Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-02
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1909.

yeggman is a sample" says Mr.. Nor
wood, "is the most desperate OF which
a country Is afflicted, and none but the
most fearless officers ever capture
them. I therefore submit that when
one Is taken, dead or alive, the officer
performing the feat should be more lib
orally rewarded than by his mere sal
ary." So far the dead yeggman re-
mains unidentified, but Postoffice In.
spector Gregory, who Is on the ground
investigating the case, has his strong
suspicious as to who the man Is and
may in a day or so be able to confirm
them. He is saying nothing so far.
Union special of January 80, to the
Greenville News: What promises to be
one Of the most sensational, the most
interesting and most hardfought legal
proceedings In South Carolina In many
years Is the case Of w. I. Jones, a
wealthy planter Of this county, who
1t is expected will be put on trial here
next week, charged with the murder OF
his wife, a beautiful woman, who died
on Sunday night, July 9Th Of last year,
as the result Of strychnine poisoning
The case Is an unusual one In many
respects, notably among them being
different phases Of evidence which
were brought out at the coroners
inquest, at the hearings in the appli-
cation for bail, and In the especially
new legal tactics employed In the re-
peated efforts before the circuit as well
as before the supreme justices to have
Jones released on bond. The greatest
possible interest centres around the
trial, not only because of the nature
of the testimony that will likely be
brought out by the 225 witnesses. who
have been summoned to appear In
court, but also because Of the promi-
nent standing and wide connections OF
the deceased woman and because
Jones himself, being very large prop
erty owner and wide awake and pro-
gressive planter, has quite large fol-
lowing. Jones Is a man about AZ years
old, a physical giant in stature, being
apparently over six feet tall, and built
in proportion. He has q massive head,
and in the operating Of his large agri-
cultural interests has shown very great
ability, branching out along new lines,
working out new ideas in old staple
crops and introducing such new crops
as tobacco agriculture, and other
things; In all making an unusual de-
gree Of success. Besides his extensive
property and fertile farm plantations
comprising about 5000 acres, Mr
Jones about four years ago erected one
Of the handsomest country residences
to be found in upper South Carolina,
being placed in a beautiful grove OF
oaks and architecturally pleasing to
the eye. The residence is equipped
with electric lights, generated by pri-
vate dynamo and supplied with water
from his own water works system. OF
the man and his habits, he has made
no pretense- at goodygoodyness, and
indeed If the observations Of the stu
dents Of heredity count for anything,
some of his characteristics may not
have long to be searched for, for 1t is
a ( matter Of public record that not so
many years ago before the Leath OF
his father, a special act was passed IN
the legislature to allow him to become
the legitimate heir Of Tyrrel Jones,
When a young man he was a student
at South Carolina college, and there
had an unfortunate experience as the
result Of which he left but upon which
there is no use to dwell. 1t was when
she was only 16 years old that Jones
began paying devoted attention to a
beautiful young girl, who lived In the
community where he lived, Marion
Porter. Shortly after this, they were
married. From this union a son was
born, Harry Jones, an only child, who
Is about II years old. That this union
was far from being happy one during
the past few years Is what the neigh
bors and friends Of the family and res
idents Of that community tell In sworn
affidayits. Indeed, IL all that Is sworn
to is literally true, this is case of not
only unparalleled physical and mental
cruelty to the woman, whom ne had
vowed to love and cherish, but incon-
ceivable in some Of the indignities to
which he subjected her; indignities sc
improper and degrading to womanhood
as to be entirely unprintable. 1t was
shortly before II o'clock Sunday night
Of July 9Th that w. T. Jones hastily
summoned DR.. ]. T. Jeter, his family
physician, who resided not q great dis
lance away, to come quickly that his
wife was i'll. DR.. Jeter obeyed the sum-
mons as quickly as he could after
dressing. On reaching Jones residence
he found Mrs. Jones In commissions
He tried to relieve her, but In a few
the Lords Prayer and saying, Have
mercy" From his observations and
from what Mr.. Jones himself said, DR.
Jeters opinion as stated at the In
quest was that the deceased came to
her death as the result Of strychnine
poisoning. One Of the main points In the
evidence, as brought out in the various
hearings for bail, will be at the trial
that Mrs. Jones, in a mood Of despond-
ency as q result Of having been particu-
larly unwell for several weeks, took the
poison herself, thus causing her own
death; while the prosecution will en-
deavor to show that Jones himself
forced her to take 1t and thus ended
her life, backing up this will be a large
array Of witnesses, who Will TESTIFY, to
his very harsh treatment of her for Q
long period: or how 1t is alleged he had
made her make improper proposals to
one prominent white man, magistrate
and two negroes; Of how it is alleged
he had declared that he wanted to get
rid Of her because Of one young wo-
man who had lived not far away, to
whom 1t is a matter Of common report
he had given many handsome gifts
The day after Mrs. Jones death, the
inquest was begun, and so many were
the witnesses examined that 1t was
not concluded until the following af-
ternoon. AS a result Of the evidence
thus brought out, Jones was arrested,
charged with the murder on July 9Th,
and made a inmate Of the county jail
here, where he has been ever since, ex-
cept on three occasions, one when ne
went for a few moments to the court
house when he was arraigned at the
September term Of court; again when
in November he was taken in the GUS
tody of the sheriff to Columbia to ap-
pear before the supreme court In an
application for bail and later again In
December when the hearing for bail
which had been postponed was again
resumed. Within a few weeks after
Jones had been committed, to jail, his
counsel consisting Of James Munro,
former Judge D. A Townsend, State
Senator B. F. Townsend, Of the local
bar and Col Geo. Johnstone of New
berry, some Of the ablest criminal law
yers in the state, applied to Circuit
Judge D. E. Hydrick at Spartanburg
for Jones' release on bond, stating that
bond in any sum could be furnished.
This motion for bail was refused by
Judge Hydrick after hearing not only
the defense side, but also that OF the
prosecution, which Is represented by
Circuit Solicitor T. S. Sease Of Spar
tanburg, Hon. ]. Ashby Sawyer and
Mr.. P. D. Barron Of this city. This
refusal Of bail from Judge Hydrick
came rather as a surprise to the gen.
eral public, but soon notice Of an ap-
peal to the supreme court was given
by the defense counsel. When the Sep
tember term Of court convened, they
endeavored in different ways to have
the case continued, but the motions