The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-05-06
MURDER At REMBERI.
PETER BUFORD KILLED BY AN.
NEITE ELLERBE.

Crme Was Committed Tuesday After.
noon and the Body of the Victim
Which Was Concealed in q Ditch
Was Not Discovered Until Satur.
day.
On Tuesday, April 2Sth, Peter Bu-
ford, an industrious and we'll thought
OF negro disappeared from his home on
Mr.. E. E. Remberts plantation at
Rembert' Rafting Creek township.
HIS wife, Rose Buford, claimed to
nave no knowledge Of his where
apouts. For the first day or two Pet
er's absence from home caused no
special uneasiness nor suspicion, but
when he had not returned by Fri
day inquiry began to be MADE and
on Saturday search began to be made
TOR him. Mr.. Rembert and other white
citizens of the neighborhood joining the
searching party. Peter was a steady
hard-working man and it was not
like him to leave his farm at a time
when his crop needed his attention,
hence his prolonged and unexplained
absence gave rise to suspicion of foul
play.
The searching party finally dis
covered his dead body concealed in a
ditch on the place. There were two
wounds On his head, the skull being
crushed. Leading from the place
where his body was discovered, across
the field for some distance was a trail
made by heavy body being dragged
along the ground. Suspicion at once
fell upon Edward Young, a negro
boy who had been working with Pet
er on the day of his disappearance,
Rose Buford, Peters wife, and An
nette Ellerbe. negro woman who
was known to have spent part of
Tuesday at Peters house.
Coroner Flowers was notified of the
discovery of the body Saturday after
noon about 4 o'clock and he proceed
ed at once to Remberts. When he
reached the scene 1t was too late to
hold the inquest that night, but ar
rangements were made for making
q thorough investigation on Sunday
morning.
When the jury was empannelled
Sunday morning the first witness was
DR.. M. s. Kirk, who made the post
mortem examination. He stated that
either Of the two wounds on Peters
head was sufficient to have caused
death instantly.
The next witness was the boy, Ed
| ward Young. He made a clean breast
OF the whole affair, testifying as fol-
lows:
| II am about II years old. / nave
been working for Peter Buford since
January, 1908. On the 2sth of April
L was at the house at dinner. Miss
Rose (Peter's wife) was in the room
and cut a piece Of ham and gave il
to Annette. Peter was mad
and cursed Annette and Rose
After dinner Peter and I went to the
field. He plowed one round and ]
then took the plow. Rose and An
nette came to the field. I had gone
to the further end Of the field. When
was coming back saw Peter stand
Ing at the end Of the row. When !
was near the end OF the row, I saw
Annette strike Peter on the side of
the head. Peter fell to the ground.
was about 80 steps from them.
When 1 got to the end Of the row An
nette told me to take the mule from
the plow and fasten the single tree
to his foot. I led the mule to the
ditch. Annette loosened the traces and
dragged him and threw him into the
ditch. Rose was with us. Annette
struck him on the head with a shovel
after she had put Peter in the ditch.
Rose and Annette went back home.
I went back home also. Next morning
Rose and Annette went to the ditch.
Annette covered the body. Rose stood
out in the road and watched An
nette brought the shovel back to the
house. Annette said If l told anybody
they would kill me. Rose scraped the
blood. up from the ground with the
shovel and threw it in the field"
Rose RufOrd and Annette Ellerbe
also testified. but they denied any
knowledge Of Buford's murder and
contradicted Edward Young's story.
According to their story the last seen
OF Peter was when he went to the
field to work after dinner ACCOMPANIED
by Edward. They also said that about
a,clacl IEds,..as