The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-01-20
BOYS BODY FOUND
Where he Was Murdered Weeks
Ago by Strange Negro.
STILL NO TRACE OF TIE NEGRO.

Two Hunters Discover Badly De-
composed Remains as One
Of Them, by Chance,
Jumps a Ditch.
The Columbia State Of Wednesday
says the body Of l6-year-old Stephen
Howell who so mysteriously disappear
ed after a trip into the country in
company with strange negro after
Christmas holly and who was believed
TO have been murdered by this negro.
was found Tuesday Jan. u, by two
hunters. The corpse was lying face
down in ditcn near stream in a
thick, and dark and dismal piece OF
wood far from any public highway On
the Suber place, three miles southeast
OF the city. 1t was in this direction
the boy was last seen in company
with the negro in wagon belopgirg G
to Philip EpStin, who had Iired the
two to 60 out on this erran&, which
proved the last for the boy and the
beginning Of a tragic and grief-laden
chapter which is burned into the
mind If his poor old mother
The body lies in Van Metres mo-
gue awaiting an inquest which will
be held by the coroner Wednesday,
1t will be carried to his former hone
at Killians Thursday for burial
DISCOVERY BY MEREsT CHANCE
The case would still be as deep and
perplexing a mystery today but for
pchance which induced one CT the hun
tiers to jump across the little ditch
where the body was lying, this act re-
sulting in the discovery. The body
lay face downward, head up stream
and was in badly decomposed state.
The face was lying in about TWO incl
eS Of water, the overflow from nea'
by small bra och, and a clot of leaves
had been washed up against the sice
Of the face. The axe, which the nt:-
gro failed tC return with the wagon oa
the ~afternt on Of the disappearance
when be reported to Mrs. Epstin that
Stephen hac jumped off the wagon to
go home On Assembly street, was
found leaning against tree about
Eve steps of. There was not trace
Of blood on either the blade or the
handle; the blade was rusty and the
print left in the earth when it was
lifted showed that it had passed
through several rains as it stood there
these three weeks, mute witness un-
able to lie in its terrible evidence OF
one Of the most brutal, cruel and horri-
Die murders this county has yet wit
messed. Its silent testimony is corrob
grated by a brutal indentation in the
left side of the victims head. Blood
was even Tuesday oozing out OF the
nose.
STILL NO TRACE OF NEGRO.
Not a trace has been found by
either the county or city officers Of
either the person or the name Of the
mysterious negro, whose cool villainy
allowed him not only to return almost
through the quarters Of the police
within perhaps an hour after he had
slain young Howell and turn in the
team and 10 back to his employer
twice that same afternoon after few
cents due him, but to return again
two days later, on Wednesday, and seek
to collect from ,Epstin at the latter'S
store in the same street and almost
within hailing distance Of police head
quarters. And there is precious small
cnance OF any valua BILE light being shed
on this end Of the mystery at the in
inquest Wednesday.
RAIN HAD OBLlTERATED TRACKS.
The find was promptly reported in
person by the hunters to the Sherif's
office. and the sheriff led by the hunt
ers and accompanied by Coroner Green
and his deputy, Bob Baughman, hur-
ried to the scene. The sheriff was tie
first officer to reach the scene and he
was soon afte1ward followed by the
boys father, John Howell, who was
accompanied by bis eldest son, Charlie.
The relatives lad been informed from
police headquarters, which received
the news from Policeman Jones, who
was informed Of the ind while on duty
at the union station. They found COLI
ditions as described above. The rains
had unfortunately obliteratec all tell
tale tracks, and it may never be known
whether the murder was committed
on the spot where the body vas found
or whether the death blow las dea t
in the open and the murder carried
his victims body at the risk OF being
seen at any moment until ne found
this lonely SPIT. However, all this,
important as it ought to be. may lie
Of little con sequence after all: as there
is slim chance Of the murderer being
run to justice.
MOTHERS HEART PICTURED MURDER.
Mrs. Howell saw reporter at hor
home in Assembly street last nigh,
but was unable 10 talk only in dis
connected way, sob Intervening al
most between every word as she Sc
in a rocking chair in cold and dim: y
lighted rcorl with some ten men ard
women syn pathizerS gathered around
trying to comfort her, the rythm c
motions of the chair punctu2tiDg tt G
expressions of her mothers grief.
People kept coming to ne every
day." she ;obbed, to tell me tn; t
Stephen must be we'll and all rigt t
and that the negro could not have
murdered Tim in the circumstances
but my mothers heart could not lis
ten TO them in belief. knew that n y
Door boy hal been cruelty murdered.
| knew tha there is no accounting for
what kiud III an awful crime a neg o
will commit. And now it has all
come true as / have been seeing 1t all
along"
The police have of course interested
themselves in the case and have faith