The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-26
KLLED HIS PLAYMATE,
A TWELVE YEAR oLD,LAo TAKE5AN-
OTHERS LIFE WITH A BLOW. 4
Jim Miller and George ;Dematss' Have .
Dimcu1ty with 9 Bad EndinE- -Dsmates
Struck With samlI Piece Of IRON, and
His Heart ParaIyzed ~ - }s;..4Ayss| - = =:

SCruCk Will u ShLuh 4 AcSo SA @ASs1 ssAAss
His Heart Paralyzed. go 1lss..44isglf9 esssss
COLUMBIA, s. c., Feb. ia very.
sad killing occurred near the Con-
garee Mills yesterday at noon, when
James Miller, twelve year old white
boy, struck another lad named George
Demates on the heart with q ;annall
piece of iorn, inaicting instant death.
The boys were old playmates, which
makes the death all the more unfo ortun-
ate. Miller and Demates both work
in the Congaree Mill. They live
across the street from each other,
about one hundred yards from tfles
mill. Miller has been in the city one
week, having moved here with hisf
parents from Charleston. Demafess
has been working here for someI
! months. He is, perhaps, fourteen
years of age, and like most mill en-.
EpIoyees of that age, is rather thin /
IcaAadfrom the close work which he |
lisfequired toperform. Miller Is short
Iand veil bRi1E y -,
Ofl course fhera IA ts11 8 g. the|
killing, both 4rinR M 3
and as no coroHaFS MapB6 ~
yesterday it was impos&hla
the true particulars. <
The boys had some difficulty: during
the early part of the day. They en-
countered each other at the dinner
hour, at which time the fight took
place. ~, s..,,,-,,. - I.
When a Register reporter called at
the station house shortly after Jim
Miller had been locked up, he was
found lying down in his cell ON his
back and seemed worried. He was
called to the cell door and asked to tell
how the killing happened. ~, ~
Jim says the difficulty first arose
from his slapping the face. of small
boy who had been troubling him.
Demates came along and Wanted to
continue the fuss. Donates asked
him what BUSINESS did he have quar-
relling with the child Jim said that
Demates cursed him and threatened to-:
whip him-at IL o'clock, which he. con-
sented to takei If Demates was man
enough to put it on He says that
Demates and his brother came at him
as soon as the mill stopped work and
that both of them had something to
fight with. Jim says they started at
him, knife in hand, he picked up
roller and threw it at Demates, stfik-
ing him in the breast, but not until
Demates had thrown q brickbat at
him. The roller, which is q small
iron four inches long, will weigh half
pound. This struck Demates on
the heart, and he died q few minutes
later. -. :. ~. sstss-, : u;
Mrs. Lizzie Abbot, a sister Of the
dead boy, tells an entirely different
tale from that of Jim. She says her
brother had nothing in his hand when
he was following Jim, but only want
ed to see what he was going to. do. i
She says that Jim had, two rollers and
threw one at Demates at the corner OF
the mill. George Donates was fol-
towing when jim threw the roller
with deadly effect. so + ~ /. y
The two boys were about thirty-two
feet apart when the roller was thrown.
Mrs. Demates, the dead boys moth
er, says she saw them quarrelling and
went out to stop it. Just as she got in
q few steps of her boy he was struck
on the heart and died before he could
be carried in the house. 4..s55-ss 80 s.:
DR.. Robert D. Earle, who was visit.
ing patient in the. neighborhood,
was Immediately called In, but he
could not do anything as life was then
extinct. DR.. Earle says that the roll
er struck the boys heart paralyzing it, !
and causing instant death. 2 s~z K. 4.
Sheriff Cathcart and Coroner Roach
were summoned but no inquest was
held owing to the difficulty Of securing
a jury. The inquest will be held at
IL o'clock today in the Court House.
The killing caused something OF q
sensation among the mill employees,
though no trouble was feared. Jim
Miller did not seem to comprehend
what he had done. Hesaid, however,
that he was sorry it occurred. Hevas
carried back to Jail until the inquest
to-day. Mrs. Demates weptc bitterly
as she lay on her bed and told the re-
porter how she saw her boy fall dead
at her feet. ~ R,s,f
Two of Jim Miller's brothers wit
messed the killing, besides several
members of the Demates family. It
will be "a difficult matter for the Cor
oner's jury to render a verdict from
the conflicting testimony, which will
be brought out on the stand to-day.