The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-07-01
BENNETTSVILLE MAN CHARGED
WITH SERIOUS CRIME.
Young Telegraph Operator Held for
Alleged Assault Upon Young
White Girl.
Fee Dee Advocate.

Fee Dee Advocate.
Joe Simons, a young telegraph OPP
orator is in Jail here, charged with
criminal assault upon a young lady
who is said to be under fourteen
years of age.
Late last Friday afternoon G. D:
Odom and Murray Odom were COM
ing in a car from C. D. Odom's river
pasture, near Gardner's Bluff, when
they suddenly came upon an auto
mobile standing in the road, near the
river and Simons and a girl were on
the back seat. They did not recog7
nize the girl but next day they made
inquiries which led to her identity.
Her father, who is farmer living
several miles in the country, was no.
titled Saturday night. He swore out
a warrant Sunday morning. charging
Simons with criminal assault upon
his daughter. In the mean time
Simons had been arrested in Ben
nettsville Saturday night and placed
in jail.
The girl was working at an indus
trial plant in Bennettsville, and
boarding with a relative. After her
father learned Of the affair In the
river swamp Friday afternoon, she
told him that Simons had assaulted
her.
She said that Simons took her to
ride Thursday night and kept her out
late but that his conduct toward her
was then gentlemanly. After WORK
hours Friday evening, she accepted
his invitation to go to the canoy
kitchen to get some ice cream. AFTER
getting the ice cream they got into
his car and he started out of town.
She says she asked him to come oack'
as she had an engagement to go TO
preaching, but he went on ana STOP
ped in a dark, dreary place, ana as,
saulted her after she had resisted ana
fought him off till she was exhausted.
She said that when Mr.. Odom's, car
went by she screamed and tried 10
sign It down, but it went on, the
noise of the car drowning her VOICE
Simons kept her there till late In the
night and brought her to her board
ing place. 1t is said that her bruls-
ed body and bloody clothing snow
signs of the struggle and assault.
Her father says that she will be four
teen years old next September.
Joe Simons has been in Bennetts-
vile about year as telegraph OPP
orator at the Western Union office
His father is said to be an American
born Assyrian, and his mother an
American woman. They live In
Richmond, Va. Joe is about 20 years
old.
When Simons was arrested Satur.
day night he admitted to Chlet OF
Police Cunningham that he had i'm
proper relations with the girl. On
Sunday he wired his brother-in-laW
in Baltimore, and Monday he retain
ed J. J. Evans as attorney, and MT
Evans wired his father in Richmond.
When Simons was arrested Satur-
day night, Magistrate Gibson ap-
pointed Tuesday at 1C a. m. for the
hearing. When the hour arrived Mr..
Evans asked for a postponement OF
tho hearing till the father OF Simons
arrived. McColl and Stevenson, at.
torneys for the prosecution. insisted
upon an immediate hearing. After
considerable argument by the attor-
neys, Col. Gibson postponed the hear
ing till Thursday at 10 a. m. He also
announced that nobody would bo ad-
mitted to the hearing except witness
es. ATTORNEYS, officers, members OF
the family and newspaper reporters
Senator McColl said that the con-
situation required trials to be public
but Col. Gibson said that no matter
what the constitution and law said
he would exclude the crowd from
this hearing.
Mr.. Simons' brother-in-law and a
friend arrived Tuesday afternoon
They wired for his father, and he Is
expected to be here in time for the
preliminary hearing Thursday morn
ing