The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-07-28
PETTUS LANCASTER
is STILL MISSING

west Springs, July 25.-WeSt
Springs community has been more
deeply shocked and stirred during the
past week than ever before in the his
tory of the neighborhood. Mr.. Pet5us
Lancaster disappeared on last Tues
day afternoon in q most mysterious
manner and has not been seen or heard
from since. Mr.. Lancaster is 26 years
of age and is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Moses w. Lancaster, who lives near
Sulphur Springs church. On Monday
Mr.. Lancaster left home to visit his
sister, Mrs. Leon West, at Glenn
Springs. He spent Monday night and
Tuesday with her, leaving to go home
on Tuesday afternoon about o'clock.
The telephone line between West
Springs and Glenn Springs was out
or order and Mr.. Lancaster's family
and friends did not learn that he had
left Glenn Springs until late We'd
nesday afternoon. A searching party
was Immediately organized. 1t was
learned then that Mr.. Lancaster had
turned off from the main road lead
ing to his home and had gone by the
home of Mr.. ]. r. Macarthur, where
he stopped for sometime. He left Mr..
McArthur's home just as it was get
ting dark. This is the last time he
was seen. Shortly after the searching
party started out they learned that
negro boy about ~ or Is years of
age had found Mr.. Lancaster's hat
early Wednesday morning near what
is known as the "Mud Nine" which is
only about ten minutes walk from
Mr.. McArthur's house. The negro
came and brought the hat, which was
at once identified by Mr. Lancaster's
initials, and showed the place where
he had found it. Where the boy
claims to have found the hat is lust
over the turn of a hill leading down
to small drain or hollow. A small
log is lying across the path and there
is gully or wash about knee deep
on the left with a tree growing on
the bank. There is an impression on
the ground as if someone had fallen
over the log and against the tree and
partly into the gully. Two or three
tracks pointing down toward the hol-
low were found on the bank of the
gully. Nearby there are several
abandoned shafts of the "Mud Mine"
Grappels were made and the holes
were fished during the night, while
others of the party searched the
woods for traces of the missing man.
On Thursday morning fully 200
men met at the scene of the tragedy
and searched the woods in body in
every direction. A pump was brought
and the water in the shafts was pump
ed down until it was seen that the
body was not in the pit. The branch
was searched, also McIlwan creek, but
without single trace or sign of the
missing man.
The search was continued through
Friday and Saturday. The creek was
grappeled by hooks to the month,
where it emfptfes into the Forrest.
On Sunday Sheriff j. Hay FAINT and
Mr. r.. C. Williams came out to assist
in the search, but they did not meet
with any success.
On Monday the banks of the For
rest was gone over carefully from
the mouth of McIlwain creek to
Thompson bridge near the home of
Mr.. B. F. Webber and not a single
clue or trace of anything that would
lead to the recovery of the body was
found.
The whole affair is complete mys-
terry. 1t seems that everything that
men can do has been done to locate
and recover the body and all without
success.
There is an opinion now that is be-
coming prevalent in the community
that Mr.. Lancaster has been mur-
dered and his body hidden. The reason
so many people believe this is be-
cause it was we'll known among both
the white and colored people that he
always carried considerable money
with him. Quite a number, however,
seem to think that he was down the
branch and into the creek, where his
body is hidden by rubbish or covered
by sand. Up to this morning (Tues-
day. the affair is clothed in as deep
mystery as it was Wednesday night,
when the search commenced.
II. j. w.