The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-12
did HE MURDER HIM
MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER
ING YOUNG SHIRER.
Is Committed to Jail in Augusta and
No One Allowed to See or Talk to
Him in His Cell.

No One Allowed to See or Talk to
Him in His Cell.
The mysterious death of R. c..
Shirer whose body was found float
ing in the Savannah river at Angus
ia on the morning of August 2, took
another turn "Wednesday afternoon,
when warrant was served on j. H.
Cunningham in Augusta, charging
him with Shirer's murder. Cunning
ham was committed to Jail, and no
one was allowed to see him.
The Augusta Chronicle says the
nature of the evidence on which the
warrant is based in not known,
though it is held to be sufficient to
have issued warrant carrying the
charge specified. AS a matter Of fact
almost as much mystery surrounds
the Arrest and detention Of Cunning
ham as surrounded the death Of Shi-
rer, and every possible effort was
made Wednesday night to suppress
all information in connection with
the case.
However, it is known that two pri-
vate local detectives, Thomas l..
Howard and Mike Kelly, have been
working on the Shirer case, and that
during the day Wednesday a war
rant was issued in Magistrate Nurn-
berger's court at the instigation of
one OF the detectives or some other
parties, based on evidence sufficient
in the mind of the court to- charge
murder. The warrant was served by
Constable Walton, and Cunningham
committed to Jail during the after
noon, but, after his confinement, ef-
forts to see, or get in communics-
ton with the prisoner were fruitless.
Cunningham and Shirer were both
boarders at 80 Washington street,
C. V. Kilsel being Shirer's room
mate and Cunningham rooming d.
rectly across THE hall. The three
men were quite intimate. 1t will be
recalled that they testified at the in
quest held on the third that Shirer
came to his room about 1890
o'clock Monday night, left his watch,
a ring and a gold pin in his room,
saying he was going to the tenderloin
district. Subsequent Investigations
by the police department developed
the fact that Shirer did not go to the
tenderloin.
For several days that was the last
trace of Shirer until his body was
found floating in the river, by the
Southern railway bridge, Wednesday
moning. Investigation Of the body
at the time of the inquest developed
the fact that Shtrer was dead before
he sank under the water, and the
statement has been made that there
was no water in the lungs. Based
on this, the coroner's jury returned
verdict that he came to his death
from a broken neck" cause un-
known to jury"
Subsequent to the inquest Shirer
was placed on Washington street
about, As minutes after he is said to
have left his boarding house, going
toward the Southern railway bridge,
by a young man who knew Shirer
we'll, and who said he hailed Shirer
several times, but got no reply. HIS
name has never been made public.
Further Importance was attached for
time to three men, one seemingly
wearing alb lue railroad uniform,
seen going from Broad out Washing
ton street about three o'clock Tues
day morning.
Still another feature of the case
is that a young man apparently
about twenty-five years Of age was
on Broad street about $3.50 o'clock
Tuesday night making anxious eff
forts to pawn a IT jewel watch for
whatever he could get. He was intox-
icated and was so much agitated
and exhibited such unusually great
concern to dispose Of the watch and
secure any amount of money he could
get, that his action caused comment.
He declared that he was obliged
to have the money right away and
begged to be directed to pawn shop
that might be open at that hour. In
this connection it is understood that
there is some mystery surrounding
the Shirer watch, as we'll as the mon
ey it is said Shirer had at the time
he is said to have left his boarding
house, and which was not found on
the body.
The murder theory was worked on
by the local police department for
several days during which countless
clues, we're run down and theories
worked out, but finally the depart
ment abandoned the idea of murder,
and concluded that Shirer either ac-
cidentally was killed by falling off,
or being knocked off by passenger
engine, or comitted suicide.
1t is known though that the dead
mans relatives, were not satisfied
that such was the case, and the fact
was cited by shirer's brother that
there could have been no motive for
suicide; that the young man was III
good health with nothing particu-
lar to worry him, was making a
good living and seemed to be enjoy
ing life; that he had a few days
prior to his death met his brother
:. n,.,;,,. o,d orronpod to 90