The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-06-10
A MURDER NEAR DENMARK
MIR. j. A. NIX SHOT AND KILLED
BY ISADORE STEVENS.

BY ISADORE STEVENS.
Murder Was Unprovoked, MIR. Nix
Being Shot in the Back-Posses
After Negro.
On his way to Denmark, afoot,
Mr.. ]. A. Nix, a substantial and
highly respected farmer, of this
county, residing about mile and a
| half South of Denmark, was foully
and brutally murdered Saturday
morning last by Isadore Stevens,
alias Hartzog, alias Nimmons, mu-
latto negro farm hand. The murder
occurred at a tenant house on Mr..
Nix's farm, occupied by three negro
women, share croppers and the
murderer.
The story of one of the most afro
cious assassinations in the annals OF
crime in this State, as told to a
Herald representative by Mrs. J. A.
Nix, the widow of the murdered
man, who, with tears in her eyes
her whole body convulsed with sobs
of grief, surrounded by her children
making pitifully brave efforts to
comfort their stricken mother, was
pathetic in the extreme and is SUBJ
stantially as follows:
About seven o'clock Saturday
morning Mr.. Nix, having business to
transact in Denmark, preferring to
walk the short distance to town
rather than stop horse from work
in the field, left his home strong,
stalwart, and cheerful, little dream
ing that the pleasant goodbye
waved to- the wife and children
would be the last on this earth:
At the turn of the road and just
barely out of sight of his house
stands the four-room cabin which he
rented to the negroes together with
land enough to make nice crop.
These negroes had been furnished
with tools, provisions, stock and in
fact everything necessary to work
the land, and in fact, one of the wo-
men, afflicted with tuberculosis and
unable to work, had been provided
for by Mr.. Nix, and in the kindness
of his heart he had even furnished
medicine and medical attendance.
On the fatal morning, upon reach
ing the cabin he found the two able
bodied negro women idling about the
house at time when they should
have been in the field. Upon being
taken to task for neglecting their
work, it seems that one of the wo-
men, Julia Davis, cursed Mr. Nix,
calling him several vile names. He
very promptly slapped her down and
turned to 60. As he reached the
front door, as if by prearrangement,
the negro, Stevens, came up in the
rear of the cabin, entered by the
rear door, secured his pistol, and,
without word of warning, Mr.. Nix
being even unaware of his presence,
fired two shots at Mr.. Nix, both TAX
ing effect, one in the neck and one
in the back. Mr.. Nix fell from the
front porch of the cabin, down the
steps to the ground, where he ex-
pired almost Immediately without
ever regaining consciousness.
Another negro hand employed on
the place and working nearby, hear
ing the shots and seeing Mr.. Nix fall,
ran to inform Mrs. Nix that her hus-
band had been shot. Her first
thought was to dispatch a messenger
for the nearest doctor and then she
sped down the road to the side of
her dying husband, and pillowed
within her arms he breathed his last
within five short minutes Of the time
the first shot was fired.
Within an hours time the entire
community was aroused. Bamberg
was appealed to for bloodhounds,
and on foot and horseback an out
ragged and determined community
assembled to search for the brute
who had committed this damnable
deed.
At first, not knowing just exactly
what direction the murderer had
taken, small parties scattered in al
most every direction and upon the
arrival of the bloodhounds from
Bamberg these were placed on the
trail, but failed to carry it for any
distance. After several hours had
elapsed. word was sent to Denmark
that Stevens had been seen about six
miles from the Nix place, near Bax-
ter's estate, in the community where
he was reared. In the meantime
blcodhounds from Columbia arrived
on the midday train, having been
telegraphed for when the Bamberg
dogs failed to take the scent. Mes
sengers were sent to round up the
parties who were searching in other
directions and as soon as they could
be gotten together at the Baxter
place the Columbia dogs took the
trail and followed it to within two
miles of Barnwell, where, at negro
cabin, they stopped, seeming bafaed
in their efforts to carry it further.
The cabin was occupied by negro
woman, who at first upon being ac-
cused of harboring Stevens, finally
admitted that she had hitched up
horse and buggy and had carried him
several miles beyond Barnwell. This
was early Sunday morning.
With jaded horses and practically
worn out themselves from their all
night pursuit the members of the
searching party kept doggedly on,