The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-27
WHITE WOMAN KILLED.
Her Body Placed In a Fodder House
and. .Burned-BlOOdy Deed OF Two

Negroes.
Narcissa Bagwell, a white woman tWenty'
eight years OF age, was murdered ON Thurs
day evening between Hodges depot aud Salu'
da river, In this county. Two negro men,
John Mitchell and Richard Wash have been
evidence, which seems sure TO convict them.
The obi ect of the murder is believed to have
been the procuring Of the proceeds Of bale ol
The body was burnt beyond recognition.
Doctor Cason could not certify as TO the color
or sex OF the body until after an autopsy had
been performed, when he pronounced IL that
Of female. ,Narcissa Bagwell was m mlssing nsh
The suspected persons houses were searched.
when some portion OF her property was
Trial Justice Moore held the inquest. when
the jury held the prisoners as the guilty par
The Press and Banner called at the jail,
when Jailer Nance-whose politeness and
kindness is only equalled by the cleanliness
of the jail-and he showed us up TO the cells
wherein the accused were Imprisoned. We
submit their own version or the affair, as
nearly in their own language as we can. The
prisoners were In different cells:
John Mitchelrs Statement.
John Mitchell: Don't know anything about
the killing of NarcIssa Bagwell. first heard
of it Friday night. Mr.. Willie Bell came out
of Mr.. Hanveys house, and said q terrible
thing happened here in the neigh6orhood a Il last Is,
what had happened. He said house over at
Mr.. Press Shirley's was burnt up and they
found woman burnt in the ruins. He went
on to state that they had found breast PIN,
BagwelL 1 made miration at the news .
was surprised. 1t don't occur to my mind
now that there Is anything more TO say. l
cont know how far II Is from my house ' 10
half mile. l don't know exactly how far II Is
from Miss Bagwells to where they say she
Wes burnt. knew Miss Bagwell when saw
house ii with Mrs. Kittie Whitley. I suppose
she was an orphan. l never knew her pa.
rents. have known the lady they said was
Miss Narcissa Bagwell for five, or six, or sew
en- years. think she was over twenty years
old. i have been living In the neighborhood
ever since I was nine or ten years old. Mrs.
Whitley was living then where she now lives.
am twenty.nine years old. Married at my
time time I Saw saw Miss Bagweii was on Thursday
evening before she was killed. ! saw her this
side of old man John Young's. She was In
the big road. walking toward Mr.. Osey Har'
vey's, The man with whom live. That was
about quarter OF an hour by sun. She
didn't say anything to me. called her at
tention. and said carried the trunk TO MI
Carlisle, the depot agent and told h, her !
couldn't get O check for 1t. She had hired me
TO carry the trunk to the depot. She didn't
hire me first herself But Richard Wash ask
ed me didn't l want 10 make fifty cents; I
told him yes; | would Ike & to MAKE S hMfty M
Miss Bagwell wanted him TO carry her trunk
to Hodges and said he had no conveyance.
He said he wanted me to carry II: told him
well" He and l went on TO Aliens mill on
wagon at old man Eli Starke's, and came on
home by Miss Bagwelrs, or Mrs. Whitleys,
where she lived. That was ON Wednesday
evening; AS passed the house, fernent the
looked around, and saw man In the win
dow, that I supposed was Marion Miller, a
colored man. who lives on Mrs. Whitley's
place. / stopped and Miss Ragwell came to
was In the big road. She said. Did Richard
say anything 10 you about carrying trunk
to Hodges; ! told her yes, Insna ma'am. Ia carry
ter the trunk. l said, no. / asked when !
must come after the trunk. She said, you can
come after it tomorrow; went after the
Hodges. tried to do as she told me to do. l
bought new cotton rope and tied up the
trunk. She told me to check IT 10 Jackson
vile. Fla, but Mr.. Carlisle asked me If |
you can't get.a check until you get ticket.
He asked me when ] was going. / told
him weren't going at all. That 1t was Miss
Narcissa Bagwelrs trunk. The agent then
He told me to set 1t In the depot beside the
other trunk. then went out In town. staid
awhile and went back home. That was on
Thursday. ] came to Abbeville on Friday.
hadn't heard OF the murder. Mr.. Jim Hall
arrested me on Friday night. was near Mr..
Harvey's when was arrested soon after dark.
They took me over to where the burning was.
They tied my arms as soon as l got there.
They didn't let me see the body. Some time
after | was tied, I heard crowd come down
the road. They had Mr. Wash tied.
Richard Wash's Version of the Crime.
Richard Wash: On Wednesday John
Mitchell and went to mill. ! got bushel
| of corn from him. When We got to Mrs.
Whitleys house, on the way to the mill, !
said John, stop until take this corn In 10
Mrs. Whitley's house, owe 1t to her l car.
ried 1t IN. Mrs. Bagwell said Rich. do you
want TO make fifty cents. / said / don't
know. why? / want my trunk to 60 TO town,
| 1t went to see John, he said, yes I'll carry IT.
She said, come over here in the morning, IL
want to go III let you know. went by there
and she said let John come right away. John
hitched up and went over there. When We
got to the house, knocked and she said com g
get The trunk. l went in and got 1t. She
! came to the gate, and said express 1t to Jack
sonville, Fla. She asked John to put the
rope around the trunk. She asked me TO pay
John ten cents, which ! did. John went on
10 Hodges depot, and ! Ctayed at Miss Bag.
wells about fifteen minutes. Miss Bagwell
and Mrs. Whitley got In buggy and went to
Mulberry. talked to Marion Miller about
fifteen minutes and went on home.
Come home from Tom Robinsons about an
hour and a half by sun. l got ready and
went over to John Mitchell's so as to come To
kbbeyilIe the next day. When got between