The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-06-17
h Hid the Body.
A Horriable Crime Commit
ted at Piedmont.
Special to The ssste.

Special to The Ssate.
PIEDMONT, June l3 Our town has
been in State of excitement during
the last two days over the mysterious
disappearance Of Frank Griffin, the
IA year old son of Samuel Griffin of
this place, who has vanished, IS it
were, under very suspicious circnm-
stances. He was employed in the
mill on the Greenville side. and went
to his work as usual last Saturday
morning: went to his dinner and re
turned to his work, and has not been
seen by his parents since. The mills
shu, dowa at 3:45 p. m every Satur-
day, and when Frank failed to return
home promptly his mother began to
be anxious about her son, who, she
said, never failed to return home,
bathe and put on clean garments
every Saturday evening after his
weeks work was finished
Little Frank, who was slender
youth with fair skin, blue eyes and
light hair, were when last seen a
dark checked coat and pants, striped
shirt. faded nearly white, dark gray
cap and was barefoot
He was last seen by some parties
who were hunting and fishing
about mile from town up the river,
late Saturday evening He was
with Austin Sammous. young man
about Is years of age, who has been
employed several months as a weaver
in the mills of this place. When it
become known that he and SaDmons
were together when last seen and
that Sammons had a double barrel
shotgun, some began to suspect that
Frank had been the victim of foul
play at the hands of Sammons. but
gentleman came down from Greenville
on Monday aud stated that lad had
been seen around the depot there.
aid the description given of him and
the conversation that passed between
them, led some Of our people to be-
lieve, or rather hope, that he was the
missing boy.
Telegraph and telephone messages
failed to find out anything more about
him, and to satisfy himself and wife,
Samuel Griffin. the father of missing
boy, went to Greenville Wednesday,
and after spending the day searching
for him, returned fully satisfied that
the boy seen about the depot Was
not his son.
After he returned messages were
sent to different places in the sur
rounding country, but ali Of them
failed to give any Information con
cerning the boys whereabouts.
Thursday young man of this place
made it known that Sammons had
told him con6detially that he had
shot the boy twice-once in the eyes
and face and once in the side of the
head-and had dumped the body into
the river. The parties who were
fishing and hunting stated that they
heard two shots in quick succession
up the river from them a short time
after the two boys had been seen
going in that direction
With this evidence to start on a
large party was organized, hooks and
rakes were made, and several boats
loaded with men went up the river
to where it is suppoed the body was
thrown. They all worked hard until
late in the afternoon. dynamite being
used freely in the deepest places, the
food gates of the dam were raised
and most of the water drawn of, but
all efforts tc recover the body up to
8 O'Clock last night failed, and the
search was abandoned, but will oe
taken up again to day.
Excitement ran, high yesterday.
and when the hunt for the body COM
menced the authorities here thought
best to have Sammons arrested and
placed in Jail for if the body was
recovered end he was not out OF
reach lynching would very likely
take place Two men accompanied
him to Greenvile Jail yesterday,
where he will remain until the case
is fully investigated
Several Hundred people gathered
alcng the river banks while the
search was going on in the evening
THE Body FOUND. :
Greenville, June 12 This evening
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