The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-23
Coy, another negro.

corener's inquest, it appears that this
IL one of the most atrocious murders
which has occurred in Sumter coun-
ty in a number of years.
The evidence, as brought out at the
inquest. is that Saturday night a num-
ber Of negroes Of the neighborhood
among whom were Tommie Hene-
CHAN. his wife and Georgiana Mccoy.
the wife of Allen Mccoy. went to the
lodge and stayed there until near IL
O'Clock. AT that time they returned
home. going by Henneghan's house
where he left his wife and started to
go on home with Georgiana Mccoy,
who lived some distance further on
and said she was scared to go by her
self. Heneghan went with her part
of the way. as shown by his tracks,
which could be seen in the ground
after the rain. and then started back
home. On the way he was assaulted
and hit in the head with some blunt
instrument, which fractured his skull,
death following from the blow. The
body was then dragged for about
half mile to sawdust pile where
II was buried and found Sunday
morning by the searchers who were
out looking for him.
The testimony as taken before
Coroner Flowers. who was called to
the scene Of the crime Sunday morn
ing and who was there most Of the day
taking evidence and holding the III
quest. was as follows:
DR.. w. f. Mills. being sworn. stat
ed that he had examined the body
and that death was due to a blow on
the back Of the head which had frac-
tured the skull.
Andrew Mccoy stated that he had
a son named Allen Mccoy. He said
that Allen had not been at home Sat-
urday night and had come in Sunday
morning about o'clock.
Georgiana Mccoy stated that she
had been to the lodge where she had
stayed until after IL o'clock. She
had come along home with others
end that Tommy Heneghan had come
part Of the way home with her after
they had loft the others.
John Wall testified that Tommy's
wife had sent word to him that her
husband had been murdered and for
him to come up there. He had gone
up to the house and joined In the
search for the body. After looking
over the ground where a scufIie had
taken place. he had found Tom
my Heneghan's watch beside the road
| and saw where the body had been
dragged over a log. After looking
In the woods for the body they had
gone on up the road to a sawdust
pile where they had seen traces Of
fresh sawdust and upon examination
they had uncovered the body in the
sawdust pile.
Lizzie Heneghan, wife Of Tommy
Heneghan. testified that she had come
| from the lodge with others and that
she had suggested that her husband
go on part of the way with Georgiana.
as II was dark and Georgiana said
she was scared to go by herself.
Tommy had gone on with Georgiana
and this was the last time she had
seen him alive.
Bennie James swore that Allen Nc
Coy had come home from town with
him and had gotten out of his buggy
| at Sam Durham's place. where ne
had told him good night. This YVES
| about the time OF the shower.
Abraham Mack had helped search
for the body and had been with those
| who had found and uncovered it. He
had seen the blood where the scufflc
had taken place and the watch lying
| by the roadside.
Frank China stated that he had
| started home with Georgiana Mccoy
| and Tommy Heneghan and Tommy 5
wife. Lizzie. He said that Tommy had
asked him to go on home with Geor-
giana Mccoy. but that he had re-
fused, stating that he was afraid of
| Georgiana's husband.
IL was upon this evidence that the
jury brought i'm verdict that Tom
my Iieneghan had come to his death
| by a blow delivered by Allen Mccoy
and that Georgiana Mccoy was an ac-
cessory to the act.
Upon this finding by the jury, Cor
oner Flowers swore out warrants for
Allen Mccoy and Georgiana Mccoy
and they were arrested by the deputy
and brought to Jail where they were
lodged, for trial at the next term Of