The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-11
TRAGEDY At GREENYlLlE
Pistol Battle in Basement OF Dry
Goods StOre.-TW0 Bows Dead.
Policeman Hurt.

thlS morning., Leonard SmlLn, IL
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 a bur-
glary, 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
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, teari:'
mask from his face with one hand
and gripping his pistol with the other
sank to the floor and expired.
Martin ran to the rear of tie blsa-
ment, with bullet hole through his
head and another in his hand and con-
cealed himself in closet A police
man followed closely up?r him and
pulled him out, at he .:e oG time tc;r-
ing mask from the lads face Mar
tin was placed in the police ambulance
and rushed to the city hospital where
he expired two hours later.
News of the terrible tragedy spread
/ quickly even at that dead hour of the
night, and has created a profound SEN
sation throughout the city
At noon in the county court house,
in the presence Of a thousand or more
citizens of all ranks, the coroner con-
Quoted dual inquest into the killing.
The two juries returned verdicts as
serting that Leonard Smith and, Row.
ley Martin came to their death from
pistol-shot wounds at the hands of
Policemen H. C. Alexandria M. Blair
and j. A. Mayfeld.
Chief of Police ]. E. Holcombe was
then deputized to take the officers into
custody until tomorrow, when their
commitments will be issued by the cor
orner At the same time application
for bail for the three policemen will be
made before Judge S. w. G. Shipp, who
convenes the spring term of court
of common pleas for Greenville coun-
ty tomorrow morning.
The inquest was the most dramatic
ever held in this county. The father OF
young Smith, overwhelmed with grief
and dumbfounded at the tragic occur
renee, appeared at the inquest and
. coducted the examination Of the vari-
Gus witnesses. City Solicitor B. F.
Martin questioned the witnesses on the
part Of the city. The testimony did not
! develop any mysteries. but was plain
and to the point
The policemen testified that members
of the firm of Hobbs-Henderson noti-
/ fed them a week ago that their store
was being robbed. Young Smith was
employed by the firm until short
while ago, and, the witnesses stated,
suspicion pointed to him. For five
nights one of the policemen concealed
himself in the basement Of the store,
he said, and each night observed
party or parties come to the rear win
dows of the basement and flash pock-
ct lantern
Last night, he testified, three police
men were stationed in the basement
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 gov
erning the electric lighting system.
The three policemen concealed them
selves behind counter in the base
ment and waited.
Saw Lantern FLASHED.
At five minutes after o'clock, the.
testimony ran, the policemen observed
pocket lantern being flashed on the
outside of the rear basement windows.
They waited and presently an arm was
slipped through a broken glass, and
the paddock holding down the sash un-
locked.
There was a slight commotion as the
boys slipped through the window and
into the basement AS soon as they
had entered, the witnesses testified. the
boys placed masks over their faces.
took out their pistols and held them in
shooting position, and flashing thsir
pocket lanterns, advanced toward the
staircase leading to the second floor.