The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-02-01
A DEPLORABLE AFFAIR.

A DEPLUkAbLE AFFAlk.
". CLARE DICKINSON CHARGED WITH
POISONING B. F. REID.
The Chief Witness Against Him Later Swears
Her Testimony Before the Coroner's
Jury Was False.
On Sunday morning, January 18th, B.
F. Reid, of the Cope section of Orange
burg county, died at the residence of N.
NJ. Smoak in this city. he came here
the morning before, but stopped at the
house of white prostitute in the edge of
the town, where he stayed for several
hours. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon
he came down town, complained of being
sick, saying he was poisoned-had been
given poisoned whiskey. Physicians were
summoned, but he grew worse and died
next morning. His relatives and friends
came and took his body the same day for
burial, it being inferred that afternoon.
Because of the rumors as to Reid's death
being caused by poison, on Tuesday fol-
lowing Drs. Cleckley and Hoover, at the
request of G.. B. Kittrell, went to the
burial ground, the body was disinterred,
and they took out the stomach, which
they sealed up in jar, and it was taken
by Mr.. Kittrell to Augusta to a chemist
to be analyzed. The chemist reported
that he found arsenic in the stomach, and
an investigation was begun, and Alicia
Bunch, the woman at whose house Reed
stopped, and Viola Lawton, Asgfo
woman who lived near, were arrested
and put in Jail.
The inquest over the body was COM
menced last Thursday. Coroner Zeigler
selected a jury composed of citizens of
this town, and they went to the burial
ground near Cope and had the body dis
inferred. DR.. ]. J. Cleckley opened the
skull and examined the brain.
On Friday the taking of testimony was
begun at the court house here and con-
sumed all day. The proceedings were
secret, something unusual for an inquest.
Nobody was allowed in the room except
those, directly interested, and nothing
was given out until the jury brought in a
verdict.
About eight o'clock that night the jury
rendered verdict that Reid came to his
death from poisoned whiskey given him
by W. Clare Dickinson. AS soon as the
verdict was rendered Mr.. Dickinson went
over to the Jail and surrendered to the
sheriff, not waiting for warrant to be
sworn out. A few days before the inquest
his room had been searched for poison oi
some kind, but of course none was found
The verdict created much surprise, fol
those who know Clare Dickinson could
not believe him guilty of such crime.
A number of witnesses we're examined
and q mass of testimony taken at the
inquest, but it is too long to attempt even
synopsis. The main witness against
Dickinson was white woman, Alicia
Bunch, prostitute. She testified that
Reid came to her house on Saturday,
January 18th, between 10 and II o'clock,
and stayed there until about two. That
he was drinking and had some whiskey.
That about 10 o'clock Dickinson came in
and while there gave Reid a drink of
whiskey out of bottle which he took
from his pocket. That he took none of
this whiskey himself nor offered anybody
else any. That Dickinson jumped out
the back window and ran of when he saw
Mr.. Fielder and his wife coming. She
also said that Dickinson was paying her
expenses, and had said to her if Reid and
others did not keep away from there he
was going to kill them. That about four
o'clock the same day Dickinson came
back and said he guessed he had fixed
Reid now.
1t will be remembered that Reid came
down town that day about two o'clock
was taken sick, and died early the next
morning.
Drs. Kinsey, Cleckley, and Hoover also
testified. DR.. Kinsey was called to Reid
few moments after he was taken sick
but did not see him again, nor was hs
present when the stomach was taken ou1
or the brain examined.
DR.. Hoover testified as to assisting in
taking out the stomach and sealing 1t NJ
in q jar to send to Augusta, as well as t.
other matters connected with the death
OF Reid.
DR.. Cleckley testified to these things al
well-as to the condition of the stomach
and brain. That the condition of the
stomach and brain could have been caused
by poison.
DR.. John a. Schreiber, Of Augusta
testified as to analyzinE the stomach