The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-03-10
Murdered for his Money.

ATLANTA, CTa.. r eO. "a Special 10
the Evening Constitution from Gains
vile says: The Evening Constitu-
ton correspondent this morning visit.
ed Grady Reynolds, who is in jail at
this place charged with the murder Of
NJ. C. Hunt His crime IS one OF the
most horrible, in al details, ever COM
mitted IN his section. The alleged
murderer is a heavy. stalwart man
some thirty-fiVe 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 II
direct confession of his guilt: Bud
Brooks and myself planned the whole
murder and robbery a month ago.
Brooks was raised in South Carolina
nesr the former home OF Hunt ne is
relative OF my mother Hunt; ran q
store at Belton and carried about ST.
209 worth Of goods. He had $500 in
gold and 81, 500 in bills, which he car
ried for weeks 81 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
10 buy his stock and on Monday the
18th, T persuaded him to take his team
and 60 With me to Harmony Grove,
where I said ! would pay him the
money in the trade. He understood l
had money there N bank. We drove
to Harmony Grove, both CT US IN good
humor, and went out to Mrs. Buffers
plantation: 157r> 157r>4aa-LQeonee river. 10
spend the night. TuesSs. -sso.1a:eg -sso. IL 8
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 thir6 and
asked FOR the gun to geta shot. Hunt
handed him the gun. and as ne looked
OF to see tae bird, Brooks hit him in
the back Of the head with the butt OF
the gun. He fell ike 3 log. We
then took of what things were OF
value or his body. ard Brooks got an
Ak he had been using to get on. rail
road ties and hacked the body IN the
side aud over the heart. We then
carried it 70 the river, weighed il aud
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 &nd
we were to meet hin. l hooked Up
the tam, took Hunts ring pistol and
cvercc&t and went back TO Belton- |
lett Brooks working within 800 yards
Of waere Huns body was buried N
the water. At Bolton | told the story
we had fixed up-.hat AUut SOLD out
10 ne, gone west &c see lie prize hgat
and mad directed ,Gs 10 dispose OF MS
effects aud send him the money. i
sold the team fJc 500 to Qiii,ial y
Bros. and took charge OF the store.
didn't know tha; Hunt had another
aorse in the livery stable, aud when
they asked about It, guess Igave NY
self away. They suspicioned So-ne-
thing aud sent for Hunr's brothers.
l then got away from Belton and ~&s
near Harmony Grove trying &c Gec 70
see Brooks wneu l vas arrested. l
didn't do the killing myself. l was
to get Hunt of and Brooks was to
have the =. 100 for killing MIN. He
GOT the money. I was afraid the peo
Die OF B4Iton would lynch me. but l
seel safer il his place. But | don.
see any way Oh: OF this thing now.
The above Is the substance Of his con-
ies,icn. MADE as cooily and with as
much nerve as could well be exhibited
under the most comfortable circum
stances. i is talked about II Beiton
that Reynolds claimed that certain re
lations between Hunt and Reynolds
sister had something to do with the
tragedy.