The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-10
Murdered for his Money.

ATLANTA, Ga. Feb. PA special to
the Evening Constitution from Gains
vile says: 1.-THE Evening Constitu-
ton correspondent this morning visit.
ed Grady Reynolds, who is in Jail at
this place charged with the murder of
M. @. Hunt His crime is one of the
most horrible, in all details, ever COM
mitted in his section. The alleged
murderer is heavy.set, stalwart man
some thirty-fve years OF age. He is
cool and collected and has exhibited
marvellous nerve from the very be-
ginning of the awful plot which he
conceived. To your correspondent
he gave the following statement in
direct confession of his guilt: "Bud
Brooks and myself planned the whole
murder and robbery a month ago.
Brooks was raised in South Carolina
near the former home of Hunt he is
relative of my mother. Hunt; ran a
store at Bolton and carried about ST.
200 worth of goods. He had 5000 in
gold and 81, 500 in bills, which he car
ried for weeks en- his person. He was
free in the matter of showing his
money, and went around with it all
the time. went to him and agreed
to buy his stock and on Monday the
18th, I persuaded him to take his team
and 20 with me to Harmony Grove,
where I said I would pay him the
money in the trade. He understood I
he'd money there in bank. We drove
to Harmony Grove, both of us in good
humor, and went out to Mrs. Buffers
plantation, near the Oconee river. to
spend the night. Tuesday morning
we went bird hunting. Hunt carried
the only gun in the crowd, and Bud
Brooks went with us. Hunt shot two
birds and Bud pointed out third and
asked for the gun to get a shot. Hunt
handed him the gun, and as he looked
off to see the bird, Brooks hit him in
the back of the head with the butt OF
the gun. He fell like log. We
then took off what things were OF
value on his body. and Brooks got an
ak he had been using to get out rail-
road ties and hacked the Eody in the
side and over the heart. We then
carried it to the river, weighed it and
sunk it. Both of us then went back
to Mrs. Buffers, and when she asked
after the other man. Bud told her he
had gone across the iron bridge and
we were to meet him. l hooked up
the team, took Hunts ring pistol and
overcoat and went back to Bolton. l
left Brooks working within 300 yards
of where Hunts body was buried IN
the water. At Bolton told the story
we had fixed up-that Hunt sold out
to me, gone west to see the prize fight
and had directed me to dispose of his
effects and send him the money. |
sold the team for 500 to Quillian Il
Bros, and took charge OF The store.
didn't know that Hunt had another
horse in the livery stable, and when
they asked about 1t, guess l gave my
self away. They suspicioned some
thing and sent for Hunts brothers.
I then got away from Belton and was
near Harmony Grove trying to get to
seq Brooks when l was arrested. L
didn't do the killing myself. l was
to Get Hunt off and Brooks was to
have the -, 100 for killing him. He
got the money. I was afraid the peo.
pie of Bolton would lynch me, but |
feel safer in this place. But | don't
sea any way out of this thing now"
The above is the substance OF his con-
fession, made as coolly and with as
much nerve as could well be exhibited
under the most comfortable circum
stances. 1t is talked about in Belton
that Reynolds claimed that certain re-
lations between Hunt and Reynolds
sister had something to do with the
tragedy.