The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1914-06-03
Jesse Ho veil Killed.

Sn0G ana lQSbaNtly hllieu W VINO
Sharpe, 17-year-old boy. the son of
Noah Sharpe, q we'll known farmer,
about 9 O'Clock Saturday right, the
shooting having taken place on the
front porch of the home Of Tillman
Bush, a son-in.l law OF Noah Sharpe
and brother-in-law of the boy, who
did the shooting. A siugle-barreled
breech-loading shotgun was used, the
entire load having taken effect IN the
neck, the charge entering just below
the ear on the left side and making its
exit almost in the same location on
the opposite side, completely shatter-
ing the spinal column and causing
instant death.
The scene of the homicide is about
Is or 20 miles from Lexington and
about mile east of the town OF Gas
ton. The news of the tragedy did not
reach Lexington until after II o'clock
Saturday night, when Willie Sharpe
sent telephone message to Sheriff
Miller telling him tf1ss be had killed
Jesse Howell in self defense and that;
he was ready fe place himself in the
hands of tfessaw. Sheriff Miller. ac-
companied by his son, Julian, Solici-
tor George Bell Zimmerman, Coroner
Weed and D. r. Haltiwanger, left at
once for the scene.
Arriving at the home of Tillman
Bush little after 3 o'clock Sunday
morning after having Travelled over
the sandiest sectionssof road in the
county, a ghastIy sight greeted the.
party. Lying on his back, the upper
portion of his body extending over the
edge of the L Ia, the head resting
on the grou,,c and the other portion
on the porch, with hands raised over
his head, with large two-bladed
barlow handle knife slightly clasped
in the right Laad, lay Jesse Howell.
The big blade of the knife was open,
bat there was no signs of bloodstains
to show that the instrument bed been
used. A lantern dimly burning was
sitting on the washboard at the end OF
the piazza, and Noah Sharpe and Till
man Bush were the only guardians OF
the BODY Of the dead. Willie Sharpe
was found at the home Of @. O. Good
win, a short distance away. where he
had gone to await the arrival of the
sheriff.
Although living less than . mile
from the scene, the wife Of the dead
man had not been notified OF her
husbands death, and it was after 4
O'Clock when che news was carried to
her.
IL was daylight when the coroner's
iary commenced sits. Investigation, DR..
Lucias o. Brooksr Of Swansea con-
Quoted the postmortem and he de-
scribed the wound. AT the suggestion
E,os Solicitor Zimmerman, DR.. lBrooker
slso made an examination Of the per-
son of Noah Sharpe, who claimed
that he had been slightly cut on the
neck and across the chest by Jesse
Howell. On the ring finger Of the
Left hand was found short cut, ap-
parently made with a knife. There
was also slight abrasion across the
chest, but the shirt and other cloth
ing Of the man failed to reveal any
signs of having been slsshed with a
knife.
Noah Sharpe, was the next witness.
BE sestifed that he had just finished
supper and had come out on the porch
and sat down on a chaif when he
observed Howell coming through the
yard. Howell, he said, came up 30
where he was sitting and asked: "Who
is this" and he replied "This is Noah.'
TO this he said Howell replied, "I'l
get you now." with an oath. Sharpe
said that he pleaded with Howell to
wait and "let's talk it over" but in
stead of stopping he attempted to cut
his throat with knife, which ne
held in his hands, and was only pre-
vented from doing so by his own ef-
forts. A second or two later, he said.
Willie Sharpe appeared in the door
with the gun in his hands Howell
made one step toward Willie and had
started to make another when he was
shot dead by Willie Sharpe. The wit
ness said that no words passed be-
tween Willie Sharpe and the deceased;
that his son fred at once d Howell
never spoke after he was shot. Soilc-
itor Zimmerman directed his inquiry
toward the knife. Sharpe stated, that
Howell had the knife in his hand at
the time he fell. It was brought out
1urino tho examination of the witness