The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-04-12
AWFUL CRIME.
Negro Murdered and His Body
Hidden in a Swamp.
BY 'INDIAN DOCTOR. !"

Who, With His Wife, Is Badly Want.
ed by the Barnwcu County, Where
the Brutal Murder Took Place
The Murdered Man was Peace.
able, Industrious Negro and Was
Well Thought or.
most awful and brutal murder
came to light over in Barnwell Coun-
ty on last Thursday. On Wednes-
nay, Feb. 27, man giving his name
as DR.. Jeems and claiming to be an
Indian doctor was In Allendale.
accompanied by negro woman. He
claimed that the woman was his wife
After making some inquiries about
inc town the couple called at the
house of a negro named Stokes and
hired him TO take them across the
country in his wagon to Barnwell
After some explanations and upon
the urgent appeal Of the doctor"
and his wife," Stokes agreed to take
them and started out for tho county
seat.
Stokes failed to return home on
the afternoon OF the day he left with
the strangers. Nor the next day did
ne show up, and his folks became
uneasy about him. The third dav
came, and not having been seen or
heard from his family organized q
searching party and started out to-
ward Barnwcll to gather some infor-
nation from people along the road
Ihey were told by vario s parties on
the road that wagon with the three
occupants as described was seen to
pass along the Barnwell-
road on Wednesday. Feb. 27
They found no difficulty in tracing
the wagon to a point within about
three miles Of Barnwell. They were
told by some parties that the wagon
turned off at this place and was driv-
en- In the direction Of a swamp Later
1T was seen to come back with only
TWO or the occupants, the man de-
scribcd as the Indian doctor and the
negro woman The negro Stokes was
missing.
Search was made for the body Of
the Allcndale negro, 1t being then be-
licved that he had been murdered
and his body secreted, but no trace
Of him was found
Negroes and whites looked for a
week after he was missed, some ex-
pecting possibly to find him alive,
while others have searched for his
body. Days went by without their
searches resulting in anything.
Thursday the attention Of some
parties wa" attracted to a large num-
Der OF buZZards lowering over the
swamp, near where Stokes was seen
last, some distance from the road
Investigation resulted in finding a
badly dccomposed body, afterwards
identified as Stokes by means Of his
coat and shoes. The buzzards had
eaten almost all the flesh off the
bones. The body was face down
when found and there were eviden-
ces which showed that it had been
graSgcd some distance, from a point
near the road.
The theory is that Stokes was mur-
dcrcd either in the wagon or on the
road side and his body dragged into
the swamp by the heels. What the
motive was is not known, unless 1t
was robbery. The mule and buggy
is all that the negro Stokes had
1t is certain that Doctor" .]oems
and his negro wife never went to
Barnwcll, but they were seen to turn
toward Wiliston. The next day,
Thursday. Feb. 2S, they were in Will
liSton and tried to trade off the mule
and wagon.
1t is claimed that the negro woman
with the alleged Indian told several
that her home was in Sumter.
stokes was farmer. He was
about % years of age. and was a
quiet, hard working. honest negro
and was liked in his community. Ev-
cry effort was made to apprehend the
Doctor" and his colored spouse and
police officers and shcriffs are urgen-
tly requested to keep sharp look
out for them.