The Tragic Murder of Mary Ellen (Sellers) Jones

Mary Ellen Sellers was born January 1856 a daughter of John M. Sellers and Mary Brooks of Lilesvile, Anson County, North Carolina. It is not known when Mary Ellen married but the SC Death Certificate of her first born Child, May Florence, born 2 February 1880, show Lewis N. Jones as her father and Mary as her mother. If these facts are correct as stated then Lewis N. Jones and Mary Ellen Sellers may have been married before 2 February 1880. The 1880 and 1900 Census for Lilesville, Anson County shows Lewis N. Jones as a single man in both Censuses.

Lewis N. Jones murdered his wife, Mary Ellen, on the night of 14 December 1904 while mostly likely in a drunken rage. 

CHOKED TO DEATH
L. N. JONES IN JAIL CHARGED WITH WIFE MURDER.
Crime Was Committed Wednesday Night of Last Week—Coroner's Jury Charges Husband With the Crime--Jones and His Wife Had Been Having Trouble for Some Time, and Both of Them Are Said to Have Been Intoxicated on the Night Crime Was Committed.
Last Thursday afternoon news reached Wadesboro of, perhaps, the most horrible crime ever perpetrated in the county. This news was to the effect that Mrs. Mary Ellen (Babe) Jones, wife of L. N. Jones, who lived three miles east of Lilesville, on the Diggs ferry road, had been killed the night before and that her husband was suspected of having committed the murder.
Coroner Fenton immediately repaired to the scene of the crime and Thursday afternoon empaneled a jury. Friday morning at I0:30 o'clock the taking of evidence was commenced before the coroner's jury and continued until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
EVIDENCE BEFORE CORONER'S JURY.
The first witness examined was Dr. J. H. Bennett, county physician, who testified as follows:
"I made an examination of the dead body of Babe Jones and found wounds about the neck, chin and the left side of forehead: these were slight skin wounds. There were many scratches and finger nail marks about the throat. In my opinion, these were made by the hands of some individual. I found several wounds about each hand, fingers and wrists, and slight wounds about each knee joint. It is my opinion that the cause of death' was probably due to strangulation."
J. W. Harris, the second witness, testified as follows:
“I have known that Mary Ellen Jones, the deceased, had been abused by Lewis Jones for over a year. This I know from statements made by her in life to me. I have seen bruises on her cheeks and scratches on her throat at various times."
Martha Robinson, colored, was the next witness sworn. She testified as follows: "I was called to dress the body of Mrs. Jones. Lewis Jones, her husband, forbid me to do so. I washed her face and hands, and I saw bruises on her hands, throat and chin. I saw a little blood near the fireplace, in front. Frances Aycock helped me to put on her waist and skirt; I was called on by Lewis Jones to do this; this was about 11 o'clock a. m., Dec. I5th."
Mrs. A. M. Morton, the next witness, said: "On Wednesday morning before day I heard a woman scream. I spoke to my husband and said, 'I guess it is Lewis beating Babe. I have often heard it before; I heard a man's voice in the fuss. This was Wednesday, the 14th."
Mr. W. M. Morton testified: 'On Wednesday morning I heard a voice like a woman's scream; it was about 2 o'clock a. m.; have often heard creaming in the direction of Lewis Jones' house."
Becky Robinson testified: "I was at Lewis Jones' on the morning of the 15th of December; I was asked to go there by Lewis Jones; I went there with my mother; I saw blood on the floor in front of the fireplace; Mr. Jones was sitting by the fireplace; he said that a job had been put up on him: he said that some would think he did it, but he did not kill Babe; he said that Henry Wall (colored) killed her; he said that he left Henry Wall at the house while he went down to the old house, and that when he came back Babe was dead and Henry Wall was gone. I never heard of Lewis Jones going to sleep at the old house before. I have often heard fussing at Lewis Jones' house."
Green Wall testified: "I passed Lewis Jones' on Wednesday. Dec. 14th, about two hours by sun; Mrs. Jones was out in the yard crying; I heard Mr. Jones say to Mrs. Jones. 'Come on and cook me something to eat.' If I was at Lewis Jones' Tuesday night I do not recollect; I have been drinking for two weeks.”
Mr. J. C. Sellers testified; "About five or six weeks ago Mrs. Jones came to me and asked me for a helping hand; she told me that Mr.Jones intended to kill me; I told her if it was agreeable with Mr. Jones I would move her to my place to a vacant house and care for her."
Alex Lindsey (colored) testified: "I was at Lewis Jones' house about 10 o'clock Thursday, Dec. 15th; I found Ida Wall, Mattie Wall, Frances Aycock, Mary Harris and Mr. Jones; I was at Mr. Jones' house on Tuesday evening; Mrs. Jones was lying in the room on the floor between the beds; Mr.Jones was standing over her crying, 'Babe, get up;' he had his hand on her throat;when he took his hand away she squalled; he then took her by the hand and dragged her to the door and pushed her out with his foot, her head striking the ground first; I left and when I got to the garden I looked back; Green Wall was standing over her. About a month ago I was at Mr. Jones' house; I asked Mrs. Jones where was Mr. Jones; she said he was in the house; I went in and Mrs. Jones came in; they commenced fussing and I walked out; in a short time Mrs. Jones came out with her dress torn off at the waist."
Henry Wall (colored) testified: "Dud Jones came after me to go to Pee Dee after Mrs. Jones' daughter, Mary Harris. On Wednesday evening, Dec. 14th, I was at home and heard the fussing, and brother Pete says,'Listen how they are fighting over there' (meaning the Joneses). I am sure I was not at Lewis Jones' Wednesday night; I stayed at my home that night; the next morning I heard Lewis Jones hollering; he first said that Babe was sick and then said that she was dead; I have heard fussing at Lewis Jones' for some time.
The coroner's jury after hearing the evidence found that"Babe Jones came to her death by strangulation and abuse at the hands of Lewis Jones." Jones was immediately arrested and brought to Wadesboro and placed in jail.
JONES SAYS HE IS INNOCENT
Monday afternoon a representative of the M. & I.visited Jones in jail and asked him if he cared to make a statement. In reply he stated that, acting on the advice of his counsel, he did not care to say anything except that he was innocent of the charges against him. We learn, however,that on the day of the inquest Jones talked to a number of persons about the matter to the following effect;
That he and his wife both were drinking on the night of the snow (Wednesday night of last week), and that he left home and went to an old house nearby where he kept whiskey, and stayed the remainder of the night; that he returned to his home the next morning and made afire and called his wife several times and upon receiving no response from her went to another room and found her lying on the bed dead. Jones also stated that the woman had been killed by someone and the house robbed of $12 in money and that the contents of a jug of whiskey had been drank. Jones, who is about 55 years old, had been, running a blind tiger at his home for years, and it is said that he has been more or less under the influence of whiskey for months. On the day of the inquest, and when he was arrested, he was maudlin drunk and did not in the least seem to realize the serious situation he was in.
Jones has employed Messrs. Jas. A. Lockhart & Son. Messrs. Bennett & Bennett and Mr. T. L. Caudle to defend him.
No day for a preliminary hearing before a justice of the peace has been set, and we do not know that such a hearing will be held.

The Messenger and Intelligencer
Wadesboro, North Carolina
Thursday, December 22,1904
Page 3, column 3 & 4

Mary Ellen (Sellers) Jones had two known children. Those two children May (Mrs. John W. Harris) and Mary, age 12, are named in the following newspaper abstract.

May Jones, the 12-year-old daughter of the prisoner and the deceased, was then examined. She testified that she was away from home the night her mother died; that she had never seen her father strike her mother but one time; that her father usually slept down at the old house; that she saw scars on her mother's neck Monday morning it was brought out on cross examination that May had been living with her married sister, Mrs. Harris,  near Pee Dee, since a few days after her mother's death until Friday before the convening of court on Monday, at which time she bad been staying with Mrs. Rex.

[The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, North Carolina, 23 Feb. 1905, page 2, column 3]

I have found no evidence that Lewis N. Jones ever served time for this murder. Lewis/Louis N. Jones died of Chronic interstitial nephritis on 24 March 1923. His death certificate shows him the widow of Mary Jones, the woman he murdered.

Mary Ellen (Sellers) Jones is my 2nd Cousin 3X Removed.

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1. L. N. JONES IN JAIL CHARGED WITH WIFE MURDER obituary, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, United States, 22 December 1904, Page 3, column 3 & 4.