The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-05
BRUTAL MURDER.

BRUTAL MURDER.
r.eo,Ie Are Greatly Incensed yer
ASA estimation OF Beautiful Girl and
Her Father. Posse With Blood
Hounds Are Securing Woods. Girl
was Engaged To Wed.
Especial Dispatch to The Journal
MIAMI, Fla, June 2S.-Citizens of
this city and county are greatly incen-
sed over the brutal murder of Q. E.
Davis and his daughter, Miss Elise
Davis, last'Saturduy night.
Rewards have been offered by pri-
vate parties, organizations and the cit
liens generally ranging from 500 to
81, 900 for the fiends and evidence to
convict.
Blood spots on the fence near the
house and the track of a square toed
shoe in the morning led to the be-
lief that the guilty party or parties
may be found in the neighborhood of
a lumber mill in the vicinity of the
Davis home. Sheriff Thweat and a
posse of determined men are securing
the woods in search of some trace of
the fends. Blood hounds are consid-
cred of no service as the tracks are
old.
Victims Well Known.
MI. Davis and his daughter lived
about four miles west of Miami and
were in the habit of coming to Miami
quite frequently, in fact almost daily.
Mr. Davis was nurseryman, hav-
. ing q fine grove of orange and grape
fruit trees, which yielded a good re-
turn for his labors in the past years
and did quite an extensive business
in budding and selling both nursery
stock budded and in the seeding
state. He was born in Delaware
county, Ohio, and had lived in the
vicinity Mama for the past fourteen
years. He was well liked by the pub
lie generally, but it is thought that he
must have had enemies, as his fine
patch of watermelon vines was totally
destroyed some weeks ago by being
pulled out of the ground. No trace OF
the perpetrators has ever been discov-
cred.
Beautiful Young Girl.
Miss Elise Davis was an exceeding.
~ attractive young lady; was about
eighteen years of age, rather small,
with q lithesome, graceful figure, quite
pretty, with blue eyes and light brown
hair. She was very bright and lively
with a fondness for society and a de-
cided talent for the amateur stage.
She frequently appeared before the
Miami public iu amateur performance
for the benefit of some local organiza-
ton and always made a success of her
part.
On Sunday MI. M. s. Burbank, q
friend called at the Davis home and
knocked, but securing no reply and
seeing no one, concluded that they
were not at home, while at that
time their murdered bodies were
weltering in their respective bedrooms
on the second floor.
Young Man Summons Help.
He went again on Sunday afternoon
as he had to 60 on q trip with Mr..
Davis, and to tell him that he could
not 90. He called a third time on
Monday morning and still not seeing
any one went to the home of one of
MI. Davis sons, who lived near, and
told him of the circumstances of his
having called three times and could
find no one at home.
MI. Ed Davis went with Mr.. Bur-
bank, and not being welcomed as us.
ual' he entered the house, and to his
horror he discovered the dead bodies
of his loved ones. He rushed back to
Miami, told the terrible news and
sought sympathetic friends, who has,
tened to the scene and found bis r
mise only too true, that his father
and sister had been cruelty assassinat-
ed by an unknown foe.
News Spread Like Wild Fire.
The sheriff, coroner and othersofi-
Gals were at once notified aud the
news spread like wild fire throughout
the city. Crowds visited the spot OF
the foulest murders that have "
been committed in Dade county. Mr..
Davis was lying in bed with a bullet
hole through his neck. From his
peaceful position It'll thought that he
was shot while asleep and did not
know what ended his earthly exist
ence, though there are indications
that he was strangled, too; also that he
was the first one Murdered, as his
daughters room, which was quite
near his, was in disorder, showing
that there was q struggle. A large
rug on the floor was disturbed and the
bed clothing in a tumbled condition.
Girl Fought AssaiIant.
Mis-. Davis seemed to have been
thrown on the bed with her head to-
ward the foot and her hair over her
face. She had been shot in both
breasts, one ball passing through her
body and the mattress and lodging in
the floor under the bed. 1t ia the
same number as that used by her fat
her and his pistol which usually was
kept on the first floor cannot be found
therefore it is generally believed that
the murderer OF murderers used Mr..
Davis pistol to kill both himself and
his beloved daughter. .
Nothing in the way of money, jew
elry or silver seems to have been re-
moved from the house and the sup
position is that the object was crimi-
nal assault.
The bodies were given into the care
of Undertaken II. M. King and were
laid to rest in the Miami cemetery
yesterday.
General News Notes.
Mrs. Rogers has been reprieved to
December s.
M. Nelidof has been appointed as
ono of Pneeia,s ppace DlaniDOtaDtia-