Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-03
THE WHITEvILLE TRAGEDY.
Trial of Mrs. Rosa Hayes to Be Taken
Up Next Week.

Trial OF Mrs. Rosa Hayes to be aken
Up Next Week.
Having been formerly arraigned
Monday afternoon, says a Whiteville,
N. c., special to the Charlotte OBJ
server, Mrs. Rosa Hayes, the little wo-
man not yet out Of her teens, who is
charged with numbering Robert
Floyd, young South Carolina medi-
cal student, her husband, Neill Hayes,
and his brother, Lloyd Hayes, indicted
as accessories after the fact, were
brought into court this morning and
the time for beginning the trial def
nitely set for next Monday. A special
venire of 200 names was drawn, this
being the number suggested by the at
torneys for the defendants, although
the states counsel were of the opinion
that 100 hundred would be sufficient.
Since the tragedy occurred on the
evening Of February 4. it has been the
ll-absorbing topic Of conversation
throughout this section of the state
and also a considerable portion of
South Carolina.
A profound mystery shrouds the
occurrence and rumorS of all kinds
are to be heard Not one word has
been spoken by any of the attorneys
for the prosecution to show what the
ory the state will proceed upon. 1t is
doubtful If as important a case has
ever been tried in this county with as
little known about what evidence will
be produced, and this naturally arous-
es rather than lessons interest.
There are several trips that will
play an important part in the trial.
One was a visit to Southport last Au-
gust, Mrs. Hayes and Floyd having
gone to the little seaport town on
Sunday and left the next day. This is
not generally known, the facts in re-
gard to the trip being told to your cor
respondent today by a gentleman who
Is here as a witness in the case. He
accompanied Mrs. Hayes and Floyd
to Southport on the boat from Will
mington and met Mrs. Hayes for the
first time while on the boat. He also
was at the same boarding house at
Southport. The gentleman said that he
saw no act, however, on the part of
either that could be criticised. 1t is
said that there was also trip some
what similar to this to Myrtle beach.
Floyd, 1t Is said, was to be married
next July to a we'll known young lady
of Charleston, and one theory is that
Mrs. Hayes learned Of this and was
led to commit the crime through jeal-
ousy. 1t is thought more than prob
able, however, that the state will en-
deavor to show that relations existed
between Floyd and Mrs. Hayes, and,
,,-ha ho,, Nd nf ha do
termined that Floyd should be killed,
and forced his wife to commit the
crime, being of the opinion that his
wife's plea of shooting Floyd to pro-
tect her honor would never be ques-
toned.
At the preliminary trial no concern
was shown by any of the defendants,
but Hayes and his wife were rather
nervous yesterday when arraigned, al
though 1t was only observed by those
who watched them closely. The feat
ures of neither changed, but Mrs.
Hayes was noticed to clench her hands
and Hayes was rubbing his hands in
a nervous manner.
Lloyd Hayes, who is about Is years
Of age and very tough-looking prop
osition, paid but little attention to
what was transpiring and the express
have a care in the world. Some claim
that he was really the one who fired
the fatal shots, but it is said that the
defense "sn show he was some dis
tance from the house when the shoot
ing occurred.
While Mrs. Hayes has steelgray
eyes that show she has plenty Of nerve
and determination, one would never
believe her capable Of firing seven bull
lets into a man and then going after
another pistol and firing two more bull
let's into his PROSTATE form. She looks
like nothing more than a mere girl
and in fact, says she is but II years
of age. She has one little boy not more
than a year old, and before many
months will be a mother again.
Her husband is only about % years
of age and has not a bad face. al
though it is said that his reputation is
quite bad for getting into difficulties.