Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-09
GREENvILLE BOYS LOSE LIVES.
Horrible Tragedy Follows Attempted
Robbery of Store.


"
Greenville, April 6-Upon entering
the basement of a fashionable dry
goods store shortly after 3 O'Clock
Sunday 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 a bur-
glary, with the result that the young
men were shot to death and one of
the policemen wounded.
With five bullets in his body and a
wound through his heart, young
Smith ran up a 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 a mask from his face with
one hand and gripping his pistol with
the other, sank to the floor and ex-
pired. Martin "a to the rear Of the
basement with a bullet hole through
his head and another in his hand and
concealed himself in a closet. A po-
liceman followed 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
bulance1and rushed to the city hos
pital. Policeman Mayfleld was shot
in the hand.
Dual Inquest Held.
News of the terrible tragedy spread
quickly, even at that hour of the
night, and created a profound sensa-
tion throughout the city. At noon, in
the county court house, in the pres
enc of a thousand or more citizens
of all ranks, the corone conducted
a dual inquest into the killing.
The two juries returned verdicts
that Leonard Smith and Rowley Mar
tin camo to their death from pistol
shot wounds at the hands of Police
men II. c.. Alexander, A. NJ. Blair and
J.. A. Mayfeld. The chief of police,
J. e. Holcombe, was then deputiZed
to take the officers into custody until
Monday, when their commitments
will be issued by the coroner. At the
same time application for bail for the
three policemen will be made before
Judge S. w. G. Ship.
The inquest was the most dramatic
every held IN this county. The father
of young Smith, overwhelmed with
grief and d~umbfounded at the tragic
occurrence, appeared at the inquest
and conducted the examination of the
various witnesses.
Testimony Of Policemen.
The 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 tes-
titled that members of the firm of
Hobbs & Henderson notified them a
week ago that their store was being
robbed. Young Smith was employed
by the firm until a short while ago,
and the witnesses stated that suspi-
cion pointed to him. Five nights one
of the policemen concealed himself
in the basement Of the store, he said,
and each night observed q party or
parties come to the real windows OF
the basement and flash a pocket Ian
tern. Saturday night, he testified
three policemen 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 governing the electric
lighting system.
AZ hN6 lhlhulSo dllCl a " SioSht LII
testimony ran, the policemen observ-
ed the pocket lantern being flashed
on the outside Of the e IA basement
windows. They waited and presently
an arm was slipped through a bro
ken glass. set in front Of the barred
window sash and the lock holding
down the window sash unlocked.
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
flashed their pocket lanterns" ad-
vanced toward the staircase, leading
to the second floor, AS they drew
Opposite the counter behind which
the policemen were concealed, Police.
man Mayfield arose and called to the
boys, "Hold up your hands, Doys!'
without answering the challenge, II
was testified, the boys opened Are,
They fired two shots, 1t was testi.
fed, and then the three policemen,
realizing their danger, opened fire. A
total of is shots were fired. An ex-
animation of the revolYers showed