The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-12
THE PINSON CASE.
T~ial Started Yesterday at Laurens--
Killing of Young Boyce by His
Friend Pinson.
Special to The Herald and News.

LaurenS, MafcH ll.-COCuiau ILL.,
son was placed on trial here today
charged with murder in the killing Of
ThornweIl J. Boyce, while the two
were in buggy with Miss Mary
Brown, returning to Cross Hill from
a party at Mrs. E. L. Leavell's home,
in Newbery county on the night Of
November of last year. Both were
young men Of prominent families,
and had been close personal friends:
and the tragedy was great shock to
the people of this county. The case
has created great interest not only IN
Laurens county, but throughout South
Carolina, and the court house was
packed when the trial was entered In
to this morning.
The principal witness for the State
was Miss Mary Evelyn Brown, daugh-
ter of Mr.. R. W. Brown. She had
gone to the party at Mrs. Leavell's
with Mr.. Pitts and Miss Dobbins, and
started home with Pinson and Boyce,
Boyce sitting in Pinson's lap and
driving. When they were about
mile up the road, said Miss Brown,
she detected that Pinson had been
drinking, and she asked Boyee to let
her out of the buggy on account OF
Pinson's Language, but Boyce told
her he thought Pinson would be all
right directly. During their ride home
she said, Pinson pulled his, pistol out
Of his pocket and said he was going
to "shoot like hell,' and she and
Boyce both asked him not to shoot,
to which he replied that he dldn t
usually give a -. She said he did
not finish the sentence. Pinson, she
said, then fired tiwee to the right,
and she then indicated how he held
his pistol when he fired the third
time. Boyce fell out of the buggy
shot in the back Of the head, the bul-
let entering about an inch behind and
about two and one-half inches above
the external ear on the right side,
ranging upward and slightly forward,
and coming out about an inch and a
half above the entrance. Mlsss
Brown after the shooting jumped out
of the buggy and ran to the home OF
Mr.. Jim Hill, where she said Plnson
later called her out and told her, ~
didn' shoot Thornwell; he shot him
SELF" She testified that her reply
was, eyes, Cobhran, you did, Miss
Brown testified that one other shot
was fired after Boyce was shot and
after she jumped out Of the buggy
Miss Brown said that so far as she
could discern Boyce appeared to be
perfectly sober.
The State also offered testimony
for the purpose Of showing that Pm
son had been jealous Of Boyee at the
party that night, the theory being
that this jealousy was inflamed BY
whiskey. Even if there was no ma
lice however, the attorneys for tne
State contended that Pinson being en-
Gagged in the unlawful act-shootlng
in the public highway-he was at
least o1ilty of manslaughter.
The defendant said he and Boyce
had gone to the party together, being
the best of friends, and on the road
home, with Miss Brown in the buggy
with them, Boyce pinched him and
WHISPERED to him to shoot; that ne
pulled out his pistol and started to
shoot, whereupon Miss Brown and
Boyce both told him not to shoot, but
that Boyce pinched him again TO
shoot and he shot twice; that after
shooting twice his pistol hung and ne
then shot the third time; that his plS-
tol hung again, and he was pulling
hack the hammer and trying to re-
volve the cylinder when the buggy
wheel dropped into a rut or ran over
something, accidentally dischargins
the pistol. He said he did. not shoot
after Bovce was shot. He said that
he and Boyce had taken three drink
each that night.
Considerable other testimony was
offered by both 7ides to support the
respective contentious.
The case will be given to the jury
some time this afternoon.
SVt1IN T. u Anil