The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-11
FOUND DEAD WITH THROAT CUT
IN PIECE OF WOODS NEAR HOME
Newberry County Farmer, in State
of, Mental Alteration, Supposed
to Have Suicided.

|
noon in piece of woods near the
home, IN the western part of the coun-
ty on the Ninety-Six road, the dead
man having lived with his family in
| the home of. his father-in-law, Mr..
! Geo. A. Boozer. in No. 7 township.
His throat was cut and it is believed
i that he came to his death by his own
hand, in the suicidal wave now
sweeping with the crime wave over
the land. Mr.. Coats was about 40
wears old and was very strong physi-
cally and not of moody nature.
He is survived by his wife and sever
al children.
Upon receipt of the message Sher-
ifH Blease had word sent to Coroner
F. NJ. Lindsay, who boarde&the 6:l5
C. N. G. L., train Immediately for
Clinton and went to Cross Hill, stay
ing there until daylight, when a me-
gro with mule and buggy took him
to Mr.. Boozer's, where he held the
inquest, after which he was taken to
Chappells where he took the Southern
train, reaching Newberry at 1890.
The following is the evidence suo-
mitted to the jury:
Geo. A. Boozer, sworn, says: l
went down the road half-mile; met
Mr.. Coats. / turned back; l talked
with him about two hundred yards
up. the road. He asked about some
wagons. Tom, his little boy, was get
ting along. He asked me what time
it was. | was riding slowly, and ne
left me in about one hundred yards OF
the house. 1t was twenty minutesSto
10 o'clock. saw. him ride away
from the house. When / saw him
next was in a piece of pines about a
half-mile from the house, dead. !
saw something Ikea razor lying close
to his head.
Geo. A. Boozer.
Willie Smith, sworn, says: 4 came
home from loading some cotton from
Wess Peterson. Mr.. Coats was leav-
ing his home as / got back home. 1
came on and sat in the store room.
While there I ate my dinner. Then
it began to rain a good while. Then
Mrs. Coats told me to go over to the
hav barn and to see if / could lind
Mr.. Coats. I could not find him IN
the hay barn; so came back home.
After the rain stopped Mrs. Coats
sent me to see if I could track Mr..
Coats. I went by the hay barn and l
saw Mr.. Coats horse hitched in the
edge of a piece of pines. 1 saw Mr..
Coats lying on the ground all dou-
bled up with. his hat lying on the
ground by him. So L came back and
told Mr.. G. A. Boozer, and Mr.. Boo
zer went over; there with me. / walk
ed closer and saw something like a
razor.
Willie Smith (His Mark.
Edd Davis, sworn, says: l went
over to the woods where Mr.. Coats
was lying and Mr.. G. A. Boozer told
me to shake Mr.. Coats and see II ne
was dead; and he was. l saw razor
living about a foot from Mr.. Coats
BODY. saw Mr.. Coats horse hltched.
Edd Davis (His Mark):
The Physicians Certificate
Cross Hill, Feb. 9, 1921.
This is to certify that I have, upon
REQUEST of the jury of inquest, ex-
amined the body of W. F. Goats: l
find that he came to his death from
an incised wound Of neck, cutting
both jugular veins. find no evidence
of violence to any other part Of the
body. n. b. oenh' W. ~
Verdict of Jury
The verdict of the jury was that
"the said w. F. Coats came to his
death by his throat being cut by
hands unknown to the jury
F. M. Lindsay, Coroner.
P. N. Boozer, foreman
]. H. Atchison
R. L. Sterling
w. F. Johnson
N. L. BooZer
w. H. .Hollingsworth.
CALDWELL Thompson
Miss Ora Caldwell and Mr.. John P.
Thompson were married on Wednes-
day by the Rev. James f. Meng, all
of West end.
"Fighting Fate" at the opera house