The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-06-05
TRAGEDY ENACTED
ON RIVER BRIDGE
OFFICER E. Nj. LANCASTER KILLS
WIFE AND NEWTON LORICK.
Eleven Shots Were Fired
Motor Cars Meet and Husband Emp
ties Two RevolverS-Man and
Woman Die in Car.

caster, mOlOlSsCAS o11iSOi LIZ 'AAS w
lumbia police department., emptled
two revolvers yesterday afternoon
shortly after 4 o'clock and Newton S.
Lorick, Lexington county farmer, and
Mrs. E. M. Lancaster died in motor
car from the. bullet wounds. The
shooting occurred on the Congaree
river bridge and the automobile con-
tanning Lorick and Mrs. Lancaster
rolled about 200 feet and stopped be-
side a 25-foot embankment, after
knocking a tier off the railing. Lam
caster fred II shots and Lorick's
body showed the scars OF seven
wounds. Mrs. Lancaster was struck
by five bullets. Officer Lancaster used
two 3S-caliber Smith and Wesson re-
,voIyers. Lorick carried 92-caliber
Smith and Wesson pistol in his pock-
.et.
The inquest over the two bodies
was held at the Van Metre undertak-
ing parlors Friday morning at 10
O'Clock. The verdict of the jury was
that "Mrs. z. M. Lancaster and New
ton S. Lorick came to their death
from pistol shot wounds in the hands
{ of E. NJ. Lancaster near lue entrance
OF the Congaree river bridge, on Ger
yafs street, Richland county"
The most sensational feature de-
veloped at the inquest was that Lam
caster had killed the couple the first
two shots fired. Ehsn hobbling back
into the transfer, drove on up to the
place where Lorick's car had rolled
after the driver had been killed, and
then proceeded to empty two pistols
into the bodies of his wife and Lorick.
Remains of both were laid to rest
yesterday afternoon. The funeral
services over the remains of Lorick
were held at St. Andrews Lutheran
church in Lexington county at 5
o'clock. Interment was in the church
yard. The funeral of Mrs. Lancaster
was held from the residence at 911
Broad river avenue at $50 o'clock in
the afternoon. Interment was in Elm
wood cemetery.
j. w.. Richardson, chief of
police, said the call came to heau.
quarters about AIS o'clock Wednes-
day afternoon that two people had
been killed at the Congaree river
bridge. He and several other mem
bers of the force hastened to the
scene. Arriving there, they founo
Policeman Lancaster, who was al
most delirious over shooting his wife
and her companion. He told the chief
that Lorick had ruined his home. He
begged the chief to shoot him or to
let him have pistol to end his own
life.
Dr.. w. A. Boyd, who made the post
mortem examination, testified that
five or six bullets had been fred into
the body Of Lorick. One of these
went through the nose and crashed
clear through the head. Two were
fred directly into the chest and one
or two into the neck. Another had
gone wild and had brushed one leg
just below the knee and had gone
through the other leg. The woman
had four or five bullets in the chest
between the neck and the waist.
James Harmon, transfer driver,
was easily the star witness. Harmon
said Lancaster hired the car at the
Jefferson hotel between 2 and 3
O'Clock in the afternoon. They drove
out Laurel street, and when they got
near the park, the policeman asked
that the driver put up the curtains.
When this order had been complied
with they drove on through the west
ern part of the city until they came
to Gervais street, and thence to the
river. Reaching the bridge, Mr.. Lam
caster ordered the negro to stop. The
negro was then ordered to drive the
car up into the road along the canal
bank and to turn the car around. The
policeman then, the negro said, or
dered the machine backed up close
to the side of the bridge. "He told
me he was going to make an arrest -
the negro testified.
The officer kept his position on
the rear seat of the machine, and
maintained a steady watch on the
bridge. During the interim he had
taken one of his pistols and had laid
it beside the negro on the front seat.
By that time the negro said Mr.. Ian
caster shouted out, "Here they come