The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-05-11
r. r.. GriImsley Enters Restaurant,
Kills Woman Proprietor and Her
Clerk. Grimslcy Said Ia Have
Been Drinking.
COlumbin State.

Ernest f. Grimsley, Il young white
man, is in the Richland county
Jail charged with killing Mrs. Rosa
Bessinger and Walter Sandificr.
. The whole tragedy was enacted
yesterday afternoon in the Acme
restaurant and grocery store, 1913
Taylor street just off Main street
and was caused, it is said by wit
neSses, by the fact that Mrs. Bcssiu
ger, who conducted the place, refus-
ed him an extra roll of bread with
a bowl Of soup ordered by Grimslcy.
. There are many conflicting state
mentS and many rumors. and whpth-
or or not Grimsley WAS drunk has
, not been determined by the author
tiles.
The shooting took place shortly
after three o'clock Walter Sandi-
Ter was shot and almost Instantly
killed, two shots taking effectNn his
lungs. Grimsley, according to
Frank NJ. High, fired on Mrs BSs-
singer, who had just entered Ntlte
store from the kitchen. She waSl
hit in the abdomen. She was hur-
rled to the Columbia hospital, where
she died shortly after o'clock. The
inquest will be held at the police
station at 3 O'Clock by Coroner
Walker.
Witnessed Shooting.
Frank NJ. High, veteran Of the
confederate Home, was the only
khown witness To the shooting
had just stepped into the res
taurant," said Mrg High, "and was
standing at the counter talking to
the man behind the counter tSand-
her. He was cutting up some
onions. 1t was not later than $50
o clock. | don't remember the eX-
| IN
ana the lady MRS. Bessinger)
came i'll and spoke to me. had
taken meals in the place several
times with them, and they both
Knew me. She went back into the
, Kitchen, where there were some ne
s1oes. The kitchen is the adjoin-
ing room. This man CSandifer) was
, standing there talking to me across
the counter.
= Grimslcy Entered.
This man (meaning GrimsleyJ
came in the front door of the res
taurant, and without speaking Il
e word, threw pistol by my shoul-
der and fired ut Sandifer. Sandi-
: fer fell behind the counter. The
man lGrimSlcy) then walked around
behind the counter and shot Samdi-
Ter lying on the floor dying. Il sec
Ond time. The man tGrimSleyJ
turned his pistol on the woman and
fired twice. Sandifer never raised
a hand against the man. He did
not have time to, for the man shot
too quick. 1t was all unexpected.
The man Grimslcy. without saving
a word, left the store Mrs. Bessin-
ger fell to the floor and screamed.
and | got out of the place"
Cause of Tragedy.
According to the various witness
es, and ii is Said, according to the
dying statement of Mrs. BeSsinger,
Grlmsley went to the Acme rcstau-
ram yesterday morning shortly be
i"re II O'Clock. He ordered
bowl of =oap Mrs. Bcssingcr gave
him one roll with the soup. Ii is
said by witnesses that Grimsley
said that two rolls should be civ
Ell with one bowl OF soup. There
was Il dispute over the question IL
Is said that Grimsley left the place
about 1880 O'Clock; and that Mrs.
BessiEgcr and Walter Saudifcr
thought no more of the matter
Bought Cartridges
According to the testimony i'm
the hands of Coroner Walker.
Grlmsley went to the store of Jas.
J.. Sloan on Main street, between =
. clock and $50 O'Clock and
purchased 20 cartridges of IS cali
bre. 1t is said that he showed
pistol here and that he placed
new ball in the pistol and left the
store hurriedly. a few moments
later he committed the deed
Man Was Arrested.
After shooting Sandifer and Mrs.
besslhger, Grimslcy left the res
taurant and walked across the
street Wlarp he tti.J q, ,,,
mack He was stopped by J. c.
jackson, = policeman. Grimsley
held his pistol in his hand and, ac-
cordlng to Policeman Jackson. he
F. mad thrown out three empty cart
ridges ana reloaded the pistol Mr..
jackson said that Grimsley said:
have killed two people inthere"
III is said that he asked for his pis-
tol to scatter the large crowd that
mao gathered. The motor patrol
wagon was called and Grimsley
was hurried to the police station
iOHcemdn jackson said that Grims-
ley did not appear 10 be drunk
and that he looked to be sober
man.
After being placed in the cell at
inc police station GrimsIcy com
menced to sing, and no statement
could be obtained from him. II
was stated at the police station that
ne was too drunk to talk coherent
~. Later he was turned over to
Sheriff Coleman.
Statement from Negro Woman.
Three was a negro woman i'm the
kltchen of the restaurant named
Mony johnson. She said that she
was sitting at table helping Mrs.
Bessinger. Sandifer was i'm the
front of the restaurant behind the