Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-11
Miseellaaeuu5 Rradins.
FROM BEHIND PRISON WALLS.
Bob Jones, from EdsefieId, Will Soon
Be Free Auain.

/
| That's what they will tell you out al
the state penitentiary if you inquire
who is that gray haired man who
marches in the gang Of cOnvicts APP
parently contented with his lot
+, Twenty years spent behind prison
walls! That Is the history of the best
years of Bob JOnes's life. Leaving his
farm in Edgefield county a score OF
years ago he kissed his wife and five
| little ones and came here to serve out
mis- sentence. Now that wife has pass
| ed away, and Jones has not even all
his children to spend his last days
| with.
| Once Bob Jones moved with erect
STEP once he dared to fight many men,
but now his step Is slower, he has pass
ed the youthful period, and of the fifty
| years of his career the last twenty
have been fraught with much sorrow
So bowed down in spirit. Bob Jones
at tine expiration of his term this year
| will pass out of the prison gates
| ne Jones and HreSSIeyS,
In Edgefield county there are many
who know the story Of old Bob Jones's
| strange fight twenty-five years ago
| When Bob Jones goes back there the
| old fellows will sit around the fire al
| nights and talk over that triple kill
| ing. Back In 1884 U. R. Brooks, now
the veteran clerk of the supreme court
was state land agent. Before that time
Jones and the Pressleys, two Edge
| field families connected by marriage
| bought a tract of land known as the
| Jennings tract" on Hog creek, in
Edgefield county. Bob Jones had mar
ried a granddaughter Of old Mr.. Press
| ley, and he was one of those that made
| the purchase. The rule of the sinking
| fund commission was that where a
piece Of land was bought, one fourth
| Of the amount should be paid in cash
and the remaining three-fourths in an
nual equal installments. Bob Jones
| paid the first instalment on about zoe
acres of land valued at $40O or there
| about Land was cheap in those days
| and the amount paid on the first in
stalment was a mere matter of $50.
The purchasers kept the land for
| several years, and in 1884, Col. Brook:
went to Edgefield county to see the
Jones and Presseys and demand an
other payment on the land. 1t was
| agreed by the purchasers that they
would rather rent the land. Col Brooks
| sent word to Bob Jones to meet him al
| Edgefield court house. Bob Jones and
| Charles PRESLEY met Col. Brooks al
| Edgefield the next day and the place
was rented from Col Brooks, land
| agent: Charles Presley witnessed the
paper The Pressleys and Bob Jones
who, as stated, was connected with
them by marriage, divided the land
Jones taking one-fourth.
A Triple Killing.
One morning in November, 1885, the
| Pressleys were out in the field. Charles
and Ed PRESLEY were ploughing, and
| the old man was sowing the oats
| There had been trouble beforehand, be-
| cause Jones didn't want them to plant
oats on all the land. So that day when
he walked into the field and saw the
| younger Pressleys ploughing, and the
older Presley sowing, he went straight
I'D to Charles PRESLEY and fired upon
him with a gun, killing him. Then he
ran. Like the historic occasion when
the Roman youth killed three adverse
| ries. there was method in JOEeSs
| running. Ed Presley pursued Jones
the former being unarmed. After tney
had run some distance down the field
Bob Jones stopped. Ed PRESLEY ad-
vanced, and drawing his knife, Jones
cut out the end of Ed Pressley's heart
killing him instantly. Ed was the
youngest of the PRESLEY boys.
| Jones then reloaded his gun and
walked over to where old man Presley
was. Suffering from palsy, man OF
IS years, the elder PRESLEY was help
less before the then young Bob Jones.
Killed His Grandfather,
| Well grandpa, l believe I'll kill you,
too" were the words that Jones greet
ed his old grandfather with when he
| stepped up, still bloody from two kill
| ings. With these words on his lips
| Bob Jones fired, the load taking effect
| in Mr. Pressley's stomach, another VIC
tim being added to the days terrible
work Of vengeance.
| Not content with killing these three
kinsmen, Bob Jones, so the story goes
looked for young John Presley, but
fortunately the boy was working In an
other part of the field, and he was spar
ed. Jones could not find John Presley
The Surrender.
Bob Jones went directly from the
| field to Edgefield court house and gave
himself up to the officers. Il have kill
| ed three of the best men in the coun-
ty." he said to the sheriff. Then he
began To cry.
| Jones was put In Jail at EdSefield
In that same jail were seventeen men
who were charged with the lynching OF
| Towles Culbreath. These men, who
subsequently were tried and freed, ar
gued with Jones and told him he did
right.
| Conviction Was Hard.
Tried at various times between the
gears 1855 and 1891, Jones. up To the
last trial, succeeded in escaping with
miStrials. No conviction could be Sc
cured in Edgefrld, the jurieS would not
agree. and Il change of venue was had
| In 1891. before Judge Fraser. Bon
| Jones was convicted of manslaught"r
and sentenced To serve twenty years
Col. p. H. Nielsen. of this city. was So
licitur at the time. The trial was at
| Lexington court house. Jones had a
brilliant array of counsel. He was de-
| Tended by w. II. Gary. brother of Gen.
Mart Gary, and by Gary & Evans the
former member of this firm being Ern-
| nSt TbpSa men were considered