The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-23
DID he MURDER
STEPHEN HOWELL?
JOHN BAILEY ARRESTED BY
SHERIFF BUFORD OF NEW
BERRY.
Circumstantial Evidence There Re-
mains for the Accused to be Iden-
titled By Philip Epstin and
His Wife.

duties as sheriff of Newberry county,
las been doing some detective work
as the following account Of his cap
ture Of John Bailey will show. The
story is taken from the State Of the
21st.
John Bailey, colored, has been ar
rested on a warrant charging him
with having taken the life Of Stephen
Howell near this city on the 23rd of
December, 1908. So shocking was
that tragedy that its details are yet
fresh IN the memory of the people of
the city and it seems that it was
Just a year ago instead of two years
and quarter.
Stephen Howell, a white boy, about
Is years of age, was sent by Philip
Epstin. a Jew, to gather holly, cedar
and mistletoe for the Christmas trade.
Stephen Howell went in wagon and
was accompanied by an unknown ne
gro, nearly grown. The negro came
back late in the evening without the
white lad and was not seen any more.
Stephen Howell's body was found IA
days later by two hunters. It had not
been known definitely up to that time
that the boy had been murdered, al
though his grief stricken mother had
a strong presentiment Of evil. A re-
ward Of $500 was offered for the ar
rest of the unknown negro. Several
suspects have been arrested and re-
2eased.
Sheriff Coleman and Sheriff Buford
of Newberry have worked the case
un to gether. Sheriff Buford, soon at
ter The tragedy, was called to Clinton,
where he given clue. The man
>aer of the murder was very much like
one which had occurred at Whhmlre
q short time before, and it was sus-
pected that the same party was guilty
Of both. John Bailey had been going
10 Whitmire with stolen tobacco to
dispose Of to a young man named Lee,
who was murdered one night. 1t is
said that this negro, John Bailey, was
seen in possession Of knife which
had belonged to Lee, but there was
not enough evidence to cause his ar
rest. It was proved that he was IN
Columbia at the, time Of the murder
of Stephen Howell, ands that he was
engaged in doing odd jobs Of the kind
mentioned.
On the 22nd of December, 1904, the
warrant was sworn out for Bailey s
arrest by Philip Epstin. This was
placed in Sheriff Buford's hands and
he has been trailing John Bailey Tor
nearly a year and a half, In that
time the suspect has been IN New
York and Philadelphia and several
parts Of South Carolina. He does not
know for what he was arrested, and
thinks he is being taken north to be
tried for some offense Of which his
conscience is probably guilty.
The man in arrest has described his
travels to Sheriff Buford, and the
narrative fits into the accusations
verv we'll indeed. The negro answers
the descriptions given of the unknown
negro who accompanied Stephen
Howell. In one point there is slight
discrepancy, but that might be ac'
counted for in the fact that the ne
gro was but IS years old at the time
that Stephen Howell was killed ano
NAV have changed in that time.
John Bailey is about Fl years Of
aee. and since 1902 has worked al
Clinton for Mr.. Rob Vance, has beer
a train hand for the Seaboard All
Line: went to New York with Mr., Il
T. Davis of Clinton in the fall OF l9O2
and stayed there several months
came to Columbia in July, 1903, stay
ed here three weeks and went to worl
on the Seaboard as train hand; qul
that and was employed by Mr.. W
H. Galloway of the Columbia Pape
company as wagon driver, and from
there went to work for the Columbl
Lumber company, where he was EN-
ployed until three weeks befor
Christmas. Stayed with his mothe
in Columbia and was engaged IN dc