The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-02-12
A HORRIBLE MURDER.
Policeman j. b. King Shot and Killed
BY Joe Davis.

Last " edneSday afternoon, just alter
we had printed our paper for last week
and put the edition in the postoflice, a
little negro boy came to Dr. Hoover's
drug store, which is next door to our
office, and said he had been sent for the
doctor to 60 up on factory hill, that some
man had shot and killed the policeman
up there The doctor went up immediate
ly, and crowd soon followed, as the
news had gotten down town. Mr.. King
was dead when the physician reached
him, having lived only a minute or so
after he was shot The shooting occurred
at house on factory hill occupied by
Joe Davis, worthless drunken man, and
he is the man who did the killing.
The trouble which resulted in this
brutal murder of good citizen was Il
quarrel between Davis and his wife.
Davis is in the habit of indulging too
freely in dispensary whlskey, and on
Wednesday he was drinking and got to
ouarreling with his wife. She told him
she was not going to put up with his
threats and abuse any longer, and was
going down town to Sheriff Hunter and
have him bound over to the peace, as she
expressed it. She did come down and
made her complaint to Sheriff Hunter,
who promised her he would 60 up and
try to quiet her husband. Sheriff Hunter
has only one leg, and when he went to
look for his buggy, in rear of the court
house, it was gone, so he sent a message
to Mr.. King, who came over to the court
house. The sheriff told him of the trouble,
and he started up to the house shortly
afterwards to straighten out the affair.
He did not anticipate any trouble, and
did not 60 with the idea Of arrestlng
Davis, as we understand from his con-
versation with Sheriff Hunter, but merely
to talk to him and get him quiet.
At pump near the house he met Mrs.
Davis, and went back to the house with
her. Mr. King went to the front door
while she went around to the back door.
She says she had the coffee pot IN her
hand and had gone to the pump for water.
The policeman walked up to the door
and raped and, receiving no answer,
unbolted the door. Immediately on open
ing the door, Davis, who had his gun
ready, fired the right hand barrel, the
load taking effect in his breast just over
the heart, making CHASTITY wound, Mr..
King turned to walk out OF the piazza,
and managed to get down the steps, where
he fell face DOWN. ard on the ground.
The weapon used was double barrel
breech loading shot gun, and the muzzle
of the weapon was almost at Kings breast.
Small shot were used, No. 9, and hole
about one and a half inches in diameter
was torn directly over the heart, through
which the life blood spurted, covering
almost the entire floor of the piazza; the
steps and ground where he fell were
splashed with blood also, and the wound
must have bled very profusely. Davis
followed Mr.. King out of the house as
soon as he reloaded the gun, which he
brought out in his hands, went to the
body and finding the man dead, went
back in the house. From there he started
as he says to jail to give himself up, but
he was met by Mr.. L. Q. Price who took
charge of him and carried him to Jail.
It is believed by some that he was not
coming to give up, but was trying to get
away.
1t IS evident that Davis deliberately pre-
pared to commit this murder, for his
daughter says she saw her mother and
MIR. King coming and told her father that
she saw her mother coming with the
policeman. Then Davis got his gun and
stood at the door ready to shoot as the
door was opened.
The inquest was held in the court house
Thursday morning by Coroner A. W.
Bessinger, and verdict to the effect that
J. B. King met his death at the hands OF
Joe Davis was rendered. Mr.. G. A. Rice
was foreman of the jury of inquest. Con-
siderable testimony was heard, but 1t was
all along the line as stated above. Davls,s
wife and daughter testified about to this
effect, except the daughter said her father
said to the policeman Stand back; don't
come in my house" and Immediately the
gun fred. Her statement to several
Gentlemen the afternoon of the killing
was that no words were spoken and her
father fred just as King opened the door.
The wife also says when she left the
policeman in the front yard that she told
him not to 60 in the house, but to call
the old man out in the yard to talk to
him.
1t appears there was no one in the front
room Of. the house with-Bavis when the
killing occurred except his little boy,
about-six years old. His daughter and
an Old negro man named William Roddy
were in the kitchen, and his wife had
reached the back steps when the gun
fired. Roddy says he heard no words pass,
and the little boy says his father shot the
policeman just as he opened the front
door. The little fellow tells straight
story for one so young, and 1t IS very
evident that when the daughter told her
father the policeman was coming he got
his gun and stood near the front door
and when the door was opened at once
fired. King did not even have his club,
had only an umbrella in his hand, and
his pistol was in his pocket in rubber
case when he fell and died, showing con-
clusiyely that he was murdered absolutely
without warning. All the facts and cir
cumstances 20 to show that it was de-
librrately planned murder. Davis has
been arrested several times for being
drunk and it is stated that he has said
recently that he did not intend to 60 IN
the guard house any more, since a man
laQ OleQ IN tQeEe. Ii 10 e'ASo 9ottt oiA"o
some member of his family has told that
he said to his wife when she told him she
was going down town, that if she sent a
policeman there after him he would kill
him. This is now denied, but there is
every reason to believe it is true. Davis
no doubt entertained no personal ami
mostly to Mr.. King, but he had planned
to kill whoever came there as he thought
to arrest him.
The body of Mr.. King was taken to his
home, and Thursday afternoon it was
carried to Denmark to take the train for
Bethune, s. c., near which town the
burial took place He was forty years
old, although he did not look to be over
80 or 35. He leaves wife but no chill
dren.
Davis came here from Orangeburg
county little over year ago, and has
been running a little sort of farm, while
his children work in the cotton mills. He
appears to be about fifty years old. Most
of his time, however, has been spent
around on the streets drinking whiskey
and playing fiddle.
Mr.. King came to Bamberg last August
in