The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-01-22
BO OY'S BODY FOUND
Where he Was Murdered Weeks
Ago by Strange Negro.
sTIIL NO TRACE OF THE NEGRO
Two Hunters Discover Badly Dc.
oomposed Remains as One
of Them, by Chance,
Jumps n Ditch.

| - NAAS's'1 > ~ fOhtesASSb
Jumps n Ditch.
The Columbia State of Wednesday
saysthe body Of 16.year-old Stephen
Howell who SO mysteriously disappear
ed after 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. IL, by two
hunters. The corpse was lying face
down In ditch near stream In q
thick. and dark and dismal piece Of
wood}far from any public highway on
the iSuber place, three miles southeast
OF the city. 1t wassin this direction
the. tby was last seen In company
with$the negro in a wagon belonging
to Philip Epstin, who had hired the
two to go out On this errand, which
proved the last for the boy and the
beginning Of a tragic and grief-laden
chapter which is burned into the
mind pf his poor old mother.
The body lies in Van Metres NOR
que awaiting an inquest which will
be held by the coioner Wednesday.
1t will be carried to his forlS,e!. home
at Killians Thursday for hut.al.
DISCOVERY BY MEREsT CHANCE
I,lac case would still be as deep and
perplexing a mystery today but for
chance which induced one Cl the hun
terS;G jump across the lit lie ditch
where the lMdy was lying, ii is act re-
sultipg in the -Scovery. The body
lay face downward, head Up strea n
andlwas in a badly decompo:ed state.
The face WIS lying in about two iuc l.
es OF. water, the overflow FROM near
by small branch, and a clot IF leav IS
had been washed up against the si,le
OF the face. The axe, which the ne
gro failed to return with the wagon on
Tue IIJern )On OF the diSappearan,. .e
when he reDorted to Mrs. Epstin tn; t
Stephen Ina jumped of the wagon 10
20 home IN Assembly street, WIS
found leani ny against q tree about
tive steps Off. There was not a trace
of blood OF either the blade or tile
handle; the blade was rusty and I'll le
print left il the earth when it WIS
lifted showed that it had passt d
through several rains as it stood the e
these three weeks, ii mute witness un-
able to lie in its terrible evidence If
oneOf the riost brutal, cruel and horIi-
bic murders this county has yet wi j.
nessed.S Its Silent testimony is corro)
GRATED by a brutal indentation in tile
left side of the victims head. Blood
was even Tuesday oozng out of the
4nus9.J 5f
sses...s ; 40 RAeE OF NEaRo.
Nes, 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 go back to his employer
twice that same Afternoon after few
cents due him, but to return again
two days la1er, on Wednesday, and seek
TO collect FROM Ep>tin aU the latter's
store in the SAME street and almost
within hailng distance of police head
quarters. And there is precious small
chance of any valuable light being shed
on this end OF tile mystery at the in
inquest Wednesday.
RAIN HAD OBLITERATED TRACKS.
The lind was promptly reported n
person by the hunters to the Shertl"S
office, and the sheriff led by the hurt.
erS and accompanied by Coroner Green
and his deputy, Bob Baughman, hur
ricd to the scene. The sheriff was the
lirst officer to reach the scene and he
was soon atterward followed by the
boys father, John Howell, who was
accompanied by his eldest son, Charlie.
The relatives had been informed from
police headquarters, which received
the news from Policeman Jones, who
was informed Of The find while on duty
at the union station. They found con-
ditions as described above. The rains
had unfortunately obliteratcd all tell
tale tracks, and it may never DE knOwu
whether the murder was committed
on the spot where the body was found
or whether the death-bloW was dealt
in the open and the murderer carried
his victims body at the risk OF being
seen at any raOmcnt until he found
this lonely spot. However, all this,
important as it ought to be, may &c
OF little consequence after all, as there
is slim chance of the murderer being
run to Justice.
MOTHERS HEART PICTURED MURDER.
MIS-. Lowell saw IL reporter AT her
II me in Assembly street l. st night.
out was unable 10 talk only in DIS
connected way. IA sob inter ening IL
most between every word ;i she SIT
In rociini. chair in IL cold ad dimly
lighted room With some ten men and
women syn pathizcrs gather d around
Trying to comfort her, Tho rythn ic
motions or the chair punctl lting le
expressions OF her mothers CIief.
People kept coming to me eve.y
day." she sobbcd TO tell me tn 1T
stephen must be well and all rig 1T
and tnat The negro could not ha We
murdered him in the circumstance S,
but my mo hers heart could not s.
ten to them in belief. knew that my
poor boy h; d been cruelty murdered.
| knew that there is no accOGnting for
what kind )f an awful crime a neg 70
Will commit. And how IL has I'll
come true is L have been seeing it IL
along"
The police have Of course interest I'd
themselves in the case and have faith
fully gone through the routine pro-
cedurc they adopt in an instance of
its general character, but they have
never Deen able to generate anything
like enthu ;iaSm, believing as thu
have all along tilat there yyoc M ~