The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-02-24
SHOT FROM AMBUSH.
A Lexington Farmer Met Death at
the Hands Of Two Men.

the Hands Of Two Men.
The Columbia State says John W,
Meetze, a Lexington county farmer,
was shot in the face with two loads
Of buckshot Friday afternoon within
a stones throw of his young wife and
little child by an unknown white man
said to have been concealed behind
Meetze's pasture fence with lad, also
white and also unknown. The affair
was reported in Brookland, six and
one-half miles distant, by a negro VIC
man servant. whom Meetze's assallant
fred upon at the same time and who
is dangerously If not fatally injured.
She was shot through the lower lobe
of the right lung and In the right
elbow. The negro woman was brought
to Brookland in wagon by negro
man, whose house nearby she manag-
ed to reach after being shot down
near the public road, toward which
she was retreating from the fence at
the time she was fire upon.
She repo1 ted the facts to DR.. G. W.
Barron, her employers physician at
Brookland, and he with Mr.. Lee
Meetze, a Brookland brother Of the
murdered man, Mr.. Doyle and Mr..
Woods, hastened to the scene, leaving
the other Brookland brother, Mr..
Early Meetze, in Brookland to care
for his mother, who Is Ill. They
aroused the neighbohood but no trace
of the assailants could be found. This
was about 6 o'clock and some three
hours after the shooting, but Mr..
George Earhardt, living about a
quarter of mile from the scene, who
had heard Of the matter from the ne
groes, had begun Investigations at
once but also without result. The
body was found within Is yards Of the
fence on it's back with the left side of
the face toward the fence. Fourteen
buckshot had entered the face and
side of the head, the theory being
that Meetze met the first l0od square
In the face as he was approaching the
men In hiding and that the second
came in the side Of the head as he
turned in falling. Either load would
have resulted in instant death. Meetze
was said to be unarmed.
The negro woman says that she did
not notify Mrs. Meetze, who was alone
with her child in the house, for fear
of disastrously frightening her. She
says that she first discovered the men
lying behind the fence, which crowns
little ridge just above the Meetze
mill pond, and went to the mill where
Mr.. Meetze was at work and told him
what she had seen. She went with
him to point out the place. When
they fired on him she ran and they
fred the third load at her. She pre-
sumes that they ran to make their
escape when they saw her fall sup
poSedly dead. She saw only the man
with the shotgun we'll enough to re-
cognize him If SIZE sees him again.
She described him as being clean
shaven and wearing heavy head of
black hair. The other man, who was
unarmed so far as she could see, was
careful to conceal bis face from her.
A remarkable fact In connection
with the matter is that Meetze's
father, Dub Meetze, met his death
about 16 years ago in similar man
ner within half a mile Of the same
spot. The dead mans Brookland
brothers are said to be good citizens.
They are doing we'll in the livery
stable business there. John Is said to
have been hard drinker at times and
of turbulent disposition when under
the influence Of whiskeV, and, 1T Is al
legged, be has been in several rows
within the last few months.
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