The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-06-01
WHO SHOT HER?
A Lady Assassinated While
Asleep in Her Bed
BYS UNKNOWN FIE NDS

XI0 uGuer Arrest arc COnfl0ed In
Jail for Safe Keeping. The
Woman's Husband Also
Under Suspicion.
The Augusta Chronicle says Mrs.
Eb s. Wilson of Bee On Island was shot
at 2 O'Clock Thursday morning and
80 fatally wounded that she died some
hours afterward. Bill Lumford,
colored, lies in the Richmond county
jsil, with clrcumstantial evidence
pointing to him as the murderer
Tom Williams, another negro, is
ocked up under suspicion, as an &C
complce In the crime. The case WAS
worked up by Detective Howard CT
the Augusta city police.
At the time Of the tragedy Mrs.
Wilson was sleeping In her bed, alone,
In one Of the rooms OF the hcuae. Her
husband, Mr.. Wilson, was In another
apartment. At about o'clock the
| night winds carried far and wide the
echo Of a pistol shot. Mrs. Wilson
lay on her bed In pool Of blood,
mortnlly wounded.
Early in the night Mr.. Wilson had
seen strange negro lettering aronnd
ais promises. Having asked the man
ais business and received no satisfac
tory answer, he drove him tff the
place. 1t Is believed that this negro
w.s Bill Lumford, and that he re.
JurDSd. Excitement and tndigna-
tion ran rife Oh Beech Island. AS
soon as the sad story was heard from
Mr.. Wilson'S lips every effort was
made by friends and neighbors to &C.
conplish the capture OF the guilty
party.
The trail was warm, and 1t led, ap-
parsntly, to Bill Lumford. The
tracks OF q man who wore rubber
heelpd shoes were followed without q
break from the Wilson place to the
Oarolira side of the Hamburg bridge.
Detective Howard, following other
clues, had arrested Lumford. The
prisoners shoes were taken from him,
aud Detective Howard personally
went, mo>s the river to see whether
"""79 hewitt the tracks, So far as
X ,1tained in bhe road, they
The !nprint Of the rubber heels
was damaging circumstantial evi.
deHce. To make assurance doubly
sure, the shoes were given to Mr.. p.
b. Page, a friend of Mr.. Wilson's,
who first brought the news Of the
tragedy to Augusta, and Mr.. Page
will ht them to the still clearer im-
pressi0ns made In the loose ground on
the Wilson place. Up 10 u late hour
Mr.. Page had not reported the result
OF this experiment.
Other minor but important points
converge to the same center Bill
Lu'Sford and 1om Williams are Spar.
tahSdfg county negroes. After the
arrest 1t was stated that they had
spent the night In Augusta at the
| house OF q negro woman named Meta.
Meta herself declared that they had
slept at her house from the middle OF
the night until morning. Investiga.
zion developed that Meta herself, ae
companied by her husband, had bsen
all night across the river at some
negro family gathering or wake. Her
| SCOry was OlSCreQlted.
| Furthermore, responsible parties
are reported to have seen two negroes
whose description corresponds to that
OF the prisoners, crossing the Ham.
Ourg bridge In the gray dawn Of the
morning, their clothing covered with
dust. 1t is said that Mr.. Wilson
would be able to Identity The Negro
whom he ordered Off his place. Ul
TO a late hour Thursday night Mr.
Wilson had not come to the clJy, MOI
could 1t be ascertained at what time
he would arrive.
The members Of the family CAV,
the following account Of the tragedy
When the shot was fired, Mrs. vii
son jlmped from her bed and scream
cd II have been shot. Some body ha
killed me-" and ran into her hus
oand's room, where she fell. Sh'
afterward became conscious. and stat
ed that she had no idea WLo shot her
uhat she was asleep at the time
Later she lapsed into semi. conscious
ness and fingered until Thursda,
night, when she died.
The fatal shot was fired at so clos
ldDRC UlldU Ullo llcSll blOWtu Ill
powder maris. The bullet entere,
under the right shoulder, and range,
down to the left side, penetrating th
diaphragm. 1t had evidently beel
fired through the oriface caused by
broken pane OF glass. a board plac
ed against the hole on the outside ha
been removed by the assassin.
SENSATION FOLLOWS SENSATION.
A dispatch from Augusta to Th
State says sensation followed upo
: sensation Thursday night and thi
afternoon IN the Wilson murder tray
edy. Shoes worn by the negro Lun
ford were taken to the scene Of th
3 crime during the forenoon and foun
TO fit exactly the tracks around til
house and through the ditch near til
house. Lumford is still being held 1
jail there, but Mr.. Wilson has not bee
TO the city to identify him as the ma
> seen late Ia the afternoon before til
Z, murder.
j. l.. Brown, q brother In law {
Wilson's was arrested In August
! Thursday evening under the influenC
Of liquor and held in jail for time
!, prevent personal injury. The ma
D declared he was on his way to b ,eC
Island for the purpose of killing Wi
son, whom he declared had killed Mr.
| WIlgOD qavinu ba tptopdo6 q ftop a.