The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-01-27

bat his requirements. It was essen
tial to, his purposes that the officers
of the law in his country should be in
sympathy with him. Sympathy soon
became abject subservience. When a
South had opposed Jesse Purvy in the
primary as candidate for high sheriff
he was found one day lying on his
face with a bullet-riddled body. It
may have been a coincidence which
pointed to Jim Asberry. the judges
nephew, as the assassin. At all events,
the, judges nephew was poor boy.
and a charitable grand jury declined
to indict him. ~"
In the course Of five years several
South adherents, who had crossed
Holman's path, became victims OF the
laurel ambuscade. The theory OF CO.
incidence was strained. Slowly the
rumor grew and persistently spread,
though no man would admit having
fathered 1t, that before each Of these
executions star-chamber conferences
had been held in the rooms above
Micah Hollman's Mammoth Depart
ment Store It was said that these
exclusive sessions were attended by
Judge Holman, Sheriff Purvy and GER
tain other gentlemen selected BY rea-
son of their craftsmanship. When
one Of these victims fell John South
had just returned from law school
down, below" wearing "fotched.on"
clothing and thinking "fotched-on"
thoughts. He had amazed the COM
munity by demanding the right to as.
sist in probing and prosecuting the
affair. He had then shocked the COM
munity into complete paralysis by re-
questing the grand jury to indict mot
alone the alleged assassin, but also
his employers, whom he named as
Judge Holman and Sheriff Purvy.
Then he, too, fell under a bolt from
the laurel 't I,
That was the first public accusation
against the bland capitalist, and 1t car
ried it's own prompt warning against
repetition. The Judges high sheriff
and chief ally retired from Office and
went abroad only with bodyguard.
Jesse Purvy had built his store at, a
crossroads 25 miles from the rail
road. Like HOLMAN, he had won a
for open-handed charity,
was liked-and hated. His friends
were legion. His enemies were 80 nu-
merous that he apprehended violence
not only from the Souths but also
from others who nursed grudges i'm
no way related to the line OF ferId
cleavage. The Hollman-P Puryy comti-
nation had retained enough of its old
power to escape the laws retribution
and to hold It's dictatorship, but the
efforts Of John South had not been
altogether: bootless. He had ripped
away two masks. and their erstwhile
wearers could no longer hold their old
semblance Of 1aw-abiding philanthro-
pists. Jesse ,Puryy's home was the
show place of the. countryside. Conf
modious verandas looked out over
pleasant orchards, and In the same
inclosure stood the two frame build
ings Of his store-for he, too, com.
bined merchandise with baronial
powers. But back Of the place rose
the mountain side, on which Purvy
never looked without dread. Twice
its impenetrable thickets had spat at
him. Twice he had recovered from
wounds that would have taken a less
charmed life. And in grisly reminder
of the terror which clouded the peace
OF his days stood the eight.foot log
stockade at the rear of the place,
which the proprietor had built to
shield his daily Journeys between
house and store. But Jesse Puryy wan
not deluded by his escapes. He knew
that he was marked down" n,
The years Of strain were telling OH
him. The robust, full-blooded face
was showing deep lines; his flesh was
growing faccid; his glance finged
with quick apprehension. He, told bis
intimates that he realized. they'd get
him." yet he sought to prolong bis
term of escape. 4
Z Yesterday morning Jesse Puryy had
risen early as usual. and. after a sat.
isfying breakfast, had gone to his
store to arrange for the days buyi-
ness. One or two Of his henchmen,
seeming loafers, but In reality a body
guard, were lounging within call. A
married daughter was chatting with
her father while her young baby
played among the barrels and cracker
boxes. =
The daughter went to rear win
dow and gazed UP at the mountain.
The cioudless skies were still In hid
ing behind q curtain Of mist. The
woman was idly watching the vanish
ing fog wraiths, and hex father came
over to her side. Then the baby cried
and she stepped back. Purvy himself
remained at the window. 1t was a
thing he did not often do. 1t left him
exposedA but the most cautiously
guarded life has its moments of re.
laxed vigilance. He stood there pos.
sibly thirty seconds, then a sharp fu-
sillade Of clear reports barked out and
was shattered by the hills into long
reverberation. With a hand clasped
to his chest, Purvy turned, walked to
the middle of the floor, and fell. :,
The henchmen rushed to the open
sash. They leaped out and plunged
I'm. tho mountain tom ming tta asaae.