Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-26
HOMICIDE AT BLAcKSBURG.

Mr. Charles Francis Deal was shot
and killed at Blacksburg yesterday
morning by one William H. Mills.
The story of the killing is told in a
Blacksburg dispatch Of last night to
the Columbia State of this morning as
follows:
Coroner Vinesett held an inquest
this afternoon and 1t developed that
while Deal, who Is an employee of the
mill, was attending to his duties In
the MILL Mills came and called him
out, and after few minutes CONVEX
sation, to which there was no witness,
Mills began firing upon Deal. Four
or five shots were fired, three Of which
took effect, one through the right
shoulder, another in the right side Of
the chest between the fourth and fifth
ribs and the third in the left side Of
the face one or both Of the last two
shots being the cause Of the death OF
Deal, which occurred in less than an
hour.
Mills attempted to make his escape
but was arrested by Chief of Police
Duncan and committed to the town
lookup. Later he was sent to the coun-
ty Jail at Gaffney.
The coroner's jury found as follows:
That the said c. Frank Deal came
to his death from the effects Of gun
shot wound at the hands Of William
H. Mills"
Young Deal was about twenty-four
years old, was born and raised in
Blacksburg and was prominently con-
| nected being the son Of the late Hon.
j. A. Deal and brother of DR.. s. M.
and Attorney A. M. Deal Of Columbia,
and Mrs. John Scott Of Atlanta.
cix hn q
PLY married to Miss Maude eastman
Of New Oxford, Pa. He was a member
of several fraternal orders and. was
universally liked, being endowed with
warm heart and generous nature.
! His death and the manner Of 1t was
great shock to the entire community
and deeply deplored by all of Blacks
| burg's citizens, who sincerely SYM
pathize with his family and relatives.
Mills is also a young man who was
| raised at or near Clifton, and whose
| mother still resides there. He Is also
mill operative and has recently lived
at Pacolet He was married several
years ago to Miss Lola Turner, daugh-
| ter of Mr.. c. A. Turner Of this place.
The motive for the killing was the
alleged intimacy of Deal with Mills
wife, which, however, Deal denied in
his dying declaration.
| dIlSr the SHOOllI6, lIleil
| he had killed Deal on account OF al
| legged intimacy between Deal and Mills
wife, which, he claims, occurred about
| a year ago. Long before that time,
| however, he had been separated from
his wife, and has since been separated
| from her. He came to Blacksburg on
Saturday last and his father-in-law,
Chas. Turner, stated to various per-
sens that since his arrival he had re-
peatedly been endeavoring to borrow
| money from him but was refused.
On Saturday night last he and Mr..
| Deal were together in the Office of Mrs.
| Thompson's hotel and on Sunday they
were seen by persons on two different
occasions to speak to each other pleas
antly in passing. On Monday morning
he went to the mill where Mr.. Deal
| was working and together they went
outside where they conversed together
| for Is or 20 minutes before the shoot
ing took place.
The fact that the man now claiming
| to be in the position Of an outraged
husband who had come to Blacksburg
to kill Mr.. Deal, speaking to him pleas
antly on several occasions but making
no attempt to do him violence, and
quietly calling the alleged violator Of
his home on the outside Of the mill
and talking with him for Is minutes
or longer before attempting any Vio-
| lence, adds great weight to Mr.. DeaPs
dying declaration that Mills had en-
deavored to blackmail him and obtain
from him the money which Mills fa-
| ther-in- law says he refused to give
| him.