Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-06-17
BRUTAL MURDER
Both an Axe and a Raysor We're
Used to Commit II.
BODY CAST IN WELL

Soiumola, ana Tor mystery ouf-
rounding it Rivals the Famous
Maud Allen Murder Case.
In the revolving killing in the
kitchen of her home at Gil Sumter
street, Columbia, Friday morning
about day-break, Of Mrs. Victoria
Griffin, who was struck in the head
with an axe, her throat cut from ear
to ear and her body thrown into the
well on the premises.
The RECORD says the Columbia
police have a murder mystery on
their hands. which is a match for
the Maud Allen murder mystery.
which has never been solved. In
both the Maud Allen and Griffin mur-
der cases the owner OF the premis-
es Is resident of Brookland. This
has no bearing on the case. but Is
merely a curious coincidence. The
following particulars of the crime
we clip from the Columbia Record:
Five men have been arrested in
connection with this mornings MUIR
der. three of them sons of the dead
woman; the fourth man said to
have been on friendly terms with the
dead woman up TO five months ago.
when he ceased boarding at the
house. and the fifth barber named
Luke Lewis, who was visitor to the
dead woman's oldest daughter by
former husband. Eula Thompson.
The three sons are Walter, Jim and
Russell Griffin. all cotton mill opera
tives. They were all found at the
house by the police. and said they
all slept in their mothers room, the
youngest, Russell. in the same bed
The oldest daughter occupied a room
to the front. There was still another
daughter in the house. about l 3 years
old. There are only three rooms and
Kitchen in the house The other
man in arrest is S. Wash Medlin. who
ceased boarding. at the house re-
Gently, but who turned np there
shortly after the arrival OF the police
at about $40 Friday morning.
All the arrests made were made at
was placed in arrest at his barber
shop in the McCreery building, oppo-
site the union station. He said he
was not at the house last night, and
| Eula Thompson says. though last
| night was his usual night to be there.
he had sent word that he could not
| come.
All the children. except daughter.
who lives in the country, were at
home. and they advanced the theory
OF suicide so strongly, in the face OF
the physical facts demonstrating
murder Enthusiastically. that Coroner
Walker became suspicious OF them
and made the arrests as indicated.
The woman's husband. David Wes-
ley Griffin. was well known resident
OF Richland county, and was fairly
| successful in business. He was MUIR
dered in quarrel with his partner
in the turpentine business, by a man
named Dennis, about FIVE years ago
In Georgia.
The oldest daughter says she dis
covered that her mother was missing
about o'clock. Being awakened al
this time and not hearing her mother
stirring in the kitchen, the daughter
left her room to go to her mother
10 arosue her. Not finding her there
! she made a fruitless search. The
youngest son then went To the union
station. few blocks away, and noti
| S1I hA
officer went to the house at once.
y horrible sight met the officers
gaze in that back kitchen in the fresi
crisp dawn of the new day. poo
of blood was on the floor of tn,
kitchen. a bloody razor. afterwarC
claimed as his by one of the sons
was on the kitchen table. and in th,
corner stood a bloody axe, part o
the blade being broken off and tn,
other half very bloody. and blood oil
the handle. There were blood
tracks about the kitchen. Their
were also some tracks leading bacl
. into the room where the sons slept
, but it is thought these were mad
by the youngest boy in going on
to search for his mother. Print
of the woman's fingers on the foo
as she struggled in her own bloc
were evident.
Finally the officers were attracte
10 the well by a few blood stains o
the side of the well-box The to
was down. the dry bucket on TN
two lids. Further investigation di:
closed the woman. whose body wa
iished up out of about fiftten fee
OF water. though it was not W
V stiff
:. The dead woman had a cash |
q the top of her head as If made /
I three licks from the blade of tt
axe. although the skull was not fra
II tured. The wounds on the thro;
5 revealed repeated hackings at il wit
q the razor. the assassin striking II
u cartilage of the Adams apple ar
forcing his way through this wit
fiendish energy. \ chip out of Il
Adams apple was found on IL
d kitchen floor bv Or l. 4 Crifif