Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-08
DOUBLE HOMICIDE

There was a bloody tragedy in the
north western corner Of Kings Noun
tain township last Tuesday night, as
the result of which Pink Dover and
Jake Wells lost their lives. and j. E.
Turney and his son Thad Turney, are
in Jail awaiting legal investigation OF
their responsibility in connection with
the affair.
It was a horrible sight that met the
eve Of the reporter Wednesday morn
ing when he went to the scene in COM
pany with the authorities whose duty
it was to make investigation. 1t was
about seven or eight hours after the
killing and the bodies were still lying
where they fell, without having been
disturbed in the meantime. They lay
stretched out full length on the ground
about five feet apart Both were pare
headed; but their hats, Wells
brown felt and Dovers a straw. were
lying nearby, and the faces OF both
had been crushed in across the eyes In
almost the same manner, and appar-
emily with the same heavy blunt in
strument. A pistol wound was on the
right leg of Dover but there were no
other wounds on the body of Jake
Wells. Blood had trickled down the
sloping incline from both ghastly
wounds, and that included practically
all Of the picture, except lying near by
there was a two-bladed pocket knife
with the big blade open, and a white
oak stave Of the kind from which bas-
ket splits are taken. Near the mule
stall was found a home made cedar
baseball bat, stained with blood.
Magistrate A. ]. Quinn Of Kings
Mountain township acting as coroner,
assisted by Sheriff Brown, organized a
Jury Of inquest with Mr.. f. w. Pursley
as foreman. and proceeded to make
such investigation as seemed practical
BILE under the circumstances. The in
vestigation developed some informa-
ton as to how the deceased probably
came to their deaths largely from cir
cumstances: but little as to who may
have done the killing and nothing
whatever as to the probable motive
behind the fatal trouble.
The place of the killing was in the
yard of Jim Mackin, n NEGRO on the
Betsy Jenkins old place, about three
miles east of Kings Mountain battle
ground 1t is on country road in
lonely out of the way spot that is
recognized by the people Of the neigh
borhood as being near the centre
Of one Of the last strongholds OF the
moonshine liquor industry. The road
of course, is used regularly by the peo-
pie of the connecting farms; but as
common thing the stranger who passes
along that way is put down by the ma
tives either as some man with thirst
looking for whisky to drink, or some
representative of the law, officer or
spy looking for the makers of the
mOonshine.
According 70 the story as developed
at the inquest, the Turneys, father and
son. who live near Bethany, went fish
ing that afternoon. They could see
from their home that there was a
heavy rain over along the best fishing
holes on Clark's Fork, and being con-
firmed fishermen, especially the elder
Turney, they got in their buggy and
went over to try their luck. They
stopped at the house Of Jim Mackin
colored, put their mule in his stable,
left the lap robe in the cabin and the
buggy in the yard and struck through
the woods to the creek only short
distance away. They remained in the
creek until long after dark, and got
back to Jim Mackin's house with a
fine string of fish along about II
o'clock or a little later.
According to the elder Turney, the
first thing he did on setting back to
Mackin's yard was to throw his fish in
the buggy, and get between the shafts
to pull the vehicle around to a conve-
nient place, while his son went to Jim
Mackin's house after the lap robe.
While Thad Turney was at the house.
some men whom the elder man did not