The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-30

Ihe Killing OF Charlotte Baldwin Was
"A Cruel ana Deliberate Murder
The Woman Made Desperate
Fight for Her Life.

The killing Of Charlotte Baldwin col
ored' near Claremont on Tuesday af-
ternoon, notice of which was publish
ed the day the crime was committed,
turns out to have been a brutal MUIR
der. according to the facts brought
out at the coroner's inquest which
was held yesterday.
The direct testimony was very mea-
gre and threw very little light on the
circumstances of the murder, but
other facts that were revealed by an
examination Of the scene OF the crime
made It clear that the woman was
cruelty butchered after a desperate
struggle. The murderer waylaid the
woman on the public road as she was
carrying q basket containing the
weeks washing Of her employer. At
this point there was evidence Of a
struggle and there was blood on the
clothes in the basket, which was
found In the bushes by the roadside.
The woman seems to have escaped
from her assailsnt and fed into the
woods but was overtaken after
chase OF fifty or sixty yards. Here
there were evidences Of still more
desperate and prolonged struggle, the
ground being trampled for a consid-
erable space. There was blood on the
fallen leaves and the woman's blood
stained apron was also found at this
place. Again the woman's fight for
life seems to have been temporarily
successful and she escaped from the
clutches Of the fiend and fled in the
direction OF Mr. Goff's house, which
was the nearest habitation. She was
overtaken in the road short distance
from Mr.. Goff's house and the cries
Of the woman attracted the atten-
tion Of Mrs. Goff, who was the only
person. on the premises, and when she
went to the door she saw the man
stamping on the PROSTATE from of his
victim. The testimony Of Mrs. Goff,
which Is reproduced herewith from
the notes of the coroner, is the only
testimony bearing directly upon the
crime. Unfortunately for the cause
Of justice Mrs. Goff did not recognize
the man and did not see his features
clearly
AS soon as the news of the murder
spread over the neighborhood, Mr..
Geo. M. Saunders. on whose place
the woman lived made every possible
effort to pursue and scapture the mur-.
.derer. He secured the bl ,odhounds
from the State farm to trai! the man.
but before the dogs arrivsd large
crowd Of negroes and others gathered
on the scene and the excitement was
30 great that they could not be con-
troled and the trail Of the murderer
was obliterated and could not be fol-
lowed by the dogs.
Coroner Flowers says that there Is
no reliable clue as to the identity OF
the murderer and until further evil
dence comes out the killing Of Char.
lotte Baldwin will remain a mystery.
II Is true that some of the neighbor-
hood negroes claim to suspect a GER
tain negro man who lived not far
from the scene of the crime, but no
evidence sufficiently strong to warrant
a charge of murder against him was
brought out at the inquest. Several
brown stains on the back Of his over
coat excited the suspicion of the ne
groes and at their request Coroner
Flowers brought the overcoat to this
city for the purpose of having the
stains examined to ascertain IL they
were made by blood.
The fact OF the matter is, Il seems
to be another clear get away by
murderer. and unless there Is some
clever detective work done he will
never be apprehended. Three and
possibly more murders have\ been
committed In Sumter county this
year for which no arrests have been
made.
The testimony taken at the inquest
was as follows:
Claremont. s. c., Dec. 23, 1908.
This Is to certify that I have this
day examined the body Of Charlotte
Baldwin. find one deep stab wound
on left side chest. 2 inches above COL
lar bone and six inches from median
line. one deep stab into wind pipe
one deep stab on right side Of neck,
directly over carotid artery. other
smaller flesh wounds In front of neck
and left ear. Either of the above de-
scribed wounds would have produced
death.