The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-28
LARGE R}EE)vAVIAA ARDS
Offered for Fiends Who ASSESS
mated a Man and Daughter.
GIRL FOUGHT HARD

the Young Lady Was Criminal.
ly Assaulted Before She
Was Murdered.
Citizens OF Miami, Florida, and sur
rounding country, are greatly incepsed
over the brutal murder of O. q. Davis
and his daughter, Miss Elsie Davis,
which occurred recently. Rewards
have been offered by private parties,
organizations and the citizens general.
ly ranging from 500 to 81, 600 for the
lends and evidence to convict. Mr..
Davis and his daughter lived about
four miles west Of Miami and were In
the habit Of coming to Miami quite
frequently, In fact RluOst daily
Mr.. Davis was q nuISeryman, having
q fine grove Of orange and grape fruit
trees, which yielded q good return for
his iaborS In the past years and did
quite an extensive business in budding
ana selling both nursery stock budded
and In the seeding state. He was a
man or about 81 years Of age. He was
Dor IN Delaware county, Ohio, and
lived In the vicinity OF Mama for
the past fourteen years. He was well
liked by the pubic generally, but it is
Thought that he must have had some
enemies, as his fine patch OF water.
melon vines was totally destroyed some
weeks ago by being pulled out of the
ground. No trace Of the perpetrators
has ever been discovered.
Miss Elsie Davis was an exceedingly
attractive young lady; was about
eighteen years Of age, rather small,
with a lithesome, graceful figure, quite
pretty, with blue eyes and light brown
hair. She was very bright and lively
With a fondneSs for society and q de.
cided talent for the amateur stage.
Sne frequently appeared before the
Miami public In amateur performance
es for the benefit Of some local organi-
zatton and always made O. success OF
her part. On Sunday Mr.. M. S. Bur.
bank, q friend called at the Davis
nome and knocked, but securing no
reply ana seeing no one, concluded
that The father and daughter were
not at home, while at that time their
murdered bodies were weltering in
their blood In their respective bedrooms
on the second floor.
DUN a SUMMONS HELP.
lie vent again on Sunday after.
noon, as lie had to go on a trip with
MIR. DAVIS, and to tell him that he
could not go. He called a third time
on Monday morning and still not see.
ing any one went to the home Of one
OF Mr.. Davis sons, who lived near.
and told him Of the circumstances of
his having called three times and
could lind no n at htms. Mr., ed
DAYS. won't with Mr.. BurbanT ana
not being welcomed as usual, 10 en-
tered the house, and TO H. ne
discovered the dead bodies OF his ,yed
ones. He rushed back to Mlams told
the terrible news and sought 8,
thetic friends, who FASTENED to the
scene n found his surmise only too
true, That his father and sister had
been cruelty assassinated by an un.
known foe.
IAe sheriff, corner and other officials
we're at once notified and the news
spread like Wild lire throughout the
city. Crowds visited the spot Of the
1ouleSt murders thAt have eyer been
committed in Dade county. Mr.. Davis
was lying In bed with a bullet hole
through his neck. From his peaceful
position lis thought that he was shot
while asleep and did not know what
ended his earthly existence, though
there are indications that he was
straGgled, too; also that he was the
hrSt one murdered, as his daughters
room, which was quite near his, was
In disorder, showing that there was a
struggle. A large rug on the floor was
disturbed ana the bed clothing in a
tumbled condition. ~
MISS Davis seemed to have been
thrown on The bed With her head to.
yard the foot and her hair OYER. her
face. She had been shot hi both
breasts, one ball passing through her
BODY n the mattress and lodging
In the lloor under the bed. 1t is the
same number as that used by her
rather and his pistol which .ually
was kept on the first floor cannot be
round, therefore 1t Is generally baliev.
ed that the murderer or murderers
used Mr.. Davis pistol to kill both
himself and his beloved daughter.
Nothing in the way OF money, level.
ry Or silver seems to have been remoy-
ed from house and the %supposition Is
that the object was criminal assault,
Fonnd Negro In Room.
a special from Athens, Ga to the
Augusta Chronicle says VIII Howard,
colored, is in jail on the charge Of
having entered the house OF Mr.. John
BaSner. He was discovered past mid
night by Mrs. Basner, who felt some.
thing touch her heels, and on waking
found that this negro had just enter.
ed the room through a window at the
foot OF the bed. The negro jumped
out of the window and made of, but
was captured and placed in Jail. He
said he had gone there TO pet some