The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-02-24
A Deplorable Tradgedy.

near Lorick's mill, on Saluda river,
about five miles from this place. last
Friday afternoon, in which John ".
Me eotze, young white farmer and
mill man lost his life and d negro
woman, Minnie Wise, was seriously.
probably fatally shot. The circum-
stances surrounding this brutal
murder are shrouded in mystery
which will in all possibility never be
cleared away as long as time last.
On this fatal day, John W. Meetze
left his home, which sat upon a bill
toward the river, for his mill to
work. The evidence adduced at the
Coroner's inquest goes to show that
Mr.. Meetze, that day sent to Lexing-
ton and purchased a half.gallon of
whiskey; that be and negro man.
Nero, the negro ferryman at Lorscks
ferry; that about IL o'clock, two
negro women, Minnie Wise and
Bertha Leaphart, the former a
servant of Mr.. Meetze, brought his
dinner; the negro women were given
whiskey until they were drunk.
Bertha went up the public road, fell
into q ditch and went to sleep, when
she was awakened by the dis
charge Of firearms.
In her testimony Minnie says that
she started to leave when Mr.. Meetze
asked her to remain as he wanted to
send a message to the house. Con-
tinuipg, she said: "Mr. Meetze told
me- to bring the dinner buckets back
t. the house and one of you (meaning
me or Bertha) to come back to the
mill and do some sweeping. I told
him I had some patching to do but 1
would try and get Bertha to come.
He replied either of you will do. I
tried to find her (Bertha) at the house
and she was not there, 1 went back
towards the mill hunting her and l
came across two (2) white men in
some ivy on the slant Of the hill near
the pond and I went on to the mill
and I asked MIR. Meetze did he see
Bertha Lesphart and he replied that
about five minutes after you left with
the buckets she came back and asked
for YOU. Then said to him. [
came back hunting her and l saw
two white men laying down, and be
said whereabouts, and :! said upon
the edge of the pond in them ivye,
and he said come and show them to
me, and when we got near the men
he said: Wait, Minnie, [ ain't got
any gup, you hunt me rock, and l
got one and gave it to him. [ kept
on up the hill ahead Of him and just
as I got up the hill I saw the guns
pointing through the fence crack and
I said, o.. look yonder Mr.. Meetze!
and then I started to run and they
shot him, and just as got off a piece
they shot me and T said, Oh, Lordy!
thew shot me and Mr.. Meetze, and [
kept sink between me and them
to keep them from shooting me again
I got a house between noe and them
and ran through Mr.. Jake Mont's
yard and through his garden and on
to Uncle Nero Jones house and I
told him I was shot and Mr.. Meetze,
and asked him (Nero) to carry me
home and he said he'd carry me a
part of the way and then 60 back
and see about Mr.. Meetze, 1 told him
I was going to tell "Miss Essie."
(Mrs. John Meetze) and he said don't
do it, she go mighty near crazy, and
I said well, thep, I'll go on to the
doctor and I came on to the house
and asked Miss Essie for the buggy
to 90 to the doctors as [ was shot.
A little above Mr.. Gibson's house
Unc'e Nero said he was going back
to look for Mr.. Meetze and then he'd
come and tell Miss Essie. I told
Mrs. Meetze that Mr.. John (Meetz- }
had gone to look for them two men.
M l-.:.~- of NT;,n;o nop oor