The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-08
TELLS QUEER STORY
NEGRO CLAIMS HE SAW MEN IN
BOAT WITH BODY.

A BOAT WITH BODY.
a SENSATIONS Statement Was Made
In this Ca,y About the Death of
Young Shiler.
The mystery which surrounds the
death of Rob. c.. Shirer, the South
ern railway aggagemaster, who was
found dead n the Savannah river,
below the ra lway trestle at Augusta
Wednesday, morning, takes on ad-
ditional colol from a statement made
in this city ly negro who came TO
this city from Augusta on Thursday
the same cay Mr.. Shirer's body
reached here for interment. The ne
gro's statement revives the original
theory that the young man was mur-
dered and his body thrown into the
river, though the manner OF his
death varies widely from what was at
first suppose d..
The negre's story, If true, gives
startling clu,s in the clearing OF the
mystery whiih surrounds the manner
o. Shirer's teath. The negro stated
that he saw two men in a boat row.
ing down tie Savannah river Tues
day night W th the body Of a man in
the boat. ,'he men pulled up below
the trestle and dumped the body of a
man overboard. The police here have
been looking for the negro who
told the story, but could not find
him. No dorbt the negro fears that
he may be mixed up with the mat
ter and is >eping himself very close.
It is possible that this negro can
throw a great deal of light on the
subject. 1t Is not only possible, but
1t Is plausible that murder was COM
mitted. TIE fact that Shirer left all
valuables IN his bureau before he
went out r. ther indicates that he ex-
pected trc 1ble and however the
trouble car 70, it SENS to have termi-
mated muHh as the young man
thought. Mr. T Drayton Shirer, the
dead mani brother Is firm in the be-
lief that sr icide was not probable. 1t
IS not imp ,ssible that Shirer did go
towards tie Southern railway tres
tie. It is %ossible that he was going
ahere for5a. purpose. The banks OF
the river nay have been the scene
of a violer alteration which result
ed in the Hrewsome find Of Wednes-
day morning.
The Auprusta Herald says for sew
eral days after Shirer's death diff
Guilty was experienced in locating the
mans movements after he left his
friends in their rooms, at 80 Wash
ington street. After diligent search
Chief Elli't brought to light the fact
that a friend had seen Shirer on the
corner of Hills street and washington
walking rnpidly toward broad street
befoe day reak Tuesday morning. He
called to shirer, but no response to
his calls. After watching him walk
out Wash ngton as far as Reynolds,
the friend walked on. The concluson
was that Shirer had walked out on
the bridg,o and lost his footing.
If the story of the negro Is to be
believed {. stranger mystery than was
first thou sht of, surrounds the death
Of the ba ygagemaster. c. V. kiisel
and J. n Cunningham are mystified
at the ent ire lack of details surround
ing the whereabouts of Shirer all day
Tuesday. Shirer saw his two room
mates at 1920 Tuesday morning and
for some time they were the only two
persons who could be found who saw
him from that time until Wednesday
morning when he was found floating
face dow.lward;intthe water.
There S just5one detail Of Shirer's
appearan ,e, when he was found that
lends still more weight to the muir
der tfeo.y. A drowning man invar-
dably floa.ts face downward, his arms
swinging downward. If Shirer had
fallen from the bridge It seems only
reasonable that his arms dould have
been ext anded or even swinging, but
for the .act that the water was not
suf1cieniy deep to permit of it. The
arms, however, were folded beneath
him, almost as carefully as If his
body ha been prepared for burial.
That wo lid have seemed as If he had
been de ad some time before being
placed in the water. The fact that
there WIS no water in his lungs adds
more wight to it
If thu local police are successful
in locat ng the negro who claims to
have seen the boatmen and their
load, he may be the means of unra7-
cling what seems to be one of the
foulest murders ever committed in
August. He will be diligently
sought, and then found will be taken
to Augusta. It may be the story Of
an irresponsible negro, but on the
other and it may not be. The ne
gro's appearance may have been
caused through fear of being impli-
Gated il the case.