Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-12-14
MURDERED HIS WIFE
AND SHOT HIS MpTHER.iN.LAH IN THE
ARM--MA0EE HIS ESCAPE.
WITHOUT A WORD OF WARMING
The Fatal Shot Was FIred-The Husband 1
WeIl.to.D0 Farmer. ~

L1THoNIA, GA, December g.
Hiram Sharp, we'll known and
prosperous farmer living four miles
from this place, instantly killed his
wife this morning at 8 O'Clock and
painfully wounded his mother-in-
law. ..-
AS soon as the shots were fired,
Sharp dartcd out OF his house and
! ran into the woods. He is now be-
ing chased by large party, headed
by the deputy sheriff and his party.
The neighborhood is greatly ex-
cited and there is much feeling ex-
pressed by the neighbors.
Just the cause leading up to the
tragedy is not known, but it is gene
rally understood that there has been
an enlargement of several years.
existence between Sharp and his
wife. A short time ago she left him,
after bitter quarrel, but she re-
turned, and since she has been ap-
parently happy, and they have been
living together as man and wife at
their country home.
Mrs. Sharp was so years of age
and of good family. Her husband
is about the same age, and Mrs.
Sharp's mother is 65 years old and
very feeble.
SHOTS FIRED WITHOUT WARNING.
The shot which instantly killed
Mrs. Sharp was fired this morning
by her husband without warning. In
fact, the report of the shotgun was
the first intelligence of her husbands
presence, so the only eyewitness to
the shooting states.
Sharp had been out in the woods
with his shotgun, which was heavily
charged with buckshot. He left the
house early this morning, and his
wife and her mother supposed that
he would be absent until the noon
hour.
At 8 o'clock he suddenly and un-
oxpectedly returned. He rushed in
to the house without making his
presence known until the 81 s
was fired.
AS soon as he threw the door open
he leveled the gun at his wife's
heart and deliberately pulled the
trigger before she could even step
aside or make an exclamation.
Not word was spoken by the
husband, who deliberately and
coolly fired.
The shot made frightful wound,
tearing away the breast and penetrat-
ing the heart.
Mrs. Sharp fell to the floor dyinc
instantly.
INTENDED TO KILL TWO.
The dead woman's faithful old
mother, tottering with age, sprang
from her chair in tho corner and
ATTEMPTED to shield the prostrate
form.
Sharp turned" in anger upon the
defenseless old woman. His face
was white with rage and uncontrolla-
bic frenzy.
Again he levelled the shotgun and
poured the other barrel of buckshot
into his mother-in law.
Tho second shot was fired hastily
and after the man was wild with
passion and excitement and his aim
was not so good, for he all but
missed his second victim.
She was struck in the left arm
and her arm from the elbow to the
finger tips were riddled and torn
with buckshot.
The old woman is very weak from
loss of blood and the great shock of
the tragedy and it is feared she will
not recover.
FEED INTO THE WOODS.
Sharp was not in tho house more
than thirty seconds, SO quickly was
the bloody mission performed.
AS soon as he had fired the last
shot, he turned and rushed from the
blood stained room, where his vito
was gasping for breath and his
mother-in-law was screaming for
help.
lie sprang out of the door which
he had entered just q moment before
and in q second was lost from sight
in the woods.
The nows of the tragedy quickly
spread through the neighborhood and
within an hour many of the best and
most conservative and substantial far
mers of that portion of the county
had gathered and plans were being