Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-07-15
A NEGRO WOMAN is LYNCuED.
She FOully Murdered Little Twelve
Year-Old White Girl.

w ittS
Elloree, S. c., July 12.-One Of
the most brutal crimes ever perpe-
trated in Orangeburg county, COM
mitted midway between here and
Vance late yesterday afternoon, was
brought to light this morning when
the body of little Essie Bell, IL years
old, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Dam
iel Bell, was discovered after an all
night search, fOully murdered and
carefully covered by the confessed
murderess, Rosa Richardson, a negro
woman about 35 years old.
The body Of little Essie Bell, with
her head beaten into pulp with a
lightwood knot, lies to-day prepared
for burial in the quiet home OF DAN
iel Bell, while 200 yards away, near
the scene Of the crime, swinging to
tree, is the body Of her alleged as
sassin. Rosa Richardson, riddled with
bullets.
Guilt was established, the woman
confessed, vOlley fred, the un-
known silent, sober men mopped
their brows and dispersed. Thirty
negroes, who gathered near the scene
| Of the crime, would have fred the
volley If permitted, and went TO con-
Sole tHS SlSl-oJilChSl ldulllS.
Story of the Murder.
The facts substantially told were
| as follows: The murdered girl went
| to Craze the family COW in a field on
the public road a short distance from
| the home, which was hidden from
view by a dense field of corn. Just
in front Of this field, on the oppo-
site side OF the road, Is the house
where Rosa Richardson lived. Dam
| iel Bell was reading his newspaper
and the mother, Mrs. Bell, was leav-
ing with one Of her sons to board the
afternoon train at Vance for Charles
ton. Mr.. Bell was absorbed in read
ing and presumed that little Essie
had gone OF 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 Craze 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 the girl in the
woods. She, with her sister. was
held during the night by some Of the
searching party She told several
disconnected stories, which led more
strongly to belief in her guilt. A
message reached Elloree late during
the night that the girl was missing.
and the penitentiary bloodhounds
were wired for, but 1t was later
learned that they were out Of the
city.
Body Discovered.
Tb" local telephone being out Of
| commission, CONNECTION was estab-
| lished at ST. Matthews. Sheriff Sal
ley was notified and Columbia was
asked to have hounds make a cross
| country trip, but before either reach
ed here the body was discovered, and
a dash was made for the town guard
house. Rural police, the magistrate
and the intendant and several citi-
zens OF Elloree, who did all they
could to protect the prisoner, were
choked, thrown to the ground and
| the crowd held at bay by six-shoot-
ers. The victim was placed in
waiting automobile, taken back to
the scene of the crime.
The woman was examined. Blood
was on her clothing and other evil
dences of guilt were established She
| SoillSooCu W tie CilIilS, WITHOUT SlV-
ing any reason for having committed
it.
The posse had tracked the little
girl and the woman into the bay,
both tracks fitting the shoes. The
woman was tracked to her home, evil
IDENTIFY returning after committing
the deed
No Reason Assigned.
There is no reason assigned for the
deed, except that the woman was O
bad character and had refused to
work for Mr. Bell, on whose place
| she lived. On several occasions 1t 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
| something, and murdered her for
| vengeance.
| Notice to Confederate Veterans