Laurens County Coroner Reports

26 Dr J D Austin being sworn says I was called to Fannie Tinley on Sept 20th in the afternoon about 3 o'clock [?] Found her lying in Stove room on the fllor in an unconcious condition with gunshot wound in top of her head, begining at hair line & extending about 4 inches toward back of head & 3/4 in to left of medinum line The skill was fractured 1 1/2 in from front end of would the external Love berry depresssion some fragment of which G hemoret & dressed the wound At post mordim examination Sept 21st form that she had died from effect of wound de[?] above & upon closer examination found that the [?] lobes of bone was also fractured J D Austin M D

27 State of South Carolina Lauren County An inquisition indented taken on 26th Oct 1908 at Barksdale Station C & W. C. R R before W L Wah Coroner for said county upon view of the body of Jim Wharton then and there being dead by the oath of W. B. Knight Fareman Andrew Jackson J P Kellet D Henderson B F Sill R L Bramlet T B Henderson J W Ball J R Traynham W J Burns R H Lee J R Lie being a lawful jury and Sworn to inquire for The State South Carolina where and by what means said Jim Wharton cacem to his death uproar their oaths do Say that the said Jim Wharton, came to his death in carelessly attempting to board train No o84 C & W C R&R in witness whereof I W D Watts coroner aforesaid & juror aforesaid to this inquisition have interchangeably put our hands & seal the year and day above inter[?] W D Watts Coroner B F Sell W B Knight Fareman J W Bolt Andrew Jackson R H Lee J P Killet J R Lee D Henderson R L Bramlet T B Henderson J R Tracytrain W J Burns

28 Testimony at Inquest of Jim Wharton South Carolina Lauren County W B PPiutnam lee my duly Juror says This morning about [?] the frieght train came down as the up train passed by I was standing by Station I head Jim Wharton say he was going to town to get him a galon of whiskey I saw him run from a wagon to catch the morning train He caught at the Rock of the caboose missed it and was trhrown Under the middle of the caboose The train caught his leg and threw him in the middle of the track & the wheel ran over his head & shoulders The train was moving at about 20 miles an hour W B Putmann F G Pearce being Sworn Says This morning I Came out of my house about 9 or 10 o'clock I saw Jim Wharton talking to John Sumer [?] this in the freight train came up & the down train passed I did not see Jim Wharton any more till I saw him catch at the train he missed it and was then under the train and was killed I surpass the train was running about 6 miles an hour the train carried about 9 or ten cars F C Pearce

29 Carl Leopard being sworn says This morning I was going to the gin I saw one train go down & another up The first time I saw the negro he was i the middle of the track under the cab The only car went over him & crushed him I was on the opposite side from the negro Carl Leopard L D Leopard being sworn says I was at Barksdale this morning when the train came up the down train came in on side track & the other train passed When it went back on main him Jim Warton passed one going to were feint of cab he missed his grab and back truck caught his feet & threw him under the only car behind the caboose He was in a mangle [???cor clesioafter] the train ran over him T D Leopard S E Henderson being Sworn says I am Depot Agent at Barksdale I seel tickets to passentgers I am acquainted with Jim Wharton he did not but a ticket here this morning I saw him grole at front of cab & fall & roll under the car I saw cab & box car pass over him. S E Henderson

31 Testimony of Miss Mary Brown Personally appeared Miss Mary Brown says that she was in Buggy with her T J Boyce &Cathran Pinson on the night of Nov 6th 1908 coming from the residence of Mrs Eslevell to her home at about 12 oclock at or near the residence of Mr Thos Hill, Mr Boyce who was driving and sitting in the lap of Mrs Catheran Pinson stopped the buggy got some fruit from under seat of buggy and gave it to deposant who offered it Mrs Pinson who declined after getting the fruit. Mrs Boyce again sitting in Mrs Prinson lap drove on for a short distance & Mr Pinson drew his pistol from his coat pocket and said I am going to shoot like hell and fired twice to his right & deposant & Mr Boyce as Mr. Pinson not shoot he stated he did not [?] give a --- Mr. Pinson then placed the pistol between himself & Mr Boyce and fired again. Mr Boyces head fell back his cap fell off & he fell out the buggy to the right between the wheels just after [?] that I noticed liner fall out of Mr Boyces hands as soon as Mr Boyce fell out of buggy I jumped out of buggy & ran on a head to stop some other friends I then went to Mr Jessie Neals residence & Mr inson came along in about 1/2 an hour & sent for me to come out where he was I declined to until they ahd taken his pistol away from him I then went out into

35 the yard where he was & Mr. Pinson says Mary you know I did not [m?t] Thornewll He shot himself I said Cathran you did shoot him I then got in buggy with Mr Pitts & Miss Dobbins & he went home after getting in the buggy and Mr. Leviles I descrond that Mr Pinson was drunk he was boisterous from the time we left Mrs Leviles until the shooting of Mr Boyce was drinking I could not detect it his conduct indicated that he was perfectly sober Mr Boyce more that once tried to get Mr Pinson to conduct himself in a more orderly manner Mr Pinson that once after he shot Mr Boyce Mr Boyce did not shoot after leaving Mrs Leviles I asked Mr Boyce to let me get out of buggy & go with Mr Pitts & Miss Dobbin on account of Mr Pinsons conduct signed Mary Evelyn Brown

1 State of South Carolina, Laurens County an inquisition indented, Taken at New Harmony Church, place James Stoddard In Laurens County, the 24 day of July, _____, A.D. 1917 before R.T. Owings, Coroner of said county, upon view of the dead body of D.D. Stoddard, of Owings R.F.D. #1 then and there being dead by the oath of Dr. H. L. Shaw, and D.C. Bennett and others. J.L Gray, G.W. Owings, P.S. Thomason J.T. Owings, R.W. Jennings and G.M. Brody [?}

Being a lawful jury of inquest, Who, being charged and sworn to inquire, for the State of South Carolina, where and by what means the said D.D. Stoddard came to his death, upon their oaths do say That D.D. Stoddard came to his death by gun shot wounds at the hands of W.R. Burdette and so the jurors aforesaid, upon their aforesaid, do say that the aforesaid D.D. Stoddard came to his death. In manner and from aforesaid that the said W.R. Burdette then and there feloniously did kill, against the peace and dignity of the state aforesaid. In witness where of & R.R. Owings coroner aforesaid and the jury aforesaid to this inquestion have interchangeably put our hands and seal the day and year above mentioned. R.R. Owens Coroner (L.S.) J. L. Gray Foreman (L.S.) G.W. Owings (L.S.) P.S. Thomason (L.S.) J.T. Owings (L.S.) R.W. Jennings (L.S.) G.M. Brooks (L.S.)

2 July 24, 1917 Mrs. Dee Bolt being sorn says: I was going from my home to Mr. Wicks and carried a negro woman part of the way with me. and on the way after the negro woman left me I saw Mr. Stoddard standing on the side of the road. He said to me "Step aside a moment", I said to him, "No indeed I havent time." About that time my borhter W. R. Burdette shot Mr Stoddard. Mr. Stoddard said, "Dont shoot anymore. Mr Stoddard walked off. One shot was fired. No word were passsed between my brother and Mr. Stoddard. Mr. Stoddard had no gun or knife that I know of. I did not know my brother was there until after he shot. I then ran for Mr. Sam Wicks and Mr. Bob Jennings. Where the shot was made I had my coat in one hand and a basket of fruit in the other hand. There had been no trouble between Mr. Stoddard and my brother that I know of previous to this time. My brother went off with the gun. and I saw him get some shells. My father was on the side of the road and I asked him where my brother was and he said he was gone to the country store to get some tobacco. At the time I spoke to my father about my brother I did not know anything about where Mr. Stoddard was I asked my brother W.R. Burdette why he shot Mr. D.D. Stoddard and he did not answer me. At the time the shot was fired Mr. Stoddards back was toward my brother and his face toward me. I was about ten or twelve feet from Mr. D.D. Stoddard when he was shot. Mrs. Dee Bolt.

3 July 24, 1917 Mr. Sam Wicks being sworn says; This morning Mrs. Dee Bolt came to the field where I was hoeing and called me and said W.R. Burdette had shot Mr. D.D. Stoddard. I went to Mr. Stoddard and he was dead when I got there. When I got there Mr. Stoddard was about 25 yards from the road I did not see any pistol, knife or any other weapon. I left the body before the coroner got there. When I left I didn not see any weapon. When I got to the body Mack Thomason was there and I left him there and went for Will Stoddard. When I got back to the body there was a gun there. I did not see any knife at all. on my return to the body W.W. Cook was there. Sam Wicks his X mark

W.W. Cook being sworn says; This morning Robert Burdette came to my field and called me and said he had shot Mr. Davie. He said "I am not going to run." He gave me his gun and we went to where Mr. Stoddard was. Robert Burdette was crying and said "Here take my gun." I carried the gun down there and set it down or layed it down some few feet from the body. The gun was doublebarrel. Witness examining gun that was found says it was the gun Burdette gave him. There was no other gun there that I saw. Did not see any weapon around Mr. Stoddard. There were four or five people present when I got to the body. W.W. Cook.

4 July 24, 1917. Mack Thomason being sworn says someone called me this morning and I went down there saw Bob Burdette in the bottoms. Bob Burdette called Fred Stoddard and told hime he had shot his father. When Bob spoke to Fred he did not tell him why he had shot Mr. Stoddard. After I got to Mr. Stoddard he breathed a few times. He was lying on his back when I got there. There wasn't any one at all at the body when I got there. A knife was lying under Mr. Stoddard when I turned him over. Knife was open. Mrs. Dee Bolt was twelve or fifiteen steps from the body. She said to me "Why did Bob shoot Mr. Stoddard? I told her I did not know. I called Freda Stoddard attention to the knife about the time he left. I heard only one shot. I was nearly a quarter of a mile away from the place where the shooting was done. I have never known any trouble between these two men. C.M. Thomason.

July 24, 1917 We the undersigned physicians being duly sworn make the following statement to witness: we separately and together examined the dead body of D.D. Stoddard and found that he had received a gunshot wound in the back. Said wound was in our opinion sufficient to cause death and we hereby declair that it did cause the death of the said D.D. Stoddard. H.L. Show M.D. D.C. Bennett M.D.