Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-06
AN JaLY MURDER CASE.
Coroner's Jury Holds yandiyer Boys
Responsible for Tragedy.

colored preacher, of the Westmin-
ster neighborhood, discovered an OBJ
5ect lying near tree not far dis
tant from the public road on which
he was driving, and upon esemina-
tfon the object was found to be the
dead body of Mann Phillips, who was
well known here. and at Westmin-
ster, having been employed as liv-
cry driver in both towns at various
times. AT the time OF the tragedy,
which occurred some time between
Thursday evening and Friday morn
ing, he was engaged as driver for
Cleo and Dewitt, Vandiver, two
bung men who were returning from
a dance at Westminster with Essie
and Blanche Pool. One of the Van
diver boys had taken the girls to the
dance In buggy, but both were re-
turning with them, with Phillips as
driver.
At the icoroner's hearing Tuesday
Cleo Vandiver stated that he and
Mann Phillips had dispute as to
the charges for the team, and that
he (Cleo) knocked Phillips from the
vehicle, then jumped out and stabbed
him with knife. Dewitt Vandiver
carries knife wound ON one hand.
which he states was made by his bro
ther when he (DeWitt) attempted to
prevent Cleo stabbing Phillips.
. Essie and Blanche Pool were ar
rested in Greenville and brought to
Walhalla Tuesday and were sum-
moned before the Coroner to give
their versions of what transpired. At
the close of the hearing the jury
returned a verdict to the effect that
Mann Phillips came to his death
from knife wound in the heart, in
fiicted at the hands Of Cleo Vandi-
yer, and named Dewitt Vandiver as
accessory. Mrs. s. M. Pool, Essie
and Blanche Pool were bound in the
sum of Ave hundred dollars each to
appear at the next term Of Criminal
Court for Oconee as material wit
nesses.
This case has attracted no little at
tention. Tuesday morning the Court
House was packed to it's utmost ca
pacity by people anxious to learn the
details Of the horrible affair, which
is deeply regretted on all sides Both
the Vandiver and Phillips families
reside in Westminster, and are good,
substantial and prominent families,
with wide connections.
Much Of detail In the case remains
to be brought out at the hearing in
the General Sessions Court. The
statements of Mrs. Pool and her two
girls differed materially in some par
ticulars.
Young Phillips's body was found
Sunday afternoon some twenty feet
from the trunk Of a persimmon tree,
the body lying face down, the main
weight resting on one side Of the face,
~ h hands drawn in such position as
indicate an attempt, in falling, to
Vain the weight Of the fall on the
Hads. One foot was slightly drawn
~ though it had been moved for
Yard in the act of taking a step as
He fell. The place where he fell is
@ome 400 yards from the Pool house
SThere were two sets Of footprints
Heading to the body, as though two
people had gone with Phillips to
where he fell, but it Is said these
two sets diverge in leaving the place,
one going one direction and one ano-
ther. One footprint gave the ap-
pearance of being that Of woman,
but this Is not definite. Essie Pool,
in her statement, said she went to
the tree Saturday to get persimmons,
but did not see Phillips's body,which
was only some twenty feet distant.
When found, the body was badly
discolored, and it had lain there for
some three days. That part Of the
face lying against the ground was
natural in color and disclosed Phil
lips's features SO distinctly that there
was immediate recognition.
d Cleo Vandiver stated to parties in
WESTMINSTER that he and Phillips
had had a fuss and that he (Cleo)
had cut Phillips, but nothing was
said Of the fatal result Phillips, it
is said, frequently absented himself
from the stables for several days at
a time without notice, and nothing
unusual was suspected when the
Vandiver boys brought the team to
the stables without the driver.
The tragedy is one OF the most
shocking in the history Of the coun-