The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-12-19
KILLED HIMSELF.

KILLED Hl MSEllE.
A CoLokED PREACHER OUTS
ais OWN THROAT.
Was Pastor of q Me;hodist Church IN
Crangeburg for Past
TWO Years.
Rev. @. P. Nelson, who had resided
In Orapgeburg as Pastor of the A. NJ.
E. Church for the past two years,
committed suicide on last Thursday
morning som etime between one and
TWO O'Clock by cutting big throat with
rszor, which wss found in bis righ t
hand when bis bcdy was discovered by
bis wife short time after be COM
mitted the terrible deed. When his
Lody w:s first found 1t was seated In
chair, but soon fell to the floor,
where it remained until Thursday
morning when the inquest Was held.
The body was first discovered by the
@ife OF the dead msn, who occupied
the parsonage with him and ons child.
It seems that Nelson tried to com.
nit suicide Wednesday morning By
drinking lauds -un, but to- fort fail.
ed by another oolo1sd preacnsr calling
on Nelson and finding him very drowsy
an6 smelling the fumes Of the drug.
In reply to some erqu'ry Nelson sai6
he had taken dose OF the daadls
drug and thought he had taken toc
much. The visiting preacher sum-
mored Nelson's wife and she MADE
and gsve her husband some strong
coffae in which melted butter had
besa poured. This destroyed the
effect Of the laudanum and Nelson
reused up, seeming to be much better.
The visiting minister then left. Mel.
son remained in bed all dsy Wednes.
day, and was attended by come OF the
members OF bis church, who staid
with him until about tHelye O'Clock
Wednesday night, when he was con.
sidered out Of danger, although the
effect OF the lsudnun was still plainly
visible. Tt vas not suspected then
that Nelson had attempted to take
bis life. After the visitors had lett
be got up and got his razor and cut
his throat as above stated.
The cause OF the suicide was
some crooked financial transactions
on the part OF Nelson. It Is
said that during the past sum.
mer the trustees Of the church acting
under the advice OF Nelson secured a
loan on their property from one OF
the local building and loan associa.
tions. The amount was $500 and the
officers OF the association state that
Nelson told them that the amount
secured was to retire g former indebt.
eGness. The trustses Of the church
say that they know nothing Of the
former mortgage but that it was
their Intention to secure only loan
Of $3.50 to satisfy outstanding bills for
insurance and for parsonage furni-
aure, and that it was only recently
that they discovered they had signed
for a $500 loan.
They state that just before going
to conference, Nelson, ia closing the
years work here, told them that the
indebtedness was only s150 and that
he made the same statement at con-
ference. It is understood that several
meetings Of the trustees have been
held since the matter became known
q few days ago, and that when taxed
with the matter on Monday Of last
week Nelson stated that the differ
ence between the Indebtedness and
the amount Of the loan had been ap.
propriated by himself on account OF
the church falling to pay his salary.
It Was lntimated that Nelson might
be arrested and 1t is presumed he pre-
ferred death to arrest and subse quent
exposure.
Nelson came here TWO years ago
with testimonials from prominent msn
all over the State: both white and
colcred, and on the strength Of these
was extended credit by various mer-
chants In the city, and in MIST cases
the bills were never paid There was
also considerable friction between him
and bis congregation which probably
resulted In their not paying him in
full, and as result OF this friction,
the conference last week transferred
Nelson to Mayesville, to which charge
he was to have gone within the next
few days. Nelson was prob bly, 55
years of age, was well educated and
t(had hsld some OF the best appoint.
ments in the gift Of his church. BE
had served as presiding elder before
coming hero in various parts Of the
State.
Times Save Changed.
When the Connecticut people held