The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-24
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
Body of Missing Man Found in
Fair Forest Creek.

1t 10 Suppose d That He Shot Himself
and Fell Into tho Creek
Whore Ho Was Found.
a dispatch to The State says Mr..
f. G. Trefzer, the we'll known Jewel.
er, who mysteriously disappeared
from Union on Tuesday afternoon,
February 7th, was late Thursday a.;
ternoon found In Fair Forest creek
and evidently committed suicide
while in o state OF mental alteration,
as wound was found near his heart.
For week the keenest anxiety has
prevailed and searching parties have
secured the country, but though many
indications pointed 0 his body being
IN the creek, nothing could be really
done, as the stream was greatly
swollen on account OF the recent melt
Ing Of the snosys, and not until Thurs.
day afternoon was it possible to take
out boat and institute a thorough
search.
His tody was discovered about 4. / 8
Thursday aferternoon and the wound
near bis heart vas apparently made
by a 38 calibre piston ball. The dis.
ciyery was made by J. E. Mabry at
the bend in the creek, stream about
six miles west Of Union, half mile
below the big Rice bridge. The body
was kept under water by some willow
trees.
Thursday a big boat by II feet
was made and taken out Thursday
afternoon, accompanied by Gilber j. i.
Foster, brother OF Mrs. Trefzer, H.
&. Bailey and ], E. Mabry. After
gaining the strean they pulled down
the river, carefully examining every
thing for some distance, when at a
bend half mile below Rice bridge
near the Pruitt place, Mr.. Mabry saw
stm .thing under the water which
Gould not be at first distinguished.
Calling to Chas. A. Bctsell anG
John Bishop, who had Joined the par
tY ct Buffalo, they pulled the boat I'D
20 where the OF ject was, and s1oop.
ing, they pulled out the body OF Mr.
Tre'z,r, which had become entangled
under willow branches and could not
rise to the surface OF the water.
Mr.. Ire z,r wore the same brown
suit, blue overcoat and cap that he
had on when he left Union Tuesday,
Feb. 7th. His face was very much
swollen and discollored, though other
wise the body is we'll preserved
His body had been pierced by e pis
tol ball, apparently a So calibre,
which, however, has not yet been
found, as 1T was evidently lost in tn.
stream. His body is thought to have
hoated down some distance from
where tracks were preyisouly diacov-
cred.
On his person were found ring.
watch and chain, while In the upper
left vest pocket was pocketbook of
the Beaver organization containing
his Own picture, and In purse was
S1.l9.
Arrangements were at once made
for bringing the remains to town on
a fat car from Buffalo as a special
train, and arrived there about G
O'Clock after which the body was
taken to the Bailey undertaking
establishment where the iruuest was
held.
In 1886 he married Miss Florence
Foster, daughter Of Mai and Mrs. w.
NJ. Foster, and Of this union five chill.
dren have been born, the youngest
three years old and the eldest, Miss
Fannie, II years OF age. About 1891
Mr.. Trcfz3r left Un!on for f. berton,
Ga, where ne conducted Il jeDelry es
tablishment fer ten years, returning
to Union about three years ago.
Mr.. Tfefzsr was all expert watch
maker, and Of quite an inventive turn
of mind. During his i:st residence
In Union he b came very much inter
ested in perpetual motion, and gave
SO much thought tC this that he be-
came almost mentally unbalanced,
though he afterwards seemed to re.
cover from 1t. 1t was while in E!ber-
ton that he met with terrible acci-
dent In mendlng a piece OF jewelry
which destroyed the sight OF one eye
entirely and came near killing him;
since which time his wife has had tC
devote alno ost her entire time to con-
duct ing the business.
MIR. Tre'Z9r was m IN OF very quiet
disposition, and a member OF the
First Baptist church. He was also a
Mason and Beaver. He hai two
brothers in this country, but both
have died within the past few years,
and one brother and sister still re
side In Germany.