Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-18
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1s, 1910.

tell lust how long the body had been
there but il is reported that an lndlan
named Crooked Snake, together with
two others of his race were killed ana
buried at this identical spot something
like sixty five years ago. 1t is gener-
ally believed that this is the skeleton
of Crooked Snake although 1t is hard
TO account for his two companions as
no trace of them was found. The hole
in the side Of the ditch dug by the ma
chine is about four feet below the street
level, thus showing that the skeleton
had laid there for long time.
At a meeting of the Aiken city
council last Tuesday night, resolu~
ton was passed, requesting the sollcl-
tor to mol pros the cases pending in the
circuit court against B. Bates and {.
Cochran, who are charged with per-
Jury, in connection with case in the
Aiken police court some months ago
The reasons assigned by councll lot
making this request of Solicitor
Byrnes was that the defendants in the
action had asked it Of council; that
the two most important witnesses, +.
P. Arthur and W. B. Hudgens, had re-
fused to testify against Bates ana
Cochran on the ground that 1t might
tend to incriminate themselves; that
some Oh Ile UlOSl IehAt
are out of the state; and out OF SYM
pathy for the families Of the defend
ants. council believing that the object
of the charge against them has been
accomplished. This probably ends one
of the most interesting cases ever
known in Aiken. Messrs. Bates ana
Cochran were witnesses in police court
in the trial of Arthur and Hudsens,
who were charged with fighting. Bates
and Cochran were alleged to have seen
the fight, but they are said to have tes-
titled that the men were in no way as
orderly. and on their testimony Hud-
gems and Arthur were dismissed. In
turn Arthur and Hudgens declined to
testify in the perjury proceedings
against the men whose testimony clear
ed them, taking advantage of the con-
stitutional right not to incriminate
themselves All of the men concerned
are we'll known citizens.
Picture the suicide Of woman
with grown up daughters, her death
the result OF suicide compact with
her own husband, and that husoano
charged with murder in the courts OF
South Carolina. This is the strange
story the state is placing before the
Jury in the case of Sam r. Kirkland
who is on trial for his life at Camden.
NJ
together story Of happenings that
never were as this actual series OF in
cidents that are now being related by
sworn witnesses. Linked with the ac-
tual suicide of Mrs. Isabelle Kirkland,
who died on the morning OF March
25. 1910, Is the charge brought by the
state that she was mfstreated py ner
husband, Sam Kirkland. and that the
two entered into the suicidal compact,
the husband Withdrawing therefrom'
and the wife alone carrying out the
alleged gruesome contract. Naught
of what the wife said as she ran from
her home with body aflame from hre
that was set with the aid of kerosene.
has been brought out thus far. Not
even a declaration just before she died
has been admitted. for the reason that
II has not been proven that she knew
she was dying So that the question
of whether or not there was sui
cidal compact is one about which Wit
nesses have testified. Although the
defense has not yet developed its side
of the case enough foundation mas
been laid to see the course that Will De
pursued. Already 1t has been shown
by several witnesses that the nome
life of Mr.. and Mrs. Kirkland was all
that could be desired One OF the
daughters testified that her father was
good to them all and that even when
he came home intoxicated he wished
for mother and all the children
about him." In this daughter too
may center the turning point of the
whole case for the defense. Judging
from the cross examination or the
defendants attorneys, the defense
will show that the death of Mrs.
Kirkland was Of her own volition
caused by grief at some trouble In
her home not concerning the relations
between her husband and herself. AL
though this testimony was ruled out
for the jury. Mrs. Kirkland on her
deathbed cried out IT want to die. l
am in trouble" "The whole trend or
the defense Is toward the bringing out
Of the fact that Mr.. and Mrs. Kirkland
rived q life OF domestic happiness.