The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-12-14
FOULLY MURDERED.
A Wsl-Knewn Farmer Of Thomson,
c., tho Victim.
TWO uEeRoSs CONFESS CR1ME.
They Say They Killed Mr. Story Be.
oause he Would Not Allow
Them to Attend d Fune.
r0f SArvio6
raj Service.

| Mr.. Bod. 6. Story, . highly rer
spected gentleman Of Thomson, Ca.
was brutally murdered two miles
north OF that place on Thursday.
The following particulars Of the mur-
| der we take from the Augusta Chron.
icle:
Mr.. Story had been bothered for
some time by having parties steal cot
ton from soEe Of his tenants, and he
left his home shortly after dinner
Thursday event; g and went over to
investigate the matter, and 1t Is
thought that a fuss arose between
him and the parties who were accused
Of the stealing. While returning
home he was waylaid and knocked cr
the head with an axe, three terrible
wounds having been made on the
back Of bis lead, crushing In the skull
and causing the brains to ooze out:
After the murderer OF murderers had
killed MI. Story they took bis body
and threw it into caneorake about
20 feet from where the crime was COM
mitted.
Mr. Story failing tc return home on
Thursday night, his wife became un.
easy and gave the alarm. A searching
party was organized and after q dill
gent search OF several hours his body
was found by bis father, Ar. 81. a
Story, and his brother, Rr. Claude
q. Story, Friday morning about Il
o'clock.A Suspicion at once rested on
soma negroes, John and Guy Reid and
John Butler, the strongest suspicion
being on John Butler, as an Old axe
was found under bis bed that had
blood stains on 1t. !.
The coroner summoned q jury and
vent out to where the crime was com
mitted, and began an Investigation.
The evidence so far seems to be very
damaging to John Butler, as one q
gro girl testified that John tolo l4st
that be and bis boss, Ar. Story, hal
had q fuss and that he, John, had
shos him. So far the body does not
show any gunshot OF pistol shot
wounds, but q more thorough examtna-
tion will be made Monday morning.
MI. Story, the deceased, was Al years
of age. and leaves wife and several
children to mourn his sad death.
The mystery surrounding the mur.
der was solved Saturday when two me-
9roes, Guy Reid and John Butler, con-
fessed to the crime. The negroes
worked On Mr.. Story's plantation, and
Wednesday afternoon they wanted to
20 to funeral, but were refused per.
mission By Mr.. Story, who ordered
them back to the cotton fields to pick
cotton. MI. Story stayed around the
Toods nearby the cotton fields to see
that the negroes went to work They,
however, left their work and started
towards town and came upon Ms.
Story, who had been Watching them.
Ar. Story asked them: Hello, boys;
where are you going?" Then Butler
Immediately drew his pistol and shot
Mr. Story In the face. Story turned
to run to escape the negroes, as ne
had no weapon to defend himself
With. The negroes pursued the wound.
ed man and overlook him and With an
axe crushed his skull. The negroes, to
hide their crime. Immediately hid the
body in the canebrakes, where it was
found. a special court has already
heen held and the murdererS sentenc-
cd 10 be hung on December 9th.