The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-08
POPPENHEIM'S DEFENSE PLEA.
TwO NEGROES TESTIFY IN THE
SLAYER'S FAVOR.

He Was ShOt-Then Mazyck Reach
ed for His Gun and Was Also shot
Had Feeling Between Brown and
His Slayer, But Mazyck Was
Friend of Both.
Charleston S. c.. Jan. THE inquest
on the bodies of J. F. Brown and stephen
Mazyck, who were shot yesterday by John
Poppenheim, near Otranto, about fifteen
miles from here, was begun to-day by
Magistrate Whaley.
There seems to have been several col
ored witnesses to the killing. The testi-
rnony of two negroes, taken to-day, is to
the effect that Brown and Alazyck were
in a boat on Forsters creek, they had
left their horses on Poppenheim land,
and he hailed them and told them to get
their animals and quit his premises.
The witnesses said the boat was turned
toward shore and that Brown got up with
his gun and made as if to land, saying
1--WE might as well settle this now The
witnesses said the gun was raised. when
Poppenheim fired. Brown fell into the
river dead.
The witnesses said that Mazyck then
reached for his gun and started up and
Copperheim shot him. Mazyck fell into
the boat.
Brown was shot in the right side and
Mazyck in the forehead. Death must
have been instantaneous.
ropperheim gave himself up to the sher-
if of Berkeley county. and has engaged
counsel.
The inquest was adjourned until Tues
DAY, as some witnesses could not be OBJ
tanned
All the parties are well known and pop
ular men. There had been bad blood be-
tween Popperbeim and Brown for some
time, but MaZyck was a friend to both.
Wednesdays tragedy near Otranto, S.
C., an account of which appeared in the
telegraphic columns of the Morning News
yesterday. possesses an added local inter-
est here from the fact that Mr. Mazyck,
one of the gentlemen killed, is a cousin Of
Mr.. 7. p. Ravenel, the well-known law
yer of this city. The Charleston News
and Courier Of yesterday publishes the fol-
lowing account Of the affair, which is
somewhat fuller than the one telegraphed
the Morning News:
"At7 o'clock Wednesday morning party
of gentlemen left Charleston via the
Northeastern railroad for a deer hunt
on premises leased by the club to which
they belong. Wednesday night a sad party
returned. The crowd was just two less
than when 1t started, and out in the cold
and lonely woods beyond Otranto two
corpses lay waiting for the formalities of
law to be observed before they could
even be given burial. A day that had be-
gun with only the brightest prospects had
ended in a fearful tragedy. Two men
were dead, and a third, not member of
the hunting party, however, was under
arrest having surrendered to the sheriff
of Berkeley county.
THE party that left the city for the
hunting grounds, near Otranto, consisted
of Messrs. L. +. Brown, Stephen Mazyck.
Fred Mckay, H. Schlufter, Beaseley,
Cforse, George Douglas and two others.
They left the train at Otranto and from
there hunted for some miles up the creek.
About O'Clock Mr.. Brown and MIR. Ma
zyck left the party. They had wounded a
buck and went on ahead of the crowd af-
ter him. Some three or four miles above
Otranto the wounded deer plunged into
Goose creek and swan across. Messrs.
Brown and Mazyck were in sight when
the buck took to the water, and as soon
rs possible they got a small boat to cross
also and follow him. The land on the OPP
posite bank of the creek belonged to John
Poppenheim, and it seems as If he must
have been ready and on the outlook for
fired upon them. Mr.. Brown was shot
first and fell dead into the creek Mr.. Ma
zyck received the next shot and fell in the
boat Seeing his work, Mr.. Poppenhem
at once left the scene and taking his bug
gy drove to Moncks Corner and surren-
dered to the authorities of Berkeley coun-
~, telling them he had killed Brown and
Mazack in self-defense.'
The remainder of the hunting party did
not know of the tragedy until about Z
O'Clock Wednesday night, when they came
up to the station at Otranto. Here they
found some colored men looking for them
with the terrible news. 1t was too late
then for them to go back, and nothing
could be done anyway. Messrs. Brown
and Mazyck were dead and their slayer
was in the hands of the law. The bodies
could not be removed until an inquest
could be held, and so the return was made
TO the city. messenger was sent for
the coroner of Berkeley county, and Mr.
George Douglas went back to watch with
the dead, the others of the hunting party
taking the train for Charleston
while MIR, Poppenheim is reported as
saying that the shooting was in self-de-
tense, there has been no authenticated
version of what took place between the
three men. There seems to have been no
witnesses to the tragedy, and the cause
of it is now only to be assumed. The
men, if they had not landed, could not
have yet trespassed on Poppenheim's land,
and yet that is supposed to have been the
excuse for a quarrel But all of this may
come out at the inquest.
"Mr Ladson f. Brown, one of the men
who will never return from the hunt, was
a prominent and popular business man
of this city. He was the proprietor of the
crockery and glassware establishment 227
Meeting street. Mr.. Brown was a middle
aged man, of geneal and kindly DISPOSE
ton. and had scores of friends. He leaves
foy, f1x- md rsnl n
city was his younger brother, who was
engaged with him in the crockery bust
ness Mr.. Stephen Mazyck was a farmer
and had lived at 375 Rutledge avenue. He
was a young man and a prime favorite
amongst his companions and friends"