The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-11-16
KILLED EACH OTHER.
Two rispsr sary Constables Fave a
Fatal Fight at Eastover.
FOUGHT ABOUT AN oVERC0AT.
Both Men Said to Have Been Drink
ing. Before the Shooting They
Were on the Best
Of Terms.

EaStover, when two dispenssry con
; stables shot and killed each other. A:
? is usual in the reign Of crime and car
niyal Of carnage that now holes SWa.
over South Carolina, the affair was
precip pitatei by quarrel over a trivia
: : thing-an oyercoat. WhiSkey also
! evidently played it's part. The dead
men are J. L. Irby and S. A Phillips.
The two men had been sent to East
! over and had left this city about 2
O'Clock in the afternoon in a buggy
drawn by two horses. They reached
the pretty village late in the attef
no n and evidently spent some little
time there.
It was soon after dark when they
stopped at Karsees store, and Irby
got out of the buggy and went into
the store to ssarch it. He left his
overcoat in the buggy with Phillips,
who drove of down the street. AS be
was driving the coat dropped out Of
the buggy to the ground. Irby soon
came out Of the store, having found
no whiskey and was standing in the
door when Phillips drove back on the
other side of the street. Ir5y called
to him to come over, and when be did
Irby told him that there was nothing
(no whiskey) there. Let's go back
TO Columbia" said Irby.
Irby got into the buggy, and the
TWO drove # in the direction Of Co
Iumbia. In the meantime a negro
came back to Karsee's store with an
overcoat which be had picked up in
the road. Mr.. Karsee said that be
knew whose the coat was and took it
into the store. After about Is min
u.es the buggy, with the two con-
stables, drove back through the street
and to Karsee's store. Mr.. karsee
asked the men if a coat had been lost
and Irby answered, "Yes, that's my
overcoa5.''
Phillips jumped from the buggy ahd
said to I by, No" you've got your
coat. Thlt will prove I did not steal
your coat. You have got to give me
satisfaction for saying that did steal
your overccat."
II did not say you stole my coat. l
left it in your keeping. You ought to
have known something about it.
Come on, let's 60 back to Columbia.
There's nothing h re. "
NO I'm not going before I get sat-
isfaciion. You slid / stole your over
coat and I'm Dot going until l get
satisfaction, retorted Phillips.
THE SCENE CHANGED.
Mr.. Karsee, seeing that there was
to be trouble, took hold Of Phillips
and told him to get In the buggy. He
did so, and Irby started to drive OF.
but his companion snatched the reins
and said Let me drive" Pnillip>
Grove the buggy over to Mckenzie'S
store.
From here the account Ct the
tragedy is given by another witness.
Phillips came into the store OF Mr..
Ed Mckenzie, and taking him back
into the rear Of tie establishment
said: "Mr. Irby has insulted me and
Pm not going back in the buggy with
him." Phillips then went out to the
buggy with Mr.. Mckenzie and told
Irby be would not 60 with him. 1rby
Insisted on his going but be still re-
fused. Iroy pulled cf bis over
coat ard laid 1t in the buggy,
taking from it his revolver, which be
suck in his hip pocket. He caught
Phillips by the collar and told him be
had to go, at the same time slapping
his face.
McKanzt got between the men
and tried to part them, proposing
that Irby should go in the buggy and
Phillips on the train, or vice versa.
Irby caught Phillips by the collar
again, saying he must go in the bug
gy. TEen it was that Phillips DIRE"
his pistol and shot I-oy, at the same
time running away. I,by drew his
own revolver and began to shoot at
Phillips, fring several shots, so 1t is
understood. McKeuz!e, to get cut OF
the gun6re, ran into his store.
Phillips fell dead, shot through the
back just where the suspenders cross
Lrby walked about few moments
auc then went into the store and was
told to sit down. He lived possibly
Is or 80 n nuteS but died in the chair
where he was siGuing. DR.. l. N.
Hook, the nearest physician, was sent
for hut as he was some distance In the
country at the time Of the homicide
ne die not reach Irby until be was
almost dead DR.. Hook said that the
wounded man breathed twice after his
arrival and then expired. As far as
i: certainei "Wednesday night be made
no statement after the shooting, eX
cept that le said Hes got me" just
after Phillips fired at him. He was
shot about midway between the breast
and abdomen aud practically in the
uledian line. He probably had an IN
ternal hemorIhege.
BOTH WERE DRINKING.
1t is said that Phillips had been
drinking heavily and was in fact ill'
tox:cated, while lrby, who had also
been drinking, was still able to kno"
, what be was doing.
The news Of tae deplorable ata1l
soon reached Columbia and Chief Con
stable y. 3. Hamnet Immediately
communicated with Eastover by tele
phone and obtained the particulars
. He notified Coroner Green, who toe
= hin to communicate with Magistrate
y y John s Scott at Eastover. Mr. Ham
y net did 50 and asked that the inQues'
= he held as soon Thursday morning a
= POSSIBLE so that the bodies might b.
= brought to Columbia on the morning
- train. He also communicated WIFI
v friends in EaStOVer and asked tina