The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-05-10
BRUTAL MURDER
in COLUMBIA

avenue was murdered in his filling
station at the corner of Main street
and Elmwood avenue at about II
o'clock last night. The body, in the
opinion of county officers, was then
put6ihto Mr.. Arnette's car and carried
out Main street to Kirkland avenue
where the car and body were discov-
ment beside the Bay branch bridge
where tn car and body were discov-
cred at 11:30 o'clock. The murderers,
officers think, then returned to the fill
ing station and at about 1890 o'clock,
while county officers were at the Kirk
land avenue bridge investigating the
killing( set fire to the filling station.
The body was found lying in the
front of the car, which had either been
rolled out of the road or driven slow
ly down the embankment where it was
discovered by six men who were re-
turning home from a national guard
drill. Sheriff Heise was Immediately
notified and with Coroner Scott and
Deputy Sheriff Thompson rushed to
the scene. The body was lying crum-
pied up in the foot of the front seat.
From signs of blood in the back of
the front seat the body had apparent
iy been brought to the lonely spot held
upright between two men. Mr.. Ar
nette had been sit over the head sew
eral times with some blunt instrument
op1 nbo,, tho of}3oars 6r,t orr;,,oI A.,
body was still warm.
The tracks of the car were traced
to point about 100 yards beyond the
bridge beside which the car and body
were found. Here the murderers, ap-
parently having noticed the bridge as
they passed and decided upon it as a
good spot to drive the car off the road
turned around and drove back to the
bridge, sending the car down into the
ditch. They then left the scene pos
sibly in another automobile in which
a third or fourth confederate must
have followed or walked back to the
filling station.
There were no signs of any violence
near the bridge and no blood except
in the car and officers therefore be-
came convinced that the man had been
murdered and then brought to the
bridge. This theory was strengthened
when the news was received that the
sffliing station wss--en .fss-e.A- -ShAsiG
Heise then rushed back to the filling
station. The fire, which was discov-
cred at about 1885 o'clock and was
extinguished by the fire department,
had been started in a pot of gasoline
and had been burning only few min
utes when the fire department arrived
On the spot where the fire had been
started in the rear of the filling sta
ton the officers located spots of
blood, evidently where Mr.. Annette
had been struck. The tracks of an
automobile identical with that of Mr.
Arnette's were also found leading into
the side door Of the filling station
where the murderers apparently back
ed the car into the rear room of the
building and there placed the body in
the car to be carried out to Kirkland
avenue. The rear room of the filling
station where the crime was commit,
ted and where the fire was started is
cut off from view from the street.
Mr.. Annette had not closed the bust.
necs Cor the day and money 20 the
amount of $122.23 was found in the
cash register. Of this $11224 was ir
bills and silver. The cash register had
not been disturbed. Mr.. Arnette's
watch and small amount of money
IN one of his pockets were also undis.
turbed and were found on the body.
The crime, officers believe, was com.
mitted at about ii o'clock. Johr
Roberts of Colonial Heights, the last
person known to have seen MIR. Ar.
nette alive, told officers last night
that he stopped by the filling station
for gasoline at about 1890 O'Clock
and was served by Mr.. Annette. The
body was discovered by the six ma
tional guardsmen at 11:30 o'clock anC
was still warm. The bridge where the
body was found is approximately &
mile from the filling station and is
only few minutes automobile drive
from the filling station. kirkland
avenue connects Main street with the
Asylum road, leaving Main street
just beyond the Seaboard trestle.
The six national guardsmen, who
were riding. home in truck and first
noticed the car in the ditch, are: Bot
Crouch, Jim Crouch, Hayward Hair
Matterson Bonds, Jack Dent and Will.
lie Dent. These men notified the sheriff
at about IL o'clock and remained al
the scene until the officers arrived
shortly after midnight.
No suspicious person or persons are
known to have been seen near the fill.
ing station either before or after the
murder or fire. F. M. Nelson, who
was in drug store just across the
street, however, heard someone close
the gasoline pumps in front Of the sta.
tion at IL o'clock, but thinking that il
was Mr.. Annette, paid no attention to
the noise. Shortly afterward boy
ran by the drup store Mr. Nelsor