The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-03-11
TALKS OF DAUGHTER
GIRL ACCUSED OF MURDER
TRIED TO HELP FAMILY.
NAN Led Her into Sin
Mother Of F1eda Pendleton Says Her
Child Was Good Girl Before She
Was Influenced By Clement to Do
Wrong-Had Not Heard Of Her for
Months.

Months.
Breaking the silence with which
she has answered newspaper inqui-
ries since tragedy stalked into her
quiet home month ago in the form
Of message telling her that her
missing nineteen-year-old daughter,
Laura Fleda Pendleton, was q pris-
oner in q South Carolina jail, charg-
ed with murder, Mrs. J. H. Pendle-
ton, Of Durham, N. c., Saturday
threw a food Of light on obscure
spots in the girls life story, talked
freely Of the family and it's history
and told Of Fleda's early association
with Clyde Caldwell Clement, co-de-
fendant and alleged father Of her
slain babe.
The elderly sweet-faced woman
strove heroically to control her emo
ton during her painful recital, but
her eyes were frequently dimmed,
aad two little girls, Ruth and Mar
garet Pendleton, gazed in awed 81
lence at the spectacle Of their mother
In tears.
Fleda was always a good, obedient
girl, the mother said, until she came
under the influence Of Clement in
Spartanburg. She attended Sunday
school regularly and scrupulously re-
spected her mothers wishes. Mrs.
Pendleton said that Fleda and Glenn
ent knew each other when they we're
children together in Polk county, but
her parents would not permit her to
spend much time in his company be-
cause, according to Mrs. Pendleton,
he was given to rough ways. Miss
Pendleton was mindful OF parental
advice then, and it was because she
could not come to her mother for
counsel in Spartanburg, the latter
said she believed, that Fleda yielded
20 temptation.
The girl left home to exc out the
scanty family income, which had
been reduced by business reverses
and physical Affections Of her father,
J. H. Pend..ton. He was at one time
a well-to-do merchant, but his health
gave way, and with it went his
money. His eyesight became affect
ed, he could no longer stand confne-
ment, because Of his impaired health.
and he took to farming. He was
planning when Fleda last heard OF
him to accept a position as travelling
salesman for a shoe house, but fall
ing eyesight forced him to abandon
this plan. At present he is living In
Mooresville, N. c., and is engaged in
tobacco farming.
It was due to the fathers poor
health that Mrs. Pendleton agreed tc
allow her daughter to go cut into the
world to work. What money Fleda
could make was needed to help sup
port the younger children. Mrs. Pen
dleton said it was not true, as re-
ported, that Fleda was driven from
home because she accepted Clements
attendance; at that time she would
have nothing to do with him.
While the family were living in
Polk County Thomas Pendleton, the
elder brother, decided to go to Spar
tanburg to study telegraphy. He per
suaded Fleda to accompany him, and
both entered the Spartanburg School
Of Telegraphy. She soon mastered
the Morse code and left the school,
going to Atlanta, Ga, tc work. She
made several visits back home, and
while on one Of these visits received
an offer from the Spartanburg school
for her services as teacher. This
offer was accepted, and when she re-
turned to the school she again came
in contact with Clyde c. Clement
then a student in the preparatory de-
partment Of Wofford College.
Soon after the old acquaintance
was reopened, Mrs. Pendleton said
she ceased to hear from her daughter
She telegraphed to the principa! OF
the Spartainburg school relative to
Fleda's whereabouts and was told
that the young woman could not be
found in Spartanburg, but was re-
ported to be in Atlanta. Mrs. Pen
dleton said that the last letter she
received from her daughter was some
time in August Of last year. After
losing trace OF her in Spartanburg
the mother never heard Of Fleda
until she was informed Of the girls
trouble.