The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-28
gn1 Nerald and 0ems
1uE EDGEFIEI ID HORROR.
MIR AtkinRon Tells the Story ut tho Horri
bio Murder or his Wife.

The August" Sunday Herald pub
fishes long account of visit Of
member Of it's staff to the homo of
Mr.. Atkinson, tho murder of whose
wife has caused SO great sensation
in Edgefield County. Mr.. Atkin-
sons account of his wife's death IS
given as follows:
Last Tuesday morning." began
Mr. Atkinson, "my wife and myself
loft homo about 8 o'clock and drove
to Augusta. We spent most of tho
day in tho city and made several
purchases My wife bought num-
Der of small things that would pleuse
the children. All! little did she
think Of the terrible fate that awaited
her on that dark road-and we left
Augusta abont 4 O'Clock.
"My wife and myself were riding
in my buggy, and following us came
my large farm wagon with Il load of
supplies. The wagon kept good
distance behind us, being houvily
loaded, aud therefore could not go
as fast as the lighter vehicle my
wife aud myself occupied.
"You have Just como over the road,
and know it is one that goes through
swamp after swamp, and is an up
and down hill route, necessitating
rather slow travel most Of the way.
only wife WAS in most happy
humor, thinking Of the pleasure the
little ones would find in the things
she was bringing home for them.
"Just before reaching point near
Republican Church my wife COM
planned Of being bit tired and
leaned her head on my shoulder.
We were in about milo and half
from home, and had just reached the
top of hill when I discovered Il
dark object como out from the
bushes in front of us and cross the
road. The object, which l took for
negro man, walked toward tho foot
Of the hill that we were just then
starting down. The man seemed in
big hurry. l should say that ho
was thirty yards in front of us whom
l first saw him. / walked the horse
for about two hundred steps, and
then started in q slow trot. The man
ahead backed into the bushes at the
side of the road. AS | camo opposite
to him-that is almost opposite, but
to be exact he was still little in
front-I said, 'Who is thatT and at
that moment gun fired, and my
wife fell to the bottom of the buggy.
II thought she had tainted, for
she was subject to faintiug attacks,
produced by sudden surprises, such
as the close proximity of gun
firing, such as happened on that
night.
81 called second time to the I'M
known man, but got no answer. My
horse moved the buggy at this june
ture across tho road, SO that my
wife's foot, that was over one side Of
vehicle, caught in the spokes Of the
wheel. | saw / could not pull her
back into the seat from tho position
was then in, so l jumped out and
took my wife out. I was SO engrossed
in seeing to my wife that could not
notice the man, who fired the fatal
shot. did see man run off.
81 discovered by touching my wife
that she was bleeding, and shortly
after that she was q corpse, l laid
her down beside the road, and
shouted for Iko Mackey Ike was
one Of the men on my wagon that
was behind me. The wagon caught
up with me, and the men helped mo
lift my dead wife into tho wagon.
I wrapped her body in quilt that
was on the wagon"
''The shock was such q terrible
one that | believe I was dazed I
could not realize just then the terri
bic calamity that had befallen mo.
When | neared the house Mr.. Cart.
ledge, friend Of mine, who was ut my
home at the time, came ont to moet
me. He had heard the report of the
gun, and SAID something was wrong.
''He and the negro men carried