Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-12-01
THE KILLING OF BART BEAsLEy
Three Other Members OF Smith Fam
lily Held for Criminal Court.

Magistrate A. p. Crisp last Monday,
| Kirby Smith, Miles Smith and Mrs
! Ellie Beasley, tthe wife OF the de-
ceased Barlow BeasleyD were in
| dicted along with their father, Har-
vey Smith, to answer to the charge
of murder at the March term of the
Criminal Court. Harvey Smith was
charged by the Coroner's jury with
the killing of Bart Beasley his SON
| in-law, near Knox's Bridge, in Oco-
nee county, only a short distance on
this side Of the Tugaloo river, which
| Is the State line between South Car
oltna and Georgia. The killing took
place early on the morning Of Satur-
day, November Goth, at the home of
| Harvey Smith. The three new de-
PENDANTS In the case testified before
the Coroner's hearing, and were later
brought into the case, their arrest
following. and on Monday they were
| arraigned before Magistrate Crisp
for preliminary hearing.
The following is the substance of
the testimony taken Monday. though
we make no claim to the giving of a
verbatim report Of the proceedings
or the evidence. Stenographer NJ.
G.. Long took the evidence for the
Court. The first witness sworn was
Mrs. Tilly Earwood: Me and my
brother went to the Smiths house.
Mr.. and Mrs. Beasley were looking
in trunk. Beasley asked his wife
where the cartridges were and she
told him she did not know anything
about them. She said, "You amt
nothing but n -------------," and
he said, "Don't you throw that in
my face" Witness testified that she
(Mrs. Earwood) was then holding the
Beasley baby in her arms. Mrs.
Beasley hit -Beasley twice and he
threw up his hands and said. "My
poor little sweet baby" Harvey
Smith came in and started to get his
gun. Mrs. Smith (his wife) said,
'Dont kill him. and Mr. Smith said
"The gun amt here" Miles and Kir-
by Smith and Mrs. Beasley were
scuflling with Beaslcy. Efe (Mrs.
Beasley) was fighting him with a
fire shovel. Beasley said, "Eme.
to the hall. They kept beating on
Beaslcy and old man Smith got the
gun. lie shot Mr.. Beasley. | saw
the flash Of the gun AS Mr.. Beasley
fell he said, "Oh, Lord, my poor chill
dren." After he fell Enie kicked
him three times. Mr.. Smith walked
around and said, 81 shot him."
never saw anything in Mr.. Beasley's
hand. went to him after he fell |
Iid not see any pistol by his body.
went home, and after | got back |
saw the pistol. | went to Mr.. Smiths
to get breakfast. My brother got
scared when the killing took place
and | took him home. He Is still in
bed from the effects of his scare |
helped around at the Smiths when
they had company.
On croSS-eXamination: | moved to
Oconec from Georgia. Yes, was
there at the time OF the inquest, but
went home and didn't go where the
inquest was held. One OF MIR. Beas-
ley'S b. others and two other men
came 10 my house Sunday night and
asked me about what | knew. When
| went to the Smith house Beasley
and his wife were looking in the
trunk for cart "idges. He did not
seem to be mad and he wasn't drunk.
Mrs. Beasley was mad. She said.
"GOu are -----------." Didn't
see him strike her. Don't know how
she got that scar on her face. She
hit him several times on the back
and head with a shovel. didn't
hear Beasley threaten to kill any
body Heard him say, "Enie, don't
kill me-" did not hear Beasley say
what he wanted with the cartridges
She hit him twice with her hand; |
couldn't say if he hit her or not
They was all Of them on Bart Beas-
ley. was holding the baby. The
old man shot him in the hall Miles
vi i,,I> E,,
their hands. Efiie hit him with the
shovel. did not hear any Of the
Smith boys or the old man say
word. After Beasley was shot Efie
went to him and kicked him on the
leg and said. Hes dead" Beasley's
shirt was torn and thrown on the
floor Don't know just how the shirt
was torn. The pieces were thrown
on the floor and later into the fire.
Robert Smith: The witness stated
that he knew Beaslcy in his lifetime.
He saw Mack Crawford and Mrs.
Beasley in a buggy on Saturday be-
fore the killing. Later Beasley had
asked me, Bob, did you see Mr..
Crawford and Mrs. Beaslcy togeth-
er?' | told him | did, and he asked
me if | would face Mrs. Beasley with
the statement. When Crawford and
Mrs. BcaSley were together she had
asked me If had seen Mr.. Bcasley
BeaSley had a pistol. but it was not
lOadrd. Yes, | saw that it was not
loaded.
On crOSS-cXaminatiOn: Crawford
and Mrs. Bcaslcy were in a buggy,
driving toward Lavonia. Ii was in
the noighborhood OF noo". Beasley
seemed TO be Jealous of his wife and
Crawford. saw Crawford and
Mrs. Bcaslcy Saturday before the
Killing, and il was Friday be