The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-04-10
BAMBERG, S. Co., THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1918
TRAGEDY IN GREENVILLE.
Pistol Battle in Basement Of Dry
Goods Store.

ing into the basement OF a 1aSnlOn-
able dry goods store, shortly after 3
o'clock this morning, Leonard Smith,
II years old, son of a prominent and
wealthy family, and his 20-year-old
companion, Rowley Martin, engaged
in a pistol battle with three police
men, who had concealed themselves
in the store in anticipation of burg
larry, with the result that the young
men were shot to death and one of
the policemen severely wounded.
With five bullets in his body and a
wound through his heart, young
Smith ran up flight of stairs to the
second floor, where two employees of
the firm had stationed themselves in
waiting. He was met at the top step
by one of the clerks, who shouted to
him not to fire again, and passing on
by, tearing q mask from his face with
one hand and gripping his pistol
with the other, sank to the floor and
expired.
Dies at Hospital.
Martin ran to the rear of the base
ment, with a bullet hole through his
head and another in his hand, and
concealed himself in a closet. A po-
liceman followered closely upon him
and pulled him out, at the same time
tearing a mask from the lads face.
Martin was placed in the police am
bulance and rushed to the city hospit-
al, where he expired two hours later.
News of the terrible tragedy spread
quickly, even at the dead hour Of the
night, and has created profound
sensation throughout the city.
At noon in the county Court House,
in the presence of a thousand or
more citizens of all ranks, the cor
oner conducted dual inquest into the
killing. The two juries returned
verdicts asserting that Leonard Smith
and Rowley Martin came to their
death from pjstol-shot wounds at the
hands of Policeman H. G. Alexander,
A. M. Blair and J. A. May6eld.
Chief of Police J. E. Holcombe was
then deputized to take the officers in
to custody until tomorrow, when
their commitments will be issued by
the coroner. At the same time ap-
plication for bail for the three police
men will be made before Judge S. w.
G. Shipp, who convenes the spring
term of Court of Common Pleas for
Greenville County tomorrow morn
ing.
Inquest Dramatic.
The inquest was the most dramatic
ever held in this county. The father
of young Smith, overwhelmed with
grief and dumbfounded at the tragic
occurrence, appeared at the inquest
and conducted the examination of the
various witnesses. The testimony did
not develop any mysteries, but was
plain and to the point.
The policemen testified that men,
bers of the firm of Hobbs-Henderson
notified them week ago that their
store was being robbed. Young Smith
was employed by the firm until a
short while ago, and, the witnesses
stated, suspicion pointed to him. For
five nights one of the policemen con-
cealed himself in the basement of the
store, he said, and each night OBJ
served party or parties come to the
rear windows of the basement and
flash pocket lantern.
Last night, he testified, three po-
licemen were stationed in the base
ment shortly before midnight. 1t had
been planned to have two members
of the firm stationed on the second
floor of the store, in charge Of the
switch governing the electric lighting
system. The three policemen con-
cealed themselves behind a counter
in the basement and waited.
Saw Lantern Flashed.
At five minutes after o'clock, the
testimony ran, the policemen observ-
ed a pocket lantern being flashed on
the outside of the rear basement
windows. They waited and present.
ly an arm was slipped through
broken glass, set in front of the bar
red window sash, and the paddock
holding down the sash unlocked.
There was slight commotlon as
the boys slipped through the window
and into the basement. AS soon as
they had entered, the witnesses tes-
tilted, the boys placed masks over
their faces, took out their pistols and
held them in shooting position, and
flashing their pocket lanterns, advan-
ced toward the staircase leading to
the second floor. AS they drew op-