Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-01-12
LA URENS PHYSICIAN MET DEA I'll
From Blow on tho Head, Delivered
In Mysterious Manner.

Laurens, s. c., Jan. 6.-Dr. Hugh
*. Aiken, president Of the Laurens
National Bank, and one Of the most
prominent citizens Of this section Of
the State, died here tonight at his
home at 7 o'clock from a mysterious
blow, which was inflicted on his head
just below the ear.
He went to his home shortly after
4 O'Clock, When his elder son. Hugh
Aiken, arrived shortly after i
O'Clock he was told by the colorei
cook that there was something wronr
In the bathroom; that she could
hear loud breathing in there. The
young man fastened to the ruOla and
found his father PROSTATE Oh ths
floor in a dying condition. Phys;.
clans were called, but within an hour
the stricken man breathed his last,
He had bled profusely from tho
wound, and a small portion Of tie.
brain had exuded when discovered.
The terrible tragedy IS shrouded
in mystery. The general belief 8
that he was killed by burglar, whom
he found In the house upon his re.
turn homo, for there was no one
there when the doctor went to his
home for the evening, after spendin!,
the day at his bank. The officers
have made an Investigation, and
there is nothing in the room that he
could have fallen against that would
have inflicted the fatal wound, and
1t is not believed that he was thus
injured before going to the bath
room. He was fully dressed and was
lying near the fireplace, and there
w.re no evidences that there had
been a struggle.
Dr.. Hugh K. Aiken was 3on OF
the late A. ". Aiken, and was reared
on farm near Cokesbury. He took
special course at the University of
South Carolina and later graduated
with honor at the Medical College
OF Charleston. A few years later he
located at Laurens, and for long
time practiced his profession here,
retiring from active practice nearly
twenty years ago in order to give
his time and talents to business. He
was president Of the Laurens Ma
tional Bank and Of the Farmers and
Merchants Bonded Warehouse, and
was interested In many other enter
prises here. He was an elder in the
First Presbyterian church, and withal
one Of the most useful citizens OF
Laurens. Ie was SO years Of age
and is survived by his widow. who
was before marriage Miss Minnie
Thames, Of Charleston, and by two
sons, Hugh and Robert Aiken.
Suicide Is Indicated.
Laurens. Jan. City and county
officials investigated to-day the mys
tcrious circumstances surrounding
the death Of Hugh X. Aiken, presi-
dent Of the laurans National Bank,
who was found late yesterday at his
home with a bullet wound in his
head.
The chief Of police said at IL
o'clock to-day that no arrests had
been made. No clues had been dis
covered to Indicate that he was shot
by burglar, which was the suppo-
sition advanced by officers soon after
Mr.. Aiken's body was discovered in
the bath room. Tho wound in Mr.
Aiken's head was made by a bullet
from .S2 calibre pistol.
DR.. Aiken's Pistol Found.
Laurens, Jan. 7.-The theory OF
foul play in the death OF DR.. II. K.
Aiken, which occurred here yester-
day afternoon, was dispeiled to-day
by the statement OF Sheriff Reid that
tho doctors pistol with an empty