Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-03-11
THE PINCKNEY INQUEST.
Still No Clue to Charleston's Mysterious
Midnight Assassin.


Midnight Assassin.
All Charleston continues to be tre-
mendously interested in the Pinckney
assassination case. The jury of in
quest continued its Investigations for
eight days until last Wednesday after
noon, aud then adjourned until this
Saturday afternoon, when it hopes
to find a place to make a new start.
So far there has been lots Of stimony.
Much of it has been clear and to the
point but still the case is surrounded
with mystery, and one is at a loss to
arrive at conclusion as to whether
Pinckney was killed by "two Ne.
groes," as he claimed, or by some one
else. All the testimony points to "two
Negroes"-that is, all but that of the
Negro McFall; but still there are hun
dreds of Charleston people who insist
in believing that the responsibility for
Pinckney's death lies somewhere else.
McFall was placed on the stand a
second time on last Monday, and Mr..
Arthur Barnwell went back on the
stand to denounce certain statements
that had been made by McFall. Nc
Fall had said that Barnwell had ex-
claimed in his presence, referring to
Pinckney, "Re shot h-ll out of him
He shot h-ll out of him" !" Barnwell
testified that this was false; that ne
had said nothing of the kind. He also
denied that be had told McFall to "re-
member that Mr.. Pinckney had said
that two Negroes had shot him." He
admitted that he had given McFall
some change and told him that Mr..
Pinckney would reward him hand
somely when be got well. He fatty
contradicted several other less impor-
tant statements that had been made by
McFall. Julian Mitchell, ESQ.,, went
on the stand to break down the testi-
mony of McFall. He stated that Nc
Fall had told him different stories on
different occasions, and his testimony
generally was to be taken as showing
that McFall was totally unreliable.
Rumor and theory has been trying
very hard to fix the shooting on young
Henry Bardin. Young Bardin testi.
fies that he went home at about 10
o'clock. Witnesses were found who
claimed to have seen him on the street
in the business part of the city as late
as 11.30. There was story that he
pawned his bicycle for a revolver.
This was explained that the bicycle
really was pawned but it was done
by friend out of joke. The friend
had taken the bicycle to a pawnshop
and afterward gave Bardin the pawn
ticket and money. Detective Hogan
said he was in the pawnshop at the
time and saw the transaction. But
even the testimony of McFall would
hardly fix the shooting on Henry
Bardin. According to McFall, Bardin
came out of his house to the scene OF
the shooting while the alleged white
man who did the shooting was running
away.
One remarkable circumstance in
connection with the matter seems to
be that if the people really believe
1.-TWO Negroes" did the shooting, there
has been no apA ent anxiety to es-
tablish the identityof even the Negroes.
Somehow or other it looks as if those
who are conducting the inquest are
looking for something they do not want
to find, and judging from developments
so far, it is not likely that they will
find it. Previous to the adjournment
until Saturday, the following remarks
were made by Solicitor Jervey to the
jury last Wednesday afternoon
"Mr. Foremen and Gentlemen of the
Jury: AS you see, by experience with
that last witness and others brought
here, witnesses have been brought
here on vague and unauthentic Il may
say) reports, which no one is response
BILE for, that certain persons had infor-