The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-07-15
MEGRESS BUTCHERS CHILD.
ROSA RICHARDSON Is LYNCuEn
AT ELLOREE FOR CRIME.
Twelve year old Girl Is Murdered
by Negro Woman Who Confcsscs to
Deed and is Taken From Guard
House at EllOrec by Angry Mob.

way between here and Vance late yes
terday afternoon in a dense bay near
the Two Chop public road, was
brought to light this morning when
the body Of little Miss Essie Bell. 12
year-old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
Daniel Bell, was discovered after an
all night search, fOully murdered and
carefully covered by the confessed
murderess, Rosa Richardson, a negro
wcman, about 35 years of age. A
grim and horrifying spectacle it wit
messed today in that community. The
body Of little Essie with her head beat
en- into a pulp by a lightwood knot
lies prepared for burial in the tquiet
home Of Daniel Bell, while 200 yards
away near the scene Of the crime
swinging to tree is the body of her
murderess, Rosa Richardson, riddled
with bullets.
Guilt was established, the murder
ess confessed and volley fired, in a
short time. Thirty negroes who gath
cred near the scene of the crime would
have fired the volley If permitted, and
went to console the the grief stricken
family. While the crime has cast a
pail all over the community and
hundreds of people have gone to the
scene. there was no race feeling what
ever evident.
The murdered girl yesterday after
noon went to Craze the family cow
in field on the public road a short
distaI from her home, which was
I hidden from view bN dense field Of
corn. Just in front Of this field on
opposite side of road is the home of
the murderess. Daniel Bell was read
ing his newspaper and the mother,
Mrs. Bell, was leaving with her son
to board the afternoon train at Vance
for Charleston. Mr. Bell was absorbed
in reading and presumed that little
Essie had gone to the station with her
mother and would return with her
brother. When the young man re-
turned home without his sister, Mr.
Bell inquired for Essie and the young
man told his father that she had gone
to grazc the cow when he saw her
last. Mr.. Bell Immediately gave the
alarm and searching parties were
formed. The whole community was
secured.
Rosa Richardson was suspected Of
Turing girl into the woods for crimi-
nal purposes and she with her sister
were held during the night by some
Of the searching party. She told sew
Gated her guilt.
A message reached Elloree during
the night that the girl was missing
and the penitentiary bloodhounds were
wired for but it was later learned
that they were out of the city. The
suspects were rushed to the Elloree
guard house. The local telephone
being out Of commission, connection
was established at ST. Matthews.
Sheriff Salley was notified and Column
bia was asked to have hounds make
cross country trip. but before either
reached here the body was discovered
and dash was made for the town
guard house. Rural police. the mag
istrate the intendant and several citi-
zens Of Elloree who did all they could
to protect the prisoner were choked
and thrown to the ground by the
crowd and held at bay by six shooters.
The victim was placed in a waiting
automobile and rushed to the scene
OF the crime. The woman was ex-
amined. Blood was on her clothing
and other evidences Of guilt was es-
tablished. She confessed to the crime
without giving any reason for having
committed 1t. The posse had tracked
the little girl and the woman into the
bay, both tracks fitting the shoes.
and the woman. was tracked to her
home returning after committing the
deed.
There is no reason assigned for the
deed except that the woman was n
bad character and had refused to work
for Mr.. Bell on whose place she lived.
On several occasions, it is alleged
that she grew dissatisfied and sullen
and the theory is advanced that she
lured the little girl into the woods on
the pretext Of showing her some
thing and murdered her to get re-
venge. a negro man was at first
thought to be the guilty party but
1t was later shown that no one else
had any connection with the crime
and that Rosa Richardson had plotted
and executed the deed alone.
Sheriff Sallcy of Orangeburg, who
was notified Of the crime too late, |
reached here this aftcroon and view