The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-12-09
! TRIPLE TRAG GEDY.
Madiaon James Lunatic, Kills His
Wife and Rrother.i Z Law.

Madiaon James. Lunatic, Kills His
Wife and Rrother.is Law.
WAS HIMSELF SHOT TO DEATH.
Three OF the sheriGs Posse Was
Wounded In an All.Day Fight
With the Desperate
Man.
Madison James, s farmer living in
the Kelleytown section of Darlington
County about five miles from Harts-
Vile, shot and killed his wife on Fri
day night, murdered his br0ther-in-
law, Mr.. Sid Kelley, Saturday MORN
Ing about 8 O'Clock, and was himself
shot to death about A O'Clock Satur-
day afternoon by q sheriffs posse
after an all day battle. James was a
man about fifty years Of age, apd
heretofore a peaceable, inoffensive
man. Two years ago he was sent to
the asylum at @ ,lumbia and had be n
discharged and returned home only
about seven weeks ago
James was a we'll to-do farmer In
spite OF the mental infirmitles from
which he had suffered and was thought
tc be cured. With his wife, who was
a Miss Kelley, of Kelley town, locali-
ty in Darlington County, well known,
he lived in large farm hou,e. His
mother in law, Mrs. Kelley, was in the
hou Friday ngnt and about 10
O'Clock a quarrel arose between this
venerable woman Of Is and James.
Mrs. james took the part If her
mother. James rage becim ungov-
ernable and he ran to another room
for his shotgun. The elder woman
fled ont into the night and, terrified,
escaped to. u neighbours house. Mrs.
James was overtaken on the piazza by
the frenzie1 husband, and charge
fired into her body. That is the story
of Friday nights tragedy.
Later in the night, about IL O'Clock,
r. Sydney Kelly came to the James
house. All was quiet. James proba-
bly, was sleeping after the exhaustion
following mis- furious passion Mr..
Kelly went up the steps Tito the
piazza and covered the body OF bis
dead sister with sheet. He then re-
turned to his home.
Saturday morning he went again to
the house. He had had great intiu-
ence over James. He had carried
; him to the hospital when he first BE-
came insane and believed that alone
he could best quiet the maddened
man. When he reached the house
James was within. All the doors
were locked. Kelley went 60 win.
dow at the side and James appeared.
~ conversation followed. Kelley sit.
ting on a box, and after few minutes
Kelley turned his face away. In an.
other instant the man from within
had fired load OF shot into his neck
: and he fell dead. The muzzle OF the
gun was only foot or two from him
Meanwhile Sheriff George b. Scar
borough and his son, Robert j. Scar.
borough, who is his deputy, had been
notified, and they left Darlington
fifteen or eighteen miles distant, com,
,, ing as rapidly as possible towards the
, scene, summoning p sse on the way
When they reached Kel.eytown there
were from twenty to thirty men ir
the posse, most Of them residents OF
the surrounding country and some
? from Hartsv e.
When they approached the James
house no sound was heard. On the
piazzTlay the sheet-coyered corpse o
the dead wife, and few yards dis
tant, on the ground, was the body Of
n r slainS elder tro her. No answe.
came TO Sheriff Scarborough's repeat
ed calls. At last the sheriff mounted
; the steps his son close behind him
and began to force open the door. A.
,, the door was giving way the roar OF 6
shotgun and the raGtle of shot on the
;; door casing came from within. The
! crazed man had opened fire. T e
Sheriff and deputy retreated. This
pL SSe surrounded the house. In a mo-
ment another shot came from within
fired from window. The fire was an.
swered by the posse. Pistols and Win
chester rifles cracked and shotgu ms
reverberated. The window from which
the shot had c9me was the target.
Ia From 1t other shots came, and for
al brief time the desperate man cin
tKpued to tire. The battle, for such it
waA, lasted only short minute or
twoA Somebody's bullets, more than
one, Mad found their mark and the
unhappy creature In the house was
dead. ThS walls AMI ceiling of the
room In wniGsb he made his last stand
were filled with bullet and shot holes
and the window poales shot into frag
ments. a shotgun aAld Winchester
rifle we're found in the house. When
the smoke had cleared away it. was
found that four members OF vHe posse
had received wounds, none Of which
is expected to prove fatal.
Mr.. Kelley was one Of the most
prosperous men Of his neighborhC,od
and man who exerted among hGs
people most excellent influence fo.r
good. Everyone here feels it a loss
to the section that he has been killed,
for bigger hearted, more honest
man it would be hard to find. Neigh
bors insist THAT James was not crazy
when he murdered his wife and her
brother. They say that he vas ar
cry with Kelley FIR sending him to
the asylum and that the murders fol-
lowed as a result OF this
His action from all accounts were
remarkably deliberate and his fight
for eight hours remarkably we'll con.
Quoted for man who was tempora-
rily bereft OF mind. There can be no
doubt, however, that Mr.. Kelley be-
lieyed him insane when he approached