The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-11-26
WAS ON HIS WAY HOME.
SKILL BADLY CRUSHED BY THE
FATAL BLOW OR BLOWS.

FATAL BLOW Ok BLOnS.
One Of Our Most Quiet and Peaceaoie
Citizens-Two Negroes Under
Arrest on Suspicion.
Last Thursday night Mr.. NJ. B. Varn'
q merchant, who conducts store unoer
Johnson's Hotel, left his place of business
about eight o'clock to go home out ne
never reached his loved ones alive, TOR on
the way, only short distance from MS
residence, he was struck down and robbed
by some daring desperadoes.
Never have the citizens of this town
been more thoroughly aroused, and had
they been absolutely certain of the guilty
parties, short work would have been made
of them. The idea that quiet and peace
able citizen like Mr.. Warn should be cruel
" murdered while walking the streets OF
the town is appalling to US all. All the
more forcible is the boldness of the affair
brought home to Us when we realize that
it occurred almost in front of the residence
of one of the aldermen of the town and in
thickly populated section-a section
where if the wounded man had made any
outcry, several of our best citizens would
have heard and at once hurried to the
scene. But the work of those who SO
daringly waylaid and foully donet to death
one of our best citizens was done too well.
It is probable that he fell and lay where
he was struck until kind friends carried
him home.
THE DETAILS OF THE CRIME.
Mr.. Warn left his store about o'clock,
and went by DR.. Blacks drug store and
bought some medicine for his family.
Here he was last seen alive. His resid-
ence is on Carlisle street in the Southern
portion of the town, nearly a mile from
the business section. He was a very
methodical man, going home at about the
same hour every night. Heidi not arrive
at the usual time, so naturally his family
became alarmed, knowing how punctual
he was.
Shortly after nine o'clock his wife, ac-
comparied by one of the little boys,
started down town in search OF him.
About 100 yards from the house, nearly
in front of the residence Of Mr.. G. P
Harmon, they stumbled over his body,
living on the sidewalk, face downward,
in dying condition. His skull had been
crushed in, and the great quantity OF
blood which flowed from his ghastly
wound formed pool in which the rapidly
dying man lay.
The alarm was at once given, several
of the neighbors hurried to the scene, and
Mr. Warn was carried home. Drs. Black
Kinsey, and Bronson were at once sum
moned, but they could do nothing Mr.
Warn never regained consciousness, and
died shortly after ten o'clock, few
minutes after the physicians arrived.
The NOINOS.
There is difference of opinion as to
how many times Mr.. Warn was struck
He was hit once and possibly twice on
the back of the head with heavy stick OF
deadly weapon. The whole back of his
head was crushed in, the skull being
badly fractured. A bruise on the left
shoulder was also found, a slight bruise
on the forehead and knee, but the last
two might have been made in falling. II
is supposed that he was struck from be-
hind, the murderer following him until he
got near enough to strike.
Robbery is supposed to have been the
sole reason for the murder, as Mr.. Warn
was man who meddled with no one
and if he had an enemy, nobody knew it
It was his habit to carry his money home
from the store every night in a small
sack, and on leaving his store Thursday
night he counted out his money as usual
and placed it in this sack in the presence
of drummer, a young gentleman from
town, and an unknown negro, all Of
whom were in the store at the time. Mr.
YARNS store is near the depot, and the
two gentlemen were waiting on the train
This negro is not known, and those who
saw him in the store that night would
not recognize him were they to see him
again.
This sack was missing from his body
and, from an examination of his cash
book and bank book, is supposed to have
contained about thirty dollars. There
was a small pocketbook in another one
of his pockets, in which were two one
dollar bills and $3.50 in change-$3.50 in
all. This was not touched, neither was
his watch. However, it is likely that the
robbers were frightened away before they
finished going through his pockets, as two
gentlemen from the country say they
,,,eeod +horo in a hurpv inst as the train