one oppos-
ite the fireplace. Between these two
windows was a small bed, not two feet
from either window. The floor had
blood stains all over it and the sheets
were splashed and spotted with clotted
blood. Lying on the bed was the
wounded detective, a striking looking
man of 33 years. His face was SCARED
and br- Used with broken pieces of glass
and behind his right ear was black
and swollen wound made by 3S'calibre
ball from IL Colts pistol. A broken
pane of glass marked with powder
smoke showed where the coward stood
who fired the shot.
Jenkins told his story very graphi-
call y and simply, and one thing is very
evident, he is "a man of nerve and cour-
age and is not to be frightened. His
story, substantiated by the other occu-
follows:
On the first day of December last he
arrived in Hartsville, and on the fifth
day of the month he succeeded in get
ting board at Jim kelly's, the man he
most desired to see. He Staid three
weeks with Kelley and saw drinks TASKS
kegs and barrels OF whiskey sold with
out any revenue or dispenSary stamps
on them. He was several times sus-
pec:cd Of being a spy, but succeeded in
allaying their suspicious, although
once he said he came very near look
ing up Il rope" In the meantime, in
addition to his weapons, he had his
trusty little kodak with him and he
pressed the button and did the
rest" also. The results were over
whelming, and on the 9th of Dccem-
| Der, when his identity became known,
he had forty-eight warrants issued for
the arrests of various persons. Four
teen preliminary examinations have
been held, and the parties were fined
one hundred dollars each or thirty days
in Jail In every case they went to
jail, refusing to pay cent, though any
one of them could have paid the fine
Yesterday he had Jim Kelly brought
to Darlington for trial, and several
friends came with Kelly. Jenkins said
that Kelly urged him several times
not to appear against him, insisting
that it would be best for both that they
should not testify or to attend the
he, Kelly, had too much sense to make
any such request, and that he intended
doing his duty and nothing more than
his duty.
The trial proceeded and Kelly had
to give bond or go to Jail. He gave
| bond late in the afternoon and all left
Darlington.
At 9 o'clock that night Jenkins was
| in his room lying on the bed, Mr.. Helen
being in the room with him. hewitt
Kelly, closely related to Jim Kelly,
entered the room and asked Jenkins to
get up. Jenkins had his pistol in his
right hand and refused to sit up, say
ing he was tired. He said that he saw
that Kelly meant devilment and that
he did not mean to be slow in the OPP
Grafton himself" and kept his hand on
his pistol.
Kelly left the room, returning in Il few
moments, and again insisted on Jen-
kins getting up. which Jenkins did not
do. He said that he was thoroughly con-
| ing him as he left the room. so sat upon
the edge of the bed. AS he did so he
ran his fingers through his hair and at
| the same instant he heard loud report
and Il crash and he know nothing fur
ther for u while. Then when the
shock was over he realized what had
occurred and made for the door. When
the shot was fired Kelly asked Helen
who did itand then left. Neither jim
nor hewitt Kelly have been seen since
and Sheriff Scarborough is now after
them with warrants for their arrest.
Jim Kelly is a wcll-to-do farmer, Is a
man of few words and is regarded as
desperate character. hewitt Kelly is
a dangerous man also, and his brother
was killed on Christmas day in IL light.
Jenkins is badly wounded, but he i'll
prObably y recover. Tho bullet entered
just behind the right ear, but two
things saved his life. The assassin
had to fire across thick glass. which
made the bullet defect, and as jenkins
raised his hand the two middle fingers
were nearly shot off, causing further
detection. Jenkins is as gritty man
as can be found and is well thought of
by the entire town of IIartsvillc. He
says be intends finishing his work,
that he has been shot at before and
that he is not frightened. He is from
Ewart, N. c., and has wife and six
children. He has telegraphed TO his
wife, to his chief and to Governor
Evans. but had heard not IN in0 whom |