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About The Augusta daily herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1908-1914 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1909)
THE AUGUSTA DAILY HERALD VOLUME XIV., No. 163. COLUMBIA MURDER MYSTERY; SOLUTION SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE No Clues Have Been Found That Can Be Relied on. Suicide Theory Advanced Special to The Herald. COLUMBIA, S, C—ln the revolting killing in the kitcher of her home at 611 Sumter street about daybreak Friday morning of Mrs. Victoria Grif fin, who was struck in the head with an axe, her throat cut from ear to ear and her body thrown into the well on the premises, the Columbia police have a murder mystery on their hands, which is a match for the Matd Allen murder mystery, which has never been solved. Governor Heyward spent $1,600 on Pinkerton detectives without getting even a near solution. Governor Ansel has been appealed to in the case which developed Friday morning, but so far only for assistance in a small way. In both the Maud Allen and Griffin murder cases the owner of the prem ises Is a resident of Brookland. This has no bearing on the case, but is merely a curious coincid' - *^. FIVE SUSPECTS UNDER ARREST. Five men have been arrested in connection with Friday morning’s murder, three of thorn sons of the dead woman, the fourth a man said to have been on intimate terms with the dead woman up to five months ago, when he ceased boarding at the house, and the fifth, a barber, named Luke Lewis, who was a visitor to the dead woman’s oldest daughter by a former husband, Eula Thompson. The three sons are Walter, Jim and Russell Griffin, all cotton mill oper atives. They were all found at the house by the police, and said they all slept in their mother's room, the youngest, Russel, in the same bed. Ihe oldest daughter occupied a room to the front. There was still another daughter in the house, about 13 years old. There are only three rooms and a kitchen in the house. The oth er man in arrest is G. Wash Medlin, who ceased boarding at the house re cently, but who turned up there im mediately after the arrival of the po lice at about 5:30 this morning. All the arrests were made at the house except that of Lewis, who was placed under arrest at his barber shop in the McCreery building op posite the Union station. He said he was not at the house Thursday nis*t, and Eula Thompson says though Thursday night was his night to be there he had sent word that he could not come. SUICIDE THEORY IS ADVANCED. All the children, except a daugh ter who lives in the country, were at home, and they advanced the theory of suicide so strongly in the face of the physical facts demonstrating murder unmistakably that, the coro ner became suspicious of them and made the arrests as Indicated. The woman’s husband, David Wes ley Griffin, was a well known resi dent of this county, and was fairly successful in business. He was mur dered in a quarrel with his partner in the terpentine business, a man named Dennis, about five years ago. The oldest daughter says she dis covered that her mother was missing about 5 o’clock. Being awakened by the clock at this time and not hear ing her mother stirring in the kitchen the daughter left her room to go to her mother’s to arouse her. Not find ing her there she made a fruitless search. The youngest son then went to the Union station, a few blocks away, and notified Officer Salter, who with another officer went to the house at once. WOMAN FOUND IN YARD WELL. A horrible sight met the officers’ gaze in that back kitchen in the fresh, crisp dawn of a new day. A pool of blood was on the floor of the kitchen, a bloody razor, afterward identified as one belonging to a son, was on the kitchen table, and in the corner stood a hloody axe, part of the blade being broken off and the other half very bloody. There were bloody tracks about the kitchen. There were also some tracks leading back into the room where the sons slept, bnt it is thought these were made by the youngest boy in going out to search for his mother. Finally the officers were attracted to the well by a few blood staling on THE WEATHER Forecast for Augusta and Vicinity: Fair tonight and Sunday. For South Carolina: Partly cloudy tonight and Sunday. For Georgia: Local showers to night or Sunday. A moderate depression overlies North Georgia, and as a result Au gusta weather 13 warmer than on any day of the summer. Friday's max imum was 92 degrees, but today’s highest temperature will reach at least 95, which Is a record for the year. Showers-fell in all sections of the cotton heir’ Thursday night, though there was no rain locally. In several North Carolina district* the precipi tation was very heavy. It is raining In the Great Lake re gion today, as well as In several of the middle western states. Tempera tures have risen considerably over the northeastern portion of the coun try. Phoenix, Arizona, was the hot test town In the country Thursday, with a maximum of 100 degrees. the side of the well box. The top was down, the dry bucket on the two lids. Further investigation disclosed the woman whose body was fished up out of about fifteen feet of water, though it was not yet stiff. The dead woman had a gash in the top of her head as if made by three licks from the blade of the axe, al though the skull was not fractured. The wounds on the throat revealed repeated hackings at it with the raz or. the assassin striking the carti ledge of the Adam’s apple and forc ing his way through this with fiend ish energy. A chip out of the Adam’s apple was found on the kitchen floor by Dr, L. A. Griffith, who afterward conducted the post mortem. The woman’s next door neighbors are negroes. They could tell the po lice nothing to throw any light on the mystery. CHILDREN WERE GRIEF-STRICKEN. The coroner and police found the children all in tears ajid they appear ed to be grief stricken in the extreme In the fact of all these facts dis closed by the police they still affect to believe their mother committed suicide. Eula Thompson stoutly maintains to the coronor that she is a good girl. She went so far as to offer to undergo any sort of examination at the hands of a physician which would satisfy the coronor that she had aiwajs been a good woman. She says she is willing to do this or most anything else to throw any light on the mystery of her mother’s murder or suicide, which ever it is. The dead woman suffered from can cer of the stomach, the children say, and they believe she suicided on this account, because she had been saving lately that if she could find a good way to kill herself she would do it. A theory of the police is that a man committed the murder in a fit of jealous rage, having caught Mrs. Griffin in company with another man. The children admit that Medling slept in the same room with their mother, when he w'as boarding there, but they deny there nad been any quarrel be tween the two, so far as they are in formed. ivienlin has been to the house frequently up to within a week of the murder. SON SAW MOTHER GO OUT HOUSE. Mrs. Griffin’s son Walter, who says he slept in the same bed with his mother, although he is fourteen years old, says his mother had a habit of going out to the back steps several times a night on hot nights and dip ping snuff. She went out that night. He does not recall her returning af ter she had gone out the third time. She was wearing dark clothes then. It has not bee so established yet, but the inodications are that the clothes the woman was found in came out of the daughter’s trunk. HERALD MAN ON THE SCENE. .1. representative of The Herald to day personally looked over the prem ises at 611 Sumter street. It is a squaljtd little place. The pitiable cries of the youngest girl for her mother, whose life blood still soils the kitchen floor, as the flies swarm in and out of the windows and doors among a dozen or so curious neigh bors, who have come in to “look af ter things” mingles strangely with the rude oaths of negroes dragging out the -well into which the body had been thrown, A thorough dragging of the well reveals no further clue. It was full of soft mud, there being not a brick or other hard substance at the bottom or on the sides against which the woman’s head could have struck to produce the gash in the top of the head. But to make assurance doubly sure it is likely that an annaly sis of the blood on the ax will be made to make certain that it is human blood. CORONER’S INQUEST. In support of the suicide theory the children turned over to the coronor a two ounce bottle of iodine, half emp ty, which they said their mother bought. The bottle bears of the im lmprtnt of W. C. McMillan's drug store. It is likely the inquest will not be held for a day or so yet, as the coronor is waiting on some facts, which he thinks may be brought to light if he waits. When fished out of the well the woman was clad.ln two night gowns, and the small amount of hlood on them gave rise to the suspicion that the body was thus dressed after the murder. NO DEVELOPMENTS LATE SATURDAY. Dispatehes from Columbia late Sat urday say that there are no new de velopments in the murder mystery. The Coroner's Inquest, has been post poned until Wednesday. CORONER HELD INQUEST SATURDAY Robert. Martin, a negro 65 years of age, died about 10 o’clock Saturday morning at his home, corner Young and Harper streets, after a lingering illness with Bright’s disease. Coro ner Ramsey held an inquest. The coroner stated that no foul play was suspected. Martin’s death was witnessed by his wife. The jury re turned a verdict of death as the re sult of Bright’s disease. AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 12, 1909. Theodore Shonts and Munson Morris. 4s^ / ;\. jl A|iil a ' V \ I , / W -mSSik m •>\ -i- \ ... T», *i A ’>l llßlllK : ’*g|flapl'i « 'tiM'T-• w.f rTHMliilifaliy ■■ S *■ : I / EAgl -Y ' : 'ij I: . t ‘ Si ■ L ,*39 I Hr Its) Snapshot of Theodore Shonts, the well known railroad magnate, and Munson Morris, as they appeared in the paddock, while the Brooklyn handi cap was being run. TWENTY MEN WENT DM HITII BOAT ST. PETERSBURG—-The submarine torpedo boat Kambala, of the Russian navy has been sunk in a storm in the Black sea, while the boat was under going trials. Twenty members of her crew including the captain, first lieutenant and chief engineer perished. FOUR KILLED WHEN STORE COLLAPSED DETROIT—Five of the floors of the six story store house of the Pen insular Stove works collapsed from the weight of stoves. The first which followed was soon under control. A search is being made for victims. Four are reported killed and a num ber injured. ORANGEBURG WANTS TO BE ON AUTO ROUTE Meeting of Several Coun ties Will Be Held and Flans Discussed. Special to The Herald. ORANGEBURG, S. C. —At the meet ing of the capltol to capital highway convention held in Columbia Thurs day this city was well represented. Their presentatlvee were given much encouragement. Although by the pres ent plan it is not probable that the main road will pass through this city in the trip by the scout machines, a movement is on foot in this city which will mean much for the place. It is proposed to call a meeting of the su pervisors and live business men of the counties of Sumter, Florence, Dor chester, Aiken, Colleton, Bamberg and Orangeburg to be held in Florence, at which the matter of a route through these several counties will he discussed, which will onnnect with Columbia, Augusta, Charleston and Savannah. The condition of the roads tn all of the counties Is fairly good, and with but very little work and ex pense, a great system of roads could he worked up, which would practical ly unite all of these places, and put them within a few hours of each other by auto. Children of Houghton School Give SIO.OO To Milk and Ice Fund It is to be noted with pleasure that, the children arc beginning to take a decided interest in the Milk and Ice Fund movement. A message has been received from Prof. Otis, of the Houghton school that he had a contribution of >IOOO to make to the fund, the amount t» lng made up of small sutas contributed by the children in the school. I-ast year, the first donation made was by a little boy on Greene street, who by his own efforts raised SIO.OO. It 1* a beautiful thing to Interest the children In this splendid project, and we hope that many others will follow the example of Prof. Otis. YOUNG MEN HELD AD TRAIN RODDERS ROCHESTER. N. Y.—The five men taken front the New York Central fast mail train west-bound, when It reached here Saturday morning, and charged with train robbery, gave their names as Benjamin Marsh, Albany. Harry Brundage and James Maroney, Pleasantvllle. Harvey Ferris, Brook lyn and Harry Edwards, New York They admitted boarding the traiu at Albany but denied tansacking the ex press packages. None of them is over thirty. Several carried bunches of keys, but none was armed. JUDGE HAMMOND BROKE THE RECORD The feature of the field day exer cises of the 100 Club, Mounted, at the Sohuetzqn Platz Friday afternoon, was Judge Henrq C. Hammond’s score In the riding pistol contest, 48 targets out of a possible 75. That is a new record for the club. Contestants rode at full speed past the targets, firing off-hand while go ing at a gallop. It was a very speo tacular performance, and occupied the interest of the entire assemblage. Mr, Rodney S. Cohen made the best sin gle shot, scoring a bull’s eye. The prize, a beautiful silver loving cup, was awarded to Judge Hammond. Judge Hammond won, also, the hur dle, spoon and egg contest, the prize being a gold scarf pin. Mr. T. Miller Morris won the tilt, with a perfect score, the prize being a pair of puttee legglns. In the bachelors' visiting race Mr. Rodney Cohen defeated all contest ants, winning the prize, a gold scarf pin. He was the only contestant making a porfeot trip. Mr. William Brodie won the potato race. The exercises were largely attend ed, and proved highly enjoyable. DREAMED HE WAS CALLED DOCTOR, WALKS OUT WINDOW Young John Boyd Mc- Keown, Although Serious ly Injured, Continued Ex aminations Before Board. COLUMBIA, S. C.—Dreaming that he had received his first call as a physician, young John Boyd McKeown, of a prominent Chester family, who is here to go before the state hoard of medical examiners, Thursday night walked out of the second story window and was seriously injured. He is plucky, however, insisting on continu ing his examination as soon as he got up. ———\ CHURCH MEMBERS DANCE IN ATLANTA ATLANTA, Ga.-—Dancing to the sound of piano music in the First Unlversalist church is to be the week ly diversion of a number of young people of this church. Rev. E. Dean Ellenwood, pastor, said Friday of dancing: “I consider dancing an innocent and healthful amusement. I do not be lieve In letting tho devil have ail the good things.” The church is planning to arrange a stage, where amateur theatrical performances may be given by the players’ club of the church, already organized. Mill AUTOS ONHUNTFOU NEGRO CAMDEN, N. J.—Automobiles are being used in the vicinity of Wood bury, near here in an endeavor to locate a negro who Friday night shot and seriously Injured Clarence Kline, aged 22 years, the conductor of a trol ley car. The car of which Kline was In charge was about to leave Wood bury for this city when a negro and a woman companion boarded It and In sisted upon being taken in the oppo site direction. The negro became abusive and drawing a revolver shot the conductor in the abdomen. He and the woman then disappeared. When the news of the shooting be came known in Woodbury practically every owner of an automobile turned out with his machine to try to run down the negro. He is believed to he hiding in the woods near Wood bury and a force of men has surround ed the place. HARRIMHIiI HIS SERIOUS MALADY NEW YORK —Dispatches from London Saturday says E. H. Harriman Is undergoing treatment for a grave organic trouble, a complication of heart and kidney disease. The af fliction is said to be of serious nature caused from overwork and nervous ness. In case he retires Edwin Haw ley is much mentioned ns his prob able successor. B. MONROE WEEKS FOUND NOT GUILTY Special to The Herald. AIKEN, S. C.—R. Monroe Weeks, who was on trial here charged with forgery in connection with the short age in the People's Bank wsh Satur day found not guilty. MR. MURPHY BACK FROM WASHINGTON Mr. T. D. Murphy returned Satur day morning from Washington, whore he has spent the last several days. Mr. Murphy was asked to make a statement in regard to the postmas tership appointment, rumors about which were rife in Augusta following the circulation of petitions in his be half while he was in Washington. Mr. Murphy replied that he could make no statement at this time and offered the suggestion that the term of the present Incumbent would not be up for about, a year yet. He says he met Judge Taft the day he arrived in Washington, and had a pleasant conversation with him. The president asked about his friends in Augusta and recalled num bers of them with evident pleasure, Mr. Murphy was well entertained by the newspaper boys in the Cap itol City, and renewed his acquaint ance with the newspaper men who were here during Judge Taft’s stay last winter. He reports having had a thoroughly enjoyable time. EARTHpUAKE HAS FRANCE IN PANIC PARlS—Despatches from the south of France, where a series of earth quakes were experienced Friday night say the shocks were felt in the coast departments from the Alps through to the Atlantic. People ev erywhere are greatly alarmed, and oscillations were sufficiently severe to displace masonry and In few in stances to shake down houses. Thous ands of persons slept Friday night in parks and on hoard boats. The shocks were followed by violent hailstorms. BAVANNAH TEACHERS EXAMS. SAVANNAH, Ga.- -The Chaflham academy was filled Saturday with would be teachers of the public schools. Saturday was the day for examination of applicants and a large number of both whites and blacjoi applied. Supt Ashmore of the Board of Education and a com mittee from the Board conducted the examination, which was written. On Monday the annual election of teach ers in the public school will tak* placa. DAILY AND SUNDAY, $6.00 PER YEAR. PROOIBiTiON WON'T BDTHEOTHESOLONS Legislature, in All Prob ability, Will Not Even Consider Near-Beer Problem. Special to The Herald. ATLANTA, Ga. It seems to be the concensus of opinion that the prohi bition law will not he bothered by the legislature at their coming session the latter part of this month. .1. Ran dolph Anderson, representative-elect of Chatham county, gives it as his opinion that there will be no agitation of the prohibition question in the as sembly. The Chatham county legis lator does not. believe that the so called near-beer problem will preci pitate any legislation, either. MRS. MARTHA MURPHY DIED FRIDAY Mrs. Martha Jane Murphy died at her residence No. 65 Rodney avenue in Summerville Friday morning after an illness of three weeks. Mrs. Mur phy was 60 years old. She is sur vived by a daughter, Mrs Eugene Hamilton and one brother, Mr. L. A. Bell. The funeral services were held Sat urday morning at 11 o'clock at Fierce’s Chapel, at Rock church, about five miles from the city on tho Wrlghtsboro road. The interment took place in tho Rock church ceme tery. Rev. Eugene Reynolds con ducted the funeral services. FIGHT OVER* POLE WILL GO UNTRIED Special to The Herald. AIKEN, S. C. No bills have been found by the grand jury in the case against Messrs. J. D. Prothro and John H. Richardson, on the charge of assault and battery with Intent to kill. This was a difficulty between the two men in front, of Mr. Richard son’s house sometime in March last about the placing of a telephone pole by Mr. Prothro In front of Mr. Rich ardson’s dwelling house. The men had a mutual combat with guns, but no one was hurt. MR. AND MRS. BLACK LOSE LITTLE SON Henry Z. Black, the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Black died at the residence of his parents, No. 1711 Fenwick street Friday evening at 7 o'clock. The child had been 111 only two days. The body waH shipped to Bamberg, 9. <!. Saturday morning at 7:10 o’clock. The funeral ser vices will be held there. The inter tnent will take place In the Bamberg cemetery. ( JUDGE YIELDED TO PLEA FOR MERCY Three pleas were entered in the city court Saturday morning. Frank Busch, a young man pleaded to steal ing a pistol. Judge Eve sentenced him to 8 months on the gang, and sus pended sentence on the condition that lie leave tho city Immediately for his homo in Carolina. The hoy Is the only support of his mother, and an appeal for mercy had been made for him, as his mother would be without support if he wont to the gang. Annie Holland, a negress, stole $4.80. She was sentenced to service six months on the county farm. Jim Brown, a negro, pleaded to selling cocaine. Ho was sentenced to serve 10 months on the gang. A newspaper is valu able to its advertisers only in pro nor t ion to its strength in the homes it enters. A large proportion of the circulation of some newspapers NEV Klt CROSSES the threshold of a home. Every copy of The Augusta Hera,ld ODES HOME. It furnishes the family reading for the evening. Its advertising col umns arc the family market place. Do you realize, Mr. Advertiser, what it means to he part of that family reading to make your offerings known in a circle that reads NO OTHER paper so care fully, if at all ? Or do you prefer to spend your advertising IF YOU WANT RESULTS IN GOOD OLD AUGUSTA, USE HERALD ADS DAILY. TWO NEGROES IDE LYNCHED M MOB Crowd Overpowered Of ficer and Hanged Slayers of Yonng Ben Smoak. Special to The Herald. HRANCHVILLE, S. C.— Late Fri day a mob of about five hundred men took two negroes, Quille Simmons and Frank Samuels, from an officer ant- lynched them. The negroes had been arrested by Constable Maxey and were charged with the murder of young Ben Smoak, which occurred about two weeks ago. The officer was taking the prisoners to Walterboro, when he was overtaken by tho mob, and forced to return to Srnouks. There the ne groes were taken from the officer and carried to a point near the railroad and hanged to a tree. Afterwards their bodies were riddled with bullets. Before being strung up the negroes made a partial confession. As far ns known tills is the first lynching that has occurred in Colleton oounty. AIKEN MAN VIOLATED U. S. POSTAL LAWS Mr. Jolin Wallenberg was Fined Ten Dollars For Writing on Second Class Matter. Special to The Herald. AIKEN. S. C The post office in spector from Washington has imposed a flno of $lO on Mr. John Wallenberg of this city, for writing a few words on second class matter mailed by Mm about a year ago. After consulting an attorney Mr. Wallinberg [mid his fine. From hte statement it was only a miajndgment of the amount of postage he should have plaood on the package. Tho Inspector says that there are I hroe other cases against parties in Aiken for enclosing gold rings lu fourth class matter. Uncle Sam will have the law enforced, and it seems that this is tho only way to teach the people tho law, TECH BOYS SEND RUG TO PRESIDENT ATI .A NT A, Ga.—A handsome nig, tnndo of Georgia cotton, by the tex tile students of the Georgia School of Technology, will be forwarded to President Taft Monday. On the oo casion of his visit to the school last winter the president suggested that lie would be plonsed to have some ap propriate memento of ills visit to tin sehool. The rug was plaoed on ex hibition Friday. SMITH TO ENTERTAIN TRAVELING MEW ATLANTA. Ga. Gov. and Mrs Hoke Hinltli will Saturday night en tertain tgo traveling men and theli wives at an Informal reception at th« executive mansion between the hour) of nine and eleven o’clock. The In, vltatlon Includes the Atlanta oltj salesmen and their wlveu. CHIEF NORRIS OFF TO CONVENTIOH Thief M. J. Norris left the eit.j Saturday for Buffalo, N. Y., whor« ho wdin attend the convention ol the International Police Ohiefe assn elation. Übief Norris will be out ol the city for several days. The eon vent lon will be in session three days The police chiefs from every largl city in the United Stales and FCuropt usually attend the convention. appropriations for circu lation OUTSIDE the home circle ? Every one to his lik ing is a good rule, of course. Perhaps you LIKE to pay for that kind of circulation. It costs big money for the white pa per used, AND YOU I’AY THE BILES. Why not try some HOME CIRCULATION - reach the real buying power of the communi ty ? In other words, TRA The Augusta Herald’s readers. They have con fidence in the naner or they wouldn’t take it home; that confidence goes <o the advertising as well as Hie reading columns. It’s up to you to say, Mr. Advertiser.
