The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-01-31
A BAMBERG Man.
Charged With Poisoning B. F.
Reed With Arsenic
By a CORONER'S JURY

vealed by the Enquiry Into
the Death Of B. F. Reed
at Bambesg.
"a dispatch from Bamherg to The
State says as a result Of reports and
rumors which have gone out concern
ing the death of f. T. Reed, who died
! In Ramberg on the morning of Janu
usry 14th, after an illness of only q
few hours, an Investigation was be
gun Thursday blythe order Of Coron.
erJ. H. q ,igler. The coroner's jury
went to the burial grounds at Cope,
where Reed was buried, and there
disinterrsd the body. DR.. J. j.
oleckley performed the operation.
The results, II there are any, will be
brought out in the court house 10
a few days. at the ttme OF Reeds
deauh the commonly accepted report
was that he had died OF paralysis OF
the brain. But Mr.. G.. B. Kittrell,
a brother. in-lsw of the deceased man,
hearing the runor that Rsed had
been poisoned, carried part OF the
body to Augusta, Ca, where he
claims that q chemist found q large
quantity of arsenic in the stomach.
The investigation in process Is TO
clear up all this mystery If possible
and to get the facts Of the case. In
the meanwhile Elisha Bunch, white
woman who resides in the mill dis
trict Of this town, and Viola Wesley,
colored, are in Jail, being hello a.
parties connected with the death Ct
Rsed.
The inquest over the body OF B F.
Reed was held at Bsmberg last Fri
day, and was concluoed about eight
O'Clock that night. The jury render
ed verdict that his death was caused
by arsenic poisoning and that poison
was administered by 81. Glare Dickin-
son. John r. Bsllinger, Ed, repre-
sented the State, being employed by
Mr.. G.,B. Ktttrell, who has been &C.
tive in working up the case.
On TuesdaysfoLlowing the body was
disinterred, tine stomach removed by
Drs. Cleckley and Hoover and taken
to Augusta for examination by a
chemist. DR.. Ceckley testified, as
also did Dr.. Hoover, that. he could
see from the condition Of the stomach
when ii was removed from the body
that poison had been administered.
DR.. Cleckley also testified as to the
condition of the brain when 1T was
opened Friday. He said the brain
also showed that poison had been ad-
ministered.
DR.. John Schneider OF Augusta, Ca,
the chemist who analyZsd the stom-
ach, testified that he found arsenic in
the stomach, and that the jar con-
tanning same had the seal intact when
1t reached him. Dr.. Cleckley had
testified to sealing the jar when he
placed the stomach therein, putting
on it his certificate that it contained
the stomach Of B. F. Bed.
Dickinson bad baen under suspicion
for several days. Week befJre last
a search warrant was sworn out and
his room searched, but nothing was
found. This search was for the pur-
pose of finding out If there was any
arsenic in his room. He was not ar
rested, but kno wing Of this suspicion,
his relatives employed b. M. Graham
Esq, to represent him at the Inquest.
The jury was composed of the .f>l.
lowing: W. D. Raosd. merchant; N.
B. Fielder, merchant; H. T. Bamberg
farmer; r. O. Utsey, mechanic; Wall,
mechanic; Morris, clerk; J. W. Hill,
farmer; NJ. G. Saudiier, merchant; NJ
M. Smoak, stock dealer; George Il.
Smoak, whee.right and vehicle dealer.
A number Of witnesses we're ex.
amined and mass Of testimony
TAKEN The testimony was taken
down In shorthand by Mr.. Fl. N. Bal
linger, who recently acted US stenog
rapher at a special tenn OF court in
Hampton. The proceedings were all
secret and nothing was known Of the
testimony until the verdict OF the
jury was rendered.
The most important witness was
Eliza Bunch, a white prostitute, VIII 0
swore that Reed was given drink OF
whiSkey at her house by Dickinson.
It will be remembered that Reed went
10 Bambsrg on Saturday morning,
January 1s, and went to this woman's
house. In the afternoon he came
down town and said he was sick, hsd
started home but came back because
he was Ill. He told friend he believe
he had been poisoned and gave this
friend some money to deposit In the
bank, which was done. Physicians
were at once called in but he grew
worse and died about 6 o'clock the
next morning, the death being myster.
ious.
The Bunch woman, whose arrest Is
noted above, testi Cpd that Dickinson
visited her, also H3ed. Tast on the
Saturday mentio5Hd Reed came to
house between 10 and II O'Clock;
that shortly afterwards Dickinson
came in and gave Reed drink Of
whiskey out OF bottle which he took
Z III. 1@1y II