The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-04-05
NO F00TPAD DID IT.
Charleston to Have a Sensation in
the Pinckney Case.
WORK OF THE GRAND JURY.
The Pinkerton Detectives are at
Work on the Case. An Ar
ticle in Town Topics
Haucec Sir
Causes a Stir.

There is much interest in the deVel-
opments Of the facts in the Pinckney
killing in this county, and any facts In
the case are read with interest. A dis
patch from Charleston says as an after
north of the killing, which Of itself has
kept Charleston in continual stir for
a month, Town Topics last week print
ed a story from that city which has
caused the widest kind Of a sensation.
The story is stamped with that veno-
nous style characteristic of the publ
cation. The details Of the murder Of
Mr.. Pipckney are given briefly, but the
writer took side route 10 strike one OF
the most prominent familiesin Char
lesion, aud a family in no way
connected with the facts incident to the
killing. The publication has set
high society in terribly excited
strain.
1t is said in Charleston that the
grand jury, which is trying to solve the
mystery surrounding the death Of Mr..
Pinckney, will bring in presentment
calculated to cause the biggestsensation
known in this city in years. When the
coroner's jury, after working for more
than week on the case, returned a
verdict that Mr.. Pinckney was killed
by parties unknown the public abso-
lutely refused to accept any such finish
The theory that the young man was
killed by footpads is not believed here
by nine-tenths of the people, and, in
fact, the grand jury is gradually gath,
ering evidence to knock this footpad
idea into flinders. There is a derermi-
nation among the members TO stick to
the Investigation until some solution OF
the mystery is found, The jury does
not want to work for weeks and then
admit its inability to clear the case at
ter censuring the coroner's jury Tor
having done so.
The latest bit Of gossip has been
caused by the efforts Of the grand jury
to learn further facts about the time
Mr. Benjamin Campbell Batewell Of
Pittsburg, arrived in Charleston. Mr..
BateHell was engaged to Miss Elizabeth
Bardin, the young lady on whom Mr.
Pinckney was calling the night he was
shot. The shooting occurred at mid
night Saturday and according to Mr..
Batewell's statement he reached Char
lesion Sunday morning eight hours af-
ter the shooting. Batewell testified as
to the time of his arrival to the coro-
ner. A late report has been circulated
that lady Of this city came in on the
same train from the north with Mr..
Batewell Saturday morning. This
made the grand jury try to ascertain
the facts and witnesses have been e4-
amined on this line. Just what their
evidence was, however, cannotbe learn
ed from the grand jury.
Mayor Smyth has employed the ser
vices of Pinkerton detective to work
on the case. The chief Of police and
his force have heen unable to find
single cleW. This has made great
deal Of talk and it has even been said
that the police were held back and not
allowed to make any kind of an investi-
CATION. This, however, was vigorously
denied. But the fact remains that the
local force admitted it was helpless IN
the matter and the mayor sent for one
of the Pinkerton agents. A strange
fact, however, is that the detective,
whom nobody has seen, is not working
along with the grand jury. He is pur.
suing different lines altogether.
A member Of the grand jury saiG
that the footpad theory has been en-
tirely eliminated from the course which
the investigation is now taking. The
jury is no longer considering that theo-
ry, but is working to fasten the crime
where it belongs. Startling develop
ments are expected this week, probably
tomorrow. The different pieces OF
evidence are being woven gradually to.
gether, and it is said that the jury will
return presentment which will mean
the arrest of somebody directly connect
ed with the affair. The facts them
selves can hardly be worse than public
talk. The public believes that there
is scandal behind the shooting and
death of Mr.. Pinckney.