Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-18
1901, by Thomas P. Montfort
CHAPTER XVIII.
A MATTER OF INTEREST.

Never since CQaC Qdy OH WulCu Tue
battle of Lexington was fought had
there been such intense excitement on
Possum Ridge. The people. forgetting
their everyday duties. collected in little
groups and all day long talked in low.
hushed tones Of the terrible thing that
had happened. A thousand questions
were asked, many of them of most
frivolous nature, but propounded in ali
seriousness; q thousand SurmiSeS We're
made, and those who happened to pos
sess fragment of information relative
to the one subject of absorbing interest
repeated that information over and
over again for the delectation Of their
less fortunate fellow mortals.
In little quiet place like Beckett's
Mill, where but few things out of the
common ever transpire, murder is an
event Of supreme Importance. 1t is
sufficient to claim the entire and undi-
vided attention Of the people for a day
and to remain the chief topic of con-
versation for a week OR even a month.
It is an event which marks an epoch
and from which time is reckoned.
Lying in state in little wareroom
just off Hicks store was all that re-
NAMED of James Melvin. Jim Thorn
in passing through Sim Banks wood
had found the body lying across q little
footpath, in almost the same spot where
Melvin and Louisa had met. Thorn. in
q mild state Of excitement, had ap-
'peared at Hicks store to report his
find. Hicks and others had repaired to
the scene and had removed the body
to town.
Soon the news spread, and in an in.
credibly short time everybody at Beck
ett's Mill knew Of the tragedy. Then
the people came to see and to ask ques-
tionS. Of course every one, man, wo-
man and child, had to pass through the
little wareroom and look on the life
less form. Then, having looked, they
gathered in little knots to talk it all
over.
Jim Thorn. having been the fortu-
nate one to make the find. occupied the
pedestal of chief Importance in the vii
lage that day. Wherever he went,
whichever way he turned. there was
an eager group about him, listening
anXiously for every word that fell from
his lips. Time and again. and always
to interested listeners. he repeated the
story of the find down to the minutest
details. And the story Jim Thorn told
was this:
"When | got up this mornin, says
to my woman. says l, 'Lucindy, | guess
I'll jest step over to Joe Beckett's pas
ture an look at that calf Of Joe's.' Joe
an mes been on trade for a right
smart while, an he's been a-wantin me-
to take calf he's got over thar.
WAL. put on my hat an went over to
Joe's, but Joes woman told me Joe
want at home, but that he'd gone off
to look for pig that'd strayed away.
So | jest went an looked at the calf.
made up my mind Joe wanted too
much for it, then started back acrost
the woods for home. WAL, I'd walked
a right smart piece an was a-goin along
with my head sorter down. a-thinkin
bout somethin. when all at once kind
er glanced up. an right thar before me,
not six feet away, laid that dead man."
Lord. but | bet you jumped an hol-
lered"' some one exclaimed.
Thorn gave the speaker a look of
mild contempt.
~ bet | never" he replied. IL never
moved a inch. nor l never give a
squeak"
e"Waal. l bet you was skeered any
how"
NO, sir, want skeered, not nary a
grain more than am this minute"
"Did you tech him?" somebody ask
ed.
"No, l didn't tech him, but it want
cause was afeard to. lowed meb-
by it mought be agin the law, an
want tiggcrin on gittin into no trouble
noway."
There was short pause, after which
some one said impresSively:
Lord, jest 10 think of feller walkin
up oi " a u'uu lIhc MY
land. wouldn't "a done it for nothn
on earth. | bet I'd "a Eeen skeered.
an I'd "a jumped an hollered. too. an
reckon I'd most broke my neck a-gittin
away from thar Lord!'
"Land Of gracious" another exclaim-
ed, ''if that had a been me in place of
Jim Thorn, I'd "a been skeered plumb
out Of my skin, an I'd jest "a tore the
earth up an knocked the bark often all
the trees round thar a-gtttin out Of
them woods"
If the truth had been known, che only
reason Jim Thorn didn't knock the
bark off the trees getting out Of those
woods was because the bark was too
tight to be knocked off. But that was
something no one save Thorn knew,
and he had no idea Of mentioning it.
Then Jim Thorn had to go out to Sim
Banks woods and show where the
body had been found and explain in
detail just how it had lain. He had
to show the exact position Of the head,
the feet and the hands and describe in
full the precise attitude Of the whole
body.
After that he had to show just how