Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-04-17
|B. B. EVANS CHARGED WITH MURDER.
Capt. j. j. Griffin Dies In Evans Room from
Evans Says he Committed Suicide
Appear to Bear Out the Bad for

| Appear to Bear Out the Tn
Columbia, April 13.-Capt. John j.
ar!mn. Commercial! Agent Of theNcrfcl.s
6 Western Railroad, with headquarters
in this city, was killed this afternoon In
the room of Major b. b. Evans. Evans
was arrested and placed in Jail to await
tho verdict of the oorner's jury.
INCIDENTS OF THE TRAGEDY.
Capt. Griffin and Major Evans were In
tho lattors room aud had evidently boon
drinking together. Tho first known of
the tragedy was when Major Evans
rushed out of his room and went to tolc-
phone for q physician. Meeting one on
the street he carried him to the room.
There on tho floor lay Capt Griffin
breathing his last, with 44-calibre pis-
tol bullet, fired from Major Evans pistol,
In his left breast. The physician, DR..
Gibbes, informed Major Evans that tho
wound was mortal, and the lattor turned
upon him in frenzy. Tho physician
attributes his escaping to his GOODNESS.
He went to the street and sent police
/
that Major Evans had locked himself in,
and it was only after friendly persuasion
that he oponed tho door and submitted
to arrest.
Capt. Griffin died about the time tho
police gained admittance to the room.
The appearance of tho room ir 1icated n
struggle, tho dead mans face being
| l,r,, nd l.,
stick. Tho shot was fired from Major
Evans pistol, but Evans claims that
Griffin killed himself. Major Evans re-
fused to talk aftor being taken to Jail.
IIe is q brother Of former Governor John
Gary Evans, and his family is one of tho
most prominent in South Carolina. The
arrest of Major Evans subsequently orc-
ated q pronounced sensation.
The two men were alono and occu-
pants of adjoining apartments were at
dinner. Major Evans summoned q
physician, saying that n man was hurt
in his rooms. Dr. II. w. Gibbcs found
Capt. Griffin lying in a dying condition
and speechlcss on Major Evans bed. A
44-calibro Colts revolver bullet had
entered just above tho left nipple.
When DR.. Gibbcs announced that
Griffin was dying, he declares that Evans,
who had been drinking heavily, became
wildly excited and exclaimed that DR..
Gibbes lied; that DR.. Gibbcs and not he
himself had killed Griffin. The physi-
clan, under pretext of replacing broken
instrument, managed to got out of the
room, although Evans declared that he
should not do So
DR.. Gibbes Summoned police and they
were refused admttancc until Judge
Ernest Gary, cousin of Evans, arrived
and demanded admittancc and submis-
sion to the officers Evans struck Judge
hysteria, having declared that Griffin
had taken his own lfo.
THEY HAD BEEN DRINKING.
In the room wcro evidences of the
fact that one or both of the men had
been drinking Aside from this there is
no reason why Griffin should have killed
himself or that Evans should have shot
him.
The dead mans face was bruised or
both sides and there was an abrasion of
the skin on the bridge of the nose. His
walking cane, cloLtod with blood, was
several feet from whore blood marks
indicated that the fatal shot had taken
effect The right forearm of the dead
man showed powder burns, but none
were visible in the neighborhood of the
wound. These circumstances would
seem damaging to the theory of self
destruction.
SHORT HISTORY OF THE TWO MEN.
Capt. Griffin served in the Confederate
army with company from Macon, Ga,
and after the war entered the railroad
service. He had held tho position of
General Freight Agent of the East Ten
nesscc, Virginia and Georgia and subsc-
qnently went to the Norfolk and Vest
ern. Two years ago he was assigned to
this territory He had quite large
family. He is survived by wife and
seven children, four sons and three
daughters.
Major Evans is a son of Brigadicr Gen
eral n G. Evans and nephew of Major
General Mart w. Gary, of the late Con-
fcderato army. He is a brother Of for
mcr Governor John Gary Evans, who
was Adiutant General in 1893, and was
himself in the Havana post Office depart
mcnt at that time. He is well known in
militia and political circles, having twice
received a large vote for Railroad Com
missioner. HIc and the present Iicutcn-
ant Governor, James ii. Tillman, fought
a bloodlcss duel in Edgcficid some years
ago.
Verdict OF the Coroncr's Jury.
Columbia, April 14-Thc coronor's
jury this afternoon rendered vcr-
dict that "to the best of it's belief the
| death of Capt. j. j. Griffin was
caused by gunshot wound inflicted
at tho hands of Major B. B. Evans"
DID NOT SEND FOR PHYSICIAN AT ONCE.
There was startling evidence produced.
Mr.. w. II. Muller declared that he had
heard the shot and that it was fully ff-
| teen minutes before Evans came into the
store to telephone for a physician. He
did not connect Evans visit with the
noise of the report of the revolver, but
noticed that Evans was under excitement.
lie asked Evans what was the matter.
| The latter never disclosed the serious
nature of the affair, but insisted that
Muller go with him upstairs, but Muller
declined, not suspccting the gravity of
the situation. A few minutes later