The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-11-23
ERG, S. c., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1911.
INQUEST INTO AIKEN TRAGEDY.
Describe killing of
Officer Wade Patterson.

Eye-Witnesses Describe Killing of
Officer Wade Patterson.
Aiken, Nov. 1S.-The inquest over
the body of Police Officer Wade Pat
terson, who was shot to death here
yesterday afternoon by James Seig-
ler, was held this morning at 10
o'clock. The autopsy was conducted
by DR.. Frampton Wyman, and show
ed eight wounds on the body OF the
dead man, four wounds of entrance
and four of exit, every one of the four
bullets fired passing completely
through the body. Two of the bullets
entered the left side, one just under
the armpit, one at the end of the
ribs, both passing through the body
and out of the right side. The.two
remaining wounds showed that the
bullets entered from the back, one
Immediately below the left shoulder
blade, the other below the right
shoulder blade, passing out through
the breast. The bullets were of
steel.
There were three eye-witnesses to
the shooting, Rural Policeman Hol-
ley, who arrested Seigler; John Over
street, owner of the store at which
the tragedy occurred, and Mr.. J. R.
Abercrombie, an employee of Mr..
Overstreet. With some few excep-
tions the testimony of these witnesses
conceded.
The first to testify was Policeman
Holley, whose testimony is essen
TALLY as follows:
I was standing in front of the
Greek restaurant on Park avenue yes
terday afternoon, it was nearly 3
o'clock, when Mr.. Patterson walked
up and remarked that he had some
thing to tell me. We stepped to the
door of the club room, few feet
above the restaurant, and were stand
ing there talking, when Jim Seigler
and another man walked up-the
man with Seigler was a stranger to
me. They spoke and Jim playfully
reached down and slapped Mr.. Pat
terson's dog, which was sitting at
his feet. Then 1 jokingly "sicced"
the dog at jim. The dog bit at him
and Jim kicked but missed. He
kicked hard, too, and had he succeed
ed in striking the dog would have
injured it.
Mr.. Patterson told Jim that the
dog would not bite him, but Jim was
mad and kept cursing. Finally Mr..
Patterson said: Jim, don't curse
So" Mr.. Patterson then walked off,
and so did l, thinking that the in
cident was ended.
l walked on up the street until [
came to John Overstreet's store
neither Seigler nor Patterson were
there then-and was standing there
with my face away from the door,
talking, and had forgotten all about
the matter. had been there about
five minutes when l heard someone
curse. Turning 1 saw Mr.. Patterson
standing in front of the Main street
entrance, while Jim was walking
back and forth in front of him, ut
tering one oath after the other.
Mr.. Patterson told him to stop ours
ing, but Jim paid no attention to this,
and directly Mr.. Patterson said:
Jim, I'll just arrest you,' and
caught Seigler in the belt. Jim i'm
mediately offered bond for his ap-
pearance and placed a bond of IS
into Mr.. Patterson's hands-it was a
five dollar bill-and began to curse
more violently than ever, declaring
that he he had not been profane on
the streets. He grew more excited
every moment and so did Mr.. Pat
terson, who stood perfectly still and
kept his eyes squarely on Jim, but
all the time he was nervously twirl-
ing the bill in his hands. About this
time some intuitive knowledge, it
may have been Seigler's manner, or
the expression on Mr.. Patterson's S
face, but something seemed to tell
me that there was bad trouble on
hand.
I ran up to Jim and grabbed him
by the left arm, but he whirled an
grily away from me and threw me
beyond Mr.. Patterson. l turned and
started back to him, and just as
got even with Mr.. Patterson, Jim
drew an automatic Savage pistol, 81
calibre, from the right side pocket
of his trousers and pointed the bar
rel directly into my face. l expect
ed nothing of the sort and quickly
threw up my hands, exclaiming Jim,
for Gods sake! You're wrong, you're
wrong" and he Immediately switched
the pistol from my face onto the per-
son of Mr.. Patterson and fired four
times
With the first shot Mr.. Patterson
screamed, threw his arms over his
face and turned to the right, falling
on his face. Seigler then turned
and walked from the side entrance
onto Park avenue. I followed him
and effected his arrest without any
trouble, relieved him of his pistol
and carried him to Jail.
In reply to an inquiry from Solici-
tor Gunter, Mr., Holley stated that
Seigler was drinking good deal.
He further declared that the police
man never made any effort to use his
club or draw his pistol during the en-
tire trouble. Overstreet and Aber-
crombie also testified to this effect,
and those who rushed up to Patter-
son and to the dead man declare that
his pistol was securely fastened in
the holster. which hung near the hip