The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-04-13
THEY GO FREE
REEVES AND McALHANEY ARE
ACQUITTED OF CHARGE
OF Numbering Pressely Reeves, Who
Was Assassinated in September of
Last Year.

Last Year.
Merriam Reeves and Arnold Nc
Alhaney, who were tried at st.
George for numbering Presley
Reeves, the game warden Of Dor
chester county, were acquitted OF
the crime on Friday night. The
trial was begun Thursday morning
and ended by acquittal as above
stated at half-past eight o'clock Fri
day night. To the surprise of every
one the defense put up no witness
es, and so all the testimony was in
Friday morning, and the argument
in the case began.
The young wife of the slain man
was in Court Friday morning. She
was attired in deep mourning, and
held in her arms several-months-
old baby, whose father was assassl-
mated before its birth. The young
woman occupied seat within the
bar, just to the rear of the prose-
cutting attorney.
Wesley Connelley, who was fore
man of the acting coroner's jury,
was the first witness called for the
State on Friday morning. He testl-
fed to having traced tracks of
peculiar nature to within few
hundred yards of Arnold McAlhany's
house; that the tracks were made by
a "pigeon-toed" person.
]. A. Blume, the next witness cal
led to the stand, said that Mr.. Mer-
rick Reeves, the father of the young
game warden, came to his house
shortly after the homicide and asked
him to go to Branchville and tele-
graph for bloodhounds. He did not
go to Branchville, but instead went
to Mr.. Reeves home He did not
look for tracks utnil Thursday after
the killing, which occurred on Tues
day, but he tracked them to within
500 yards of Arnold McAlhany's
house; that they would correspond
with about a No. 9 shoe and were
''pigeon-toed." He said that the
tracks were very plain on the ditch
bank, where the assassin is supposed
to have stood.
Eugene Connelley said! that he
had known Presley Reeves and the
defendants ever since he could re-
member; that they were not on
friendly terms for three years, but
that he had never heard either OF
the defendants make any threats
against the life of young Reeves.
He witnessed a fuss between the de-
fendant Reeves and Presley Reeves
at BranchVille about June, 1908,
in which each cursed the other. This
amounted to only word duel, how
ever, and NO blows we're passed.
Marx Reeves, brother of the !
deceased, testified that his brother
and the defendants were Mt on
friendly terms, and described the
same fuss that The preceding wit
ness told about. He said that the
i'll feeling had it's origin when Mer-
rian Reeves, one Of the defendants,
allowed mule suffering with gland
ers to run at large, and to enter
the field of Presley Reeves. He also
told of a difficulty which the dead
man and Merriman Reeves had in
the Magistrates Court at Reeves
vile, in which Merriam Reeves called
the deceased a coward.
Isaac Simmons also told of the
bad feeling which existed between
Presley Reeves and the defendants.
He said that he went to Merriam
Reeves in order to ct him to make
up the trouble about the glandered
mule; that Merriam Reeves stated
that he did not want the friend
ship of Presley Reeves, and that he
had pistol with which he proposed
to kill both young Reeves and his
father. On cross-eXamination, this
witness stated that he and the de-
fendant Reeves were not on friend
ly terms.
Frank Folk told of difficulty be-
tween Arnold McAlhany and Presley
Reeves, which occurred at Branch
vile two weeks prior to the homi-
eide. He said that Reeves told Nc
Albany that the trouble had to stop;
that he was willing to fight him
fairly and would meet him at any
place that he would designate Nc
Albany replied that he would be at
his home any time and would meet
him there.
A. G. w. Hill also described a diff
ficulty between Merriam and Presley
Reeves at Branchville He tried to
get them to keep the peace. He
heard Presley Reeves say keep
on fishing and you'll get bite"
Merriam Reeves made some reply,
which he could not understand.
Zack Henderson, alias Peter Lem
mon. who was in Merriam Reeves
employ at the time of the assassina-
tion, proved to be star witness for
the defence He said that he quit
picking cotton about dark on the
evening of the killing. He assisted
Mr.. Reeves in taking the cotton
home, which Reeves weighed after
they got there. He fed the stock,
or II 81 'f,