The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-02
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
Three Men Killed in Abbcyie. one being
the Sheriff.
tiREENwoop. S. G.. Dec

NOOD, -. ". l/cC. OO.
At Abbevile last night. as n result
Of drunken man s spleen and malice,
three men were killed, one Of whom
was the Sheriff of the County.
The story Of the triple tragedy
sounds more like an account Of an oc-
currence in some western border town
than anything that has occurred in
South Carolina within recent years.
About 8 o'clock last night, in the
Office Of the Miller hotel, several gen
tlemen were having o social game of
cards. One of the players was Will
liam Kyle, a northerner, who has been
experimenting the building of the ad-
dition to the Abbeville Cotton Mill.
While the game was in progress John
Dalsby, somewhat notorious oharso-
ter, entered the room. He was drink
ing and in quarrelsome mood. 1t is
said that he had difficulty with Kyle
in the afternoon. In o few moments
Dansby managed to have some words
with Kyle and applied vile epithet
to him.
According to the story of witnesses
Kyle got up from his chair and remon-
strated with Dansby, but without
making any demonstration of violence.
Dansby drew his pistol, 45-calibre
Colts, and when q bystand,r grabbed
his arm he quickly changed the gun
to the other hand and fired, the ball
striking Kyle in the abdomen. The
shooting occurred so quickly that those
present hardly realized what had hap
pened.
Dansby then backed out Of the room,
declaring he would shoot any man who
attempted to stop him, and started to
the home of his fathcr-in- law, Tom
Cresswell, who lives near the cotton
mill
The news of the shooting quickly
spread, and Policemen johnson and
O'Brian started in pursuit Of the mur-
dcrer. They overlook him near Cress
wells house, but Dansby stopped thom
with his pistol and said be would
shoot if they advanced. The police
then went TO nca.o; q; house and tele-
phoncd up town for assistance,
In short tinu Sheriff Il. l.. Ken
ncdy with several citizens responded
to the summons. They surrounded
the house, the policemen being sta
toned at the windows and Kennedy
going to the front door Kennedy
called to Dansby to come out aud sur
render.
Dansby came ont, closing the door
behind him, and with the remark,
"Well, we'll go to hell together"
CONNIE aced firing. Dansby was shot
twice, once in the leg and onc e full in
the chest. Kennedy was struck once
in the left breast near the heart. Both
men emptied their pistols. Kennedy
fell as soon as he was hit, but Dansby
walked some fif,y steps and was re.
loading his pistol when ono of the
policemen ran up and grabbed him,
and took tho gun out of his hand.
Several others of the party were firing
at Dansby at the time, and there il
some uncertainty as TO who fred the
shots that struck him, but it is though,
that they were fred by Kennedy.
Handouffs were placed on DansbJ
and he VAS carried to the Jail, but
died soon after reaehing there, about
an hour after the shooting. Re did
not speak after being shot. Kennedy
was carried to the Jail and expired
within few minutes after Dansby
Kyle, who was first shot, lived until z
o'clock to-day, when he breathed his
last.
The Coroner to-day held an inques,
and the jury returned formal verdic,
in accordance with tho facts.
| This, IN brief, is tho story Of To.
bloodiest tragedy Abbeville county ha.
ever known. John Dansby, who pre-
! cipitated the affair, was q notoriou,
character in Abbeyille County: Hewa,