The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-03-09
lIE BELL
Eleven and
veIy-others
Spec ne spring term

Sped i& spring term
for HoFyy county has just
hdge Dantzler having presid-
record for this county was
the number of murder cases
even persons were before the
= u justice charged with taking hui
nan life, only two of whom were con-
ricted. and they of manslaughter.
William T. Bell and George Bell,
.harged with the murder of Mrs. Mil
ie Bell (wife of George Bell and aunt
# William T. BelD, were found gunil-
V of manslaugnter and sentenced to
he penitentiary for II years and five
Iears. respectively.
Two younger brothers Of William
3ell and one Van Bullock, implicated
n the same case, were all acquitted
oy the jury.
The story of the killing of Millie
Bell, as told by William T. Bell, one OF
he convicted men, to representative
If The State a few weeks ago, while
waiting trial, is as follows:
, "Oh November /. the day OF the
,ght, my uncle, who uad been staying
With ME all night, myself. ]. w. Bel!
md c. B. Van Bullock, went over to
Georges home to bring over to my
1ome the rest Of the corn and potatoes
hat belonged to him. told him he
ould keep it at my home until he could
10 better. Van Bullock was driving
nv team of mules. We all walked up
70 the house. and got 'cussing' out
Tor our pains. Some Of us worried
ner some | guess, in way. We Joked
pack at her. She called us all out OF
our names, and my mother, too. Dur
Eg the day we noticed the women who
Are in the house, including Georges
wife and his daughters, Lizzie and
Rosella, were carrying considerable
water to the kitchen, and as We did
aot see them washing or securing, we
wondered what they were doing
with it. At noon Van Bullock carried
The first load to my barn and returned
about l o'clock with James Bell to help
IS. We had brought our rations with
is. and ate our dinner near spring.
Waterman, after he ate his dinner,
went up to the house and talked to
Rosella and her mother. Lizzie had
gone toward her home, which was not
.ar away. After we ate our dinner
Lizzie came back. After dinner Irving
Bell and his wife came from their
home and they stopped out on the
road. His wife got out Of the buggy
and held several conversations with
the women. They shortly drove away
and returned about sunset. This time
they drove up to the field where we
were working and he told Waterman
he must stop 'cussing' his mother.
His wife cursed Waterman at the same
time. After we had finished digging
potatoes We threw them in the wagon
with the tools-plow, hoes and potato
fork-and rounded the house on our
way home. Van Bullock was driving.
The others Of US were walking. All
had their hoes in the wagon with the
exception of Waterman. e had his
on his shoulder. AS George passed his
wife he noticed she had bucket of
hot water and she was swinging 1t.
He asker her not to throw it at any
of them. She permitted him to pass.
[ said the same thing to her and she
let me go by. But when the mules
started by she threw the contents OF
the bucket broadside on one OF the
mules causing the team to start to run
away. AS soon as she threw the wa
ter she dropped the bucket and grab
bed me, and Rosella grabbed me, too.
They tried to gouge out my eyes and
checked me. / saw they were getting
the best of me and said, Boys, come
up an get them off me-. George and
Waterman took them of me and
George begged them not to have any
more fuss. 1 stepped away a piece
and l thought they would let me alone.
Lizzie Smith then struck George over
the head with a missile of some kind,
it staggered him and he fell. When he
fell she went on him. George reach
ed and got her by the hair, and she
secured sand in his face and tried
to gouge out his left eye. But she
kept him down until Jimmie Bell pull
ed her off,. When the old lady got
off me she got a bar rail and stood
over me in a threatening way. Just
then l saw a hoe lying beside Lizzie
and George. picked 1t up and poked
it at the two Of them, Jogging 1t at
them"
did you strike the woman over the
head with the hoe or qoke it at her?
1t is said she was hit on the top OF
the head?" was asked.
They say there was mark on her
head; some say l knocked her brains
out with a sarcastic smile); l don't
know. l poked her as said / did,"