The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-02-09
FOUR ARRESTS MADE
PROMINENT MEN IS CHARGED
WITH AssAssINATING REEVES.

WITH ASSASoAS EAl1NS AS41AI y 42O'
The Case Against the Accused Was
Worked Up by Secret Service Men
Employed by the State.
Four prominent white men of Dor
chester county were arrested on Fri
day charged with being implicated IN
the assassination of Presley Reeves
on the 2Sr of last September. The
assassination, which was cool, de-
iibcrate one, took place few miles
this side OF Reevesville late in the
afternoon of the day above mention
ed. Reeves, when shot, was driving
a wagon from a field to his home.
Tracks of the parties who shot him
were seen on the side of the road
near where the shooting took place.
More than one person was present.
The State says Governor Ansel,
with the cooperation Of Mr.. r. Lon
Weeks, of St. George, and Solicitor
p. T. Hilderband, Of Orangeburg,
has had secret service men at work
on the case for some time. Their
report was submitted last week and
thereon We're issued the warrants
which caused the arrest of those per-
sons Friday. The nature of the
evidence has not been made public,
but it is said to De very strong
against the accused men.
The names of the men arrested
are E. o. Arant, A. H. McAlhaney,
Thomas S. Fairey and L. E. Reeves,
the latter being distant relative
of the deceased. They were arrest
ed by, Sheriff Owens and special de-
puties from Columbia. who had been
sent to assist in case Of trouble. The
arrests were made upon warrants
sworn out by the father of the as
sassinated man, who bases his charg-
es upon information and BELIEF.
/. The sheriff and deputies and their
prisoners arrived, at st. George IN
the afternoon and the men in ar
rest were paiced in the county pail.
The town of st. George is said to
have been greatly stirred over the
arrests Friday, and public sentiment
is reported to be strongly in favor OF
finding and Furnishing the assassin
OF Presley ReeyeS-if the guilty
man can be found. E. 0. Arrant is
a man of SO years OF age, and is
said to have Hal stood we'll in his
community. The others are young
men of about 50 each. 1t is stated
that a warrant was to be served on
C, D. McAlhaney and that he coulo
not be found, but that he will be
arrested.
The States correspondent at st.
George says that there has been
kind of feud for a number of years
and that Reeves was not at all pop
.ular there. Furthermore, when he
received the appointment as game
waredn, it aggravated and intensified
the feeling against him, for there
has been on the Edisto river an ut
ter disregard of the laws regulating
the catching of fish and Reeves was
warned that his life would be put in
danger if he should make himself
active in the effort to enforce the
law.
A gentleman in Columbia who is
familiar with the details of the kill
ing yesterday gave The State the fo :
lowing summary of the case:
Some time ago six men were seen
walking across lands cultivated by
young Reeves. He gave them warn
ing net to do SO any more. How
ever. it was but few days later that
some OF the same persons stole his
watch from his coat. which was
hanging on persimmon tree, while
Reeves was in the field. A negro
saw the theft, it is said.
Reeves was greatly incensed and
had the men arrested. Just about
that time he got his appointment us
game warden from the State of South
Carolina and that served to increase
his unpopularity, for he was active
in the effort to enforce the law.
On the afternoon of the 23rd OF
September he had taken wagon
load of cotton pickers home and was
returning to his home. While some
distance from his home he was met
by en- assassin, who, from behinu
a tree, poured into his body death
dealing load of buckshot. So close
was the assassin to his victim, that
the wadding from the shells was
found in the wounds. 1t was furth-
er found that the wadding corre-
sponded with that in shells of an un-
usual kind bought at st. George by
two Of the men whom Reeves had
warned away from his place and
later had had arrested on the other
charge.
When he was shot by the assas-
sins, for there appears to have been
but one man who did the actual deed
Of stealth, Reeves fell back dead in
his wagon and the mules carried him
u,oc to And