The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-03-04
HORRIBLE CRIME
OF TWO R
After Being Arrested Admit Having Bru.
tally Murdered an Aged White
Lady in Lexington.

negroes, giving their names as Brack
TOland and Ned Toland, brothers, and
their homes as Prosperity, are in the
South Carolina ~penitentiary, held in
connection with the brutal murder of
Nrs. Fllisor yesterday in Lexington
sDJlg 3rack Toland admits that he
was nearby when the murder occurred.
He says his brother was not present
and that another negro whose name he
does not know was the negro who did
the killing.
Mrs. Ellison, while alone in her home,
near Cayce's, across the river from Co
lumbia, early yesterday morning, was
brutally and foully lone to death, her
body being thrown into the clothes bas-
ket, where it was found several hours
later by her husband on his return
from town. The aged woman had been
killed without a struggle, being hit in
the head with her husbands ak.
The two negroes were arrested on
the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens
train, which left Columbia late yester-
& Y afternoon, and were put in Jail at
'ewberry, remaining there over night,
aid being brought to this city this
morning.
They later made a full and complete
confession at the State penitantiary in
b the presence of Captains Griffith and
Roberts, Corporal Harling and others.
The story they told to the officers the
l,u fp1Inuyipn fhnir, a tract uao oopnrl-
ing to their admission yesterday, on
cocted in the Newberry Jail Wednesday
night.
They now admit killing Mrs. Ellison
and throwing her body into the basket,
and her robbing the house of such ar
ticles of value as they could find. No
inducements of any kind were offered
the negroes 20 make a clean breast of
their connection with this dastardly
crime. 1t was voluntary, free and APP
parently without the least reservation
as to any of the facts.
Yesterday afternoon a gentleman liv-
ING near Columbia called at the peni-
tertiary and asked to be allowed to
look at the smaller of the two negroes,
thinking that this one had been en-
ployed by him on one occasion. Capt.
Griffith sent for Brack Toland, but he
proved not to be the boy who had
worked for this gentleman. But it
seems that Brack was brought before
the officers at the psychological mo-
ment. Capt. Griffith and Corporals j.
ID II,,l;,,o- orl g M hG,D;n u,nro ,>ro,-
ent, besides the gentleman who had
called for the purpose Of identifying the
negro. Brack said that he wanted to
tell the truth about the whole matter.
He said that his brother Ned made
him leave home Monday and come with
him to Cayce's. They stayed there
Monday and Tuesday nights, spending
most of their time in the depot at that
place. Brack said hat his brother had
been thCre before, but that he had
mex the place before in his life.
M inr ha sovS ihat A.
tC .,scouuu | MS brother, he and
Ned went up to "that house" (meaning
Mr.. Ellisor's), and that they went in
and asked for five cents worth of
bread The woman paid very little at
~tention to them, and didn't appear to
welcome their coming. He says that
they then went into the house and Mrs.
Ellison spoke up and said something
about their "being up to something"
He says that they told her that they
were not, that they just wanted to
warm. AS soon as they got into the
house he caught Mrs. Ellison and his
brother knocked her in the head with
an ak. They then put her body in the
basket, and his brother struck the wo-
man two more blows with the AK after
ward.
I}rack said that they went through
the house, but found no money. They
searched the trunk, but no money was
in sight. They then proceeded to take
what they could get their hands on.
Brack said that he ran to the door one
time and looked out to see if anyone
were coming, but saw no one. They
took a coat, a razor, a watch chain,
d woman's jacket, three silk handker-
lCulClo, d gun dIu ooilS olcllS. lilSy
$left the house and went towards the
woods, and when they discovered that
they had a woman's jacket they hid it
behind a log and then went on towards
Brookland.
They sold the gun in Brookland to
the man who went to Newberry to see
them, Mr.. Fox. They her crossed the
bridge and took the c., N. & L. train
which leaves Columbia at 11:20 and
went as far as Irmo, ten miles north of
the city. They got off the train at r.
mo and walked up the railroad track to
Hilton, nine miles farther, tagging the
mixed train which leaves Columbia at
$40 just before itreached Hilton. They
were placed under arrest before reach
ing N~ewberry. When they got to the
Newberry Jail he and his brother talked
the matter over at length and made up
the story which they told the officers
the next day.
Mrs. j. II. Sullivan Entertains u. D. C..
The Daughters of the C~onfederacy
were pleasantly entertained at the
home of Mrs. j. II. Sullivan Monday