The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-07-15

the courts. In the event that the will
shall be carried into the court, the
question will be whether or not the
relatives on Mrs. Jacobs side of the
house or the relatives of the deceased
husband should receive the property.
There is a tract of three hundred
and ninety-four acres assessed on the
tax books of Lexington county in the
name of John D. Jacobs. This prop
erty lies within FIVE miles of Peak,
in the rich and fertile section of the
famous Dutch Fork Of Lexington
county, and is valuable.
G. w. Jacobs, of Newberry, a broth
er OF John D. Jacobs, deceased, has
applied to George S. Drafts, judge of
probate for Lexington county, for let
t,re os administration of the estate OF
his deceased brother.
Questions Yet Unanswered.
Did John D. Jacobs, in fit of in
sanity, slay the wife of his bosom, MS
bright and promising daughter, his
son of IS summers just blooming and
blossoming into natures noble man
hood? Did he slay his towo young
sons, aged Is and u, respectively, set
fire to the house to cover his terrible
deeds and then calmly walk into a
rear room and blow out his own
brains? These are still the questions
uppermost in the minds of the people
who knew him best and of the officers
J who are running down every clue to
find the least tangible evidence OF mur-
der by outside parties.
The opinion is evidently divided.
The theory that was first devised, to
the effect that the body found in the
rear room by the side of a double
barrel shot gun, with one barrel emp
tv. and the head almost decapltated
from the gunshot wound, apparently
is now believed to have been the body
of Jacobs himself and not that OF his
son. It is thought by those who ad-
vance, the theory of murder and sui
eide, that Jacobs in the dead hours OF
night. with axe in hand, when MS
loved ones were sleeping, gave each
blow on the head with the axe. and
his work then having been finished he
planned the destruction of nlmsel1
and went into the rear room and blew
out his brains.
Talk of Former Trouble.
It is understood by the officers that
Jacobs had had earlier in the year
trouble with 6! white man in refer
ence to the employment of negro.
It has also leaked out that there had
been some slight difference between
the Jacobs family and family OF
negroes living in the nearby set
tlement. The officers working on the
case. however, are reticent and will
not divulge the information they have
gathered, neither will they say upon
what clues they are now working
The statement of DR.. Eleazer, to
the effect that Jacobs was possibly in
sane has caused a great change OF
mind among the people living In the
community, yet there are others VINO
believe that even an insane man could
not arrange and plan for such COM
nlete destruction of his own family
and they are confident that the entire
family was murdered and the mouse
set on fire in order to hide the deed
AS a. further basis to the opinion thai
Jacobs was not himself and that for
many wears his mind had been de-
ranged, it is stated that the last time
Jacobs attended court at Lexington as
Juror, which has been in the recent
past, he acted rather strangely, and al
his boarding house he would take MS
meals without removing his hat and
that when he retired at night he would
bandage his head, claiming that to
sleep otherwise or to sit with his hat
off would affect the disease which was
preying upon him.
Saddest Phase, Perhaps
In the town Of Little Mountain there
is said to be sadness in every home
caused by the sudden and unexpected
taking away of Miss Ellie Jacobs, who
had for two sessions taught in the
graded school, and who had won the
hearts of both parents and children.
She was a graduate of Winthrop col
lege of the class OF 1910, and she car