The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-06-21
MAN is KNOWN.
Who left COFFIN lnFront of Rev.
E. M. Ilghtfoots Door.

Threats Against Orangcburg Minis
tor Had Some Developments. Man
Seen Around the House.
The Orangeburg correspondent of
the Columbia State says Monday
June 10, was the day on which some
violence was to have been done to
Rev. e. M. Lightfoot of Orange
burg, according to the threat incor-
ported in a note placardcd on a cof-
fin left on Mr.. Lightfoot's door by
some cowardly person or persons in
the dead of the night. That day has
passed and Mr.. Lightfoot is yet I'M
harmed.
But another has suffered from the
deviltry aimed at the minister, and
his wife, who is very much broken
in health. has had to leave Orange
burg for a visit to Summerville in
order to get away from the excite
ment surrounding the incident which
caused such a sensation in the State.
Mr.. Lightfoot himself expresses no
concern, for he appreciates the fact
that the coward who under cover of
darkness thus attempted to brighten
him from his field Of labor and his
post of duty will not meet him face
to face.
1t was one night early in May that
the collin was left on the porch of
Mr.. LightfoOt'S home in the business
part of the city Of Orangeburg. One
of the policemen on duty at that
time stated that he saw a bright mu-
latto negro driving a gray mule about
o'clock in the morning and that
there was something in the wagon
covered with old corr sacks. He made
no further inspection. The owner
of the mule has been located and the
name Of the negro is known. These
things have been learned within the
last week.
WRITER OF NOTE.
For some time it has been known
who wrote the note. 1t was written
on the back of a printed notice sent
out by Walker. Evans e Cogswell
company, it has been learned to whom
the Charleston s%tationcrs sent those
notices. There we're but a few in Or
angcburg, and by elimination it was
easy to learn whence the piece Of pa
per was secured on which the notice
was written. Furthermore the writ
ing was made with an indcliblc pen
Gil, and there L marked character
lstlcs in the chirography which make
1t a very easy matter to trace the
writing to an individual in Orange
burg. Furthermore, there is some
proof of malice, and the same party
under suspicion is known to have had
i'll feeling toward Mr.. lightfoot.
Circumstantial evidence against a
certain party is strong, and it is en-
tircly probable that somebody will
serve q long term in the pcnitcntiary
when the Investigations are over. A
short time ago 1T was reported that
a certain party in Orangcburg had
confessed the whole matter. Mr..
Lightfoot denies this. He states that
the man in question came to his study
one night and said that he was under
suspicion. Mr.. Lightfoot added that
the man was indeed under suspi-
cion, for he had been under the in
fluence of liquor at the time that the
outrage was perpctrated and that the
suspected party had failed to use an
official position which he occupies to
ferret out the mystery.
When Mr.. Iightfoot charged him
with these things the party under
suspicion proved an alibi, but also
proved that Mr.. Lightfoot's suspic-
ions as to the animus behind the
whole thing are i'm the main correct.
The handwriting OF the note in the
coffin has Beer Identified at first
sight by half a dozen mon have
had business dealings With the MAJ.
under suspicion, and no one of those
who identified the writing knew at
the time that any one clsa had done
so.
1t appears to be a clean cut case
against this man. The animus is
Hnown. ltcamc from Mr.. Lightfoot's
fearless denunciation OF certain civic
wrongs and slack-twistcdncss. The
writing is known to be that Of the
party said to have been aggricvcd by
the action Of MIR. Lightfoot in Ger
tam matters, and the same party is
known to have communicated by
phone on the night Of the outrage
with the owner Of the mule which
pulled the wagon in which the coffin
was carried to the house Of Mn.
Lightfoot. The circumstantiaI cvi-
dcnce is strong.
Last Sunday was the eve of the
day set for violence to be done Mr..
g 1 :-lI a. . az.