The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-17
THE MURDER OF HUNT.
Reynolds COnfeSSes TO. Et-yfe Told
How He Eured His Victim-Slew
IL i'm the River
Atlanta Evening Journal.

Atlanta Evening Journal.
"Af.er ! got the bill of sale, me and Hun
went 10 Mrs. Buffers house, close to Har
mony Grove IL was near where the killing
took place. OF course, ! did the killing"
Such IL the con nieSsion of Grady REYNOLDS
the North Georgia moonShiner who murder
ed NJ. Z. Hunt, a merchant OF Bolton, severa
weeks ago. Reynolds is now confined in Full
ton County jail, where he was brought, to
geiher Will his con nfederate, Bud Brooks, fol
sale Keeping.
AS announced In the Journal Yesterday
Brooks and Reynolds were ordered removed
from the Jackson County jail by Judge n. l.
Huich1ns, because OF threatened mob vio
Ience.
The men were removed from Jefferson by
Sherlf Braseton and posse, aud lodged ir
the jail In this city last night. They were
met at I he union depot by Captain Jennings
and detachment of police and escorted Il
the prison.
R6th Brooks and Reynolds are well known
To the internal revenue officers, having been
repeatedly convicted of Illicit distilling in the
United States Court. Neither of the men
have had any educational advantages, and
are hS rough as the typical moonshiner.
In his statement to the Journal, Reynolds
did not implicate Brooks in the killing, and
the latter denies that he had any part in It,
Reynolds said:
DON'T TELL ANY LIES.
81 propose TO tell my part about II, and
don't propose TO tell any lies particularly.
cant say how long I'd been knowing Hunt
but had known him for some time.
1--WE took the stock Of goods at Bolton
and saw what was there. Then got Hunt tC
Sigu the bill of sale and we went together to-
wards Harmony Grove in buggy 10 get the
money. We stopped at Mrs. Buffers on the
way and me and Hunt decided to 90 over the
fields looking for birds.
"He was little ahead Of me- didn't have
any weapon, but Hunt had gun in his hand
and a pistol IN his oyercoat pocket. He was
EI lnftl
right hand on the pistol In his pocket.
Il picked up little flint rock about the
SIZE OF goose egg and let him have IL In the
back of The head AS he fell ran up TO him
grabbed his gun and struck hin few tim es
with that till he Was dead.
ALTER Hunt was still | went into the woods
piece, To where | knew Bud Brooks was
choppins crosslieS. got him TO go back with
me. TOOK his AK and cut open the body,
ana pnt some rocks In 1t. | amt saying
whether Brooks helped me carry the body to
, the river or not. That's his story. Anyway,
the body was sunk in the Oconee.
THE MONEY HE HAD.
Hunt had $3.50 in gold and $50 In green.
backs kept all the gold and gave Br )oks
about half the paper. Then we separated,
Brooks going to his old home in South Caro-.
lima and me back To BeltOn.
81 ran the store for four or five days. when
things got too warm for me. j went back To
Mrs. Butler's and II was there | was arrested
pose all can do now is TO ask Tor mercy"
Reynolds was born in Hall County, near
Gainesville and was son OF Bailus Reynolds
He is well known in that section.
Bud Brooks said:
al didn't know Hunt was going to be killed.
and didn't have anything to do with the k i'll.
ing. ! WAS cutting croSstIeS on Mrs. Buffers
place, and Reynolds was TO pay me for the
work. he got me 10 keep at work till he
would come out and give me the money.
had no idea he had plot to kill Hunt. After
the killing ! took the money Reynolds gave
me and skipped out"
Brooks was born in Oglethorpe County, near
Lexington. His father was a Con tederate sol.
dier and at the end of the war his mother
LUCINDA Brooks, was left with four children
to support. Bud" ives the youngest. He
said he had had Il "hard chance" all of his
life.
: The men will probably be tried at a special
term of the Jackson Superior Court in May.