The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-10
KILLED GAME WARDEN.
MEN ARRESTED BY
SHERIFF. OWENS OF DOR
CHESTER.
Held I'm Jail at St. George on War;
rants Accusing Them of Assassina-
ti0n OF Game Warden.

Columbia, Feb. 6.-News was re-
ceived here yesterday to the effect
that four white men of prominence
In Dorchester county had been arrest
ed yesterday on the charge of being
implicated In the assassination of
PRESLEY Reeves on the 2srd of last
September.
Gov. Ansel. with the cooperation of
Mr.. r. Lon Weeks Of st. George and
Solicitor p. T. Hildebrand, has had
secret service men at work on the case
for some time. Their report was sub
mitted last week and thereon were is
sued the warrants which caused the
arrest of these persons yesterday. The
nature of the evidence could not be
learned last night. but 1t appears that
II II quite strong.
The phone message stated that the
men under arrest are E. o. Arrant,
A. H. McAlhaney. Thomas s. Faircy
and L. r. Reeves. the latter being a
distant relative of the deceased. They
were arrested by sheriff Owens and
special deputies from Columbia, who
had been sent down to assist in case
Of trouble. The arrests were made
upon warrants sworn out by the faith
er Of the assassinated young man.
Ivxrk n ~ nh s,~<~
alton and belief"
The sheriff and deputies and their
prisoners arrived In st. George in the
afternoon and the men In arrest were
placed In the county jail. They will
insist upon having a preliminary at
once. but 1t IL doubtful II they can
get Il before Monday. 1t is stated that
they have employed as counsel Mr.. j.
A. Heirs Of st. George.
The killing occurred 10 miles north
west Of st. George in the Cattle Creek
section. The town Of St. George is
said to have been greatly stirred over
she arrests yesterday. and public SEN
timent II reported to be strongly In
favor of finding and Furnishing the as
sassin of Pressley Reeves-if the
guilty man can be found.
r. o. Arrant IL q man So years Of
age. and In said to have had stood
well In his community. The others
are young men OF about 80 or IS each.
| It is stated that q warrant was to be
served on G.. ID. McAlhaney and that
he could not be found. but that he
will be apprehended Saturday.
The States correspondent at St.
George says that there has been a
kind OF feud In the Cattle Creek
neighborhood for a number of years
and that Reeves was not at all pop
ular there. Furthermore. when he
received the appointment as game
warden. II aggravated and intensified
the feeling against him. for there has
been on the Edisto river an utter dis
regard Of the laws regulating the
catching OF nsh and Reeves was warm
ed that his life would be put in dang
er II he should make himself active In
the effort to enforce the law. .e
A gentleman in Columbia who is
familiar with the details Of the killing
yesterday gave The State the follow
Ing summary Of the case:
Some time ago six men were seen
walking across lands cultivated by
young Reeves. He gave them warn
Ing not to do so any more. However,
II was but a few days later that some
OF the same persons stole his watch
from his coat, which was hanging on a
persimmon tree. while Reeves was In
the field. A negro saw the theft, 1t is
said.
Reeves was greatly incensed and
had the men arrested. Just about
that time he got his appointment as
game warden from the State of South
Carolina and that served to increase
his unpopularity. for ne 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 re-
turn ing to his home. While some dis
tanee f-om his home he was met by
an assassin, who. from behind a tree,
poured into his body a death dealing
load OF buck-shot. So close was the
assassin to his victim that the wad-
ding from the shells was found in the
wounds. 1t was further found that
the wadding corresponded with that
In shells OF an unusual kind bought
at st. George by two of the men