The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, July 26, 1878, Image 1
f l^olqd to it)i;iqnUuroL ."^ortiqnUttr^ gomqstin ?qonomg,and ?n Current 3Jews ijjf the inj.
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From the News and Courier.
REDMOND'S STRANGE STORY.
A TALK WITH TJIR OUTLAW IN TIIK HEART OK THE
111 DOE.
VISITINU UENDRICKS,
They found an overcoat, which several
said was iniue, but I did not think so, and
would uot take it. They tried to pursuado
mo to do so, but I told them I would not
wear another man's coat as long as 1 could
buy ouc for myself. The shawl was net
there, nud ouc of the party *as about to
seize a saddle blanket in place of it, but I
stopped him, aud made him leave it whore
bo found it. 1 told them that the officers
bad uot stolen anything of the kind from
uio, and I would bavo nothing but what I
knew was mine. 1 kept them from takiug
i- away several other things, and took nothing
at all myself. The 'court met a few davs
oftar this, and*a bench warrant was issued
ibr uic for stealing the two overcoats
JUDGE MACKEY's l'AUT.
I have been informed by an officer of*, ,
the Court of Pickens GouUvy that when
the charge was 'preferred iu court against
Hcduiond, of haviug led this raid and of
haviug taken the overcoats, the grand jury
examined the witnesses aud, finding no
proof against him in either matter, returned
to the court room and hauded iu a vcrdicW
of "No bill !" Judge Mackcy at once sent
theui back with other witnesses, aud again
they returned with the same verdict, lie
scut them back the third time with the rw><>
., mark, "1 suppose, gentlemen, you have not
had enough witnesses," aud seeing that lie
was determined to have if, they returned at
last with an indictment. The proceedings
in a grand jury room are, of course,' secret,
(?) but it is said iu Pickcus County that
the evidence upon which this one based its
final verdict was two-fold, to wit: First, that
two overcoats were taken by a party of men
from Hondrick's house seeoiwl ?!?<??. ltn.l
inond was seen at Pickens Courthouse next
dot/ with the same party. On this alleged
cvideuce '"the Court issued its bcuch warraut,
ordering Redmotfd to be brought into
its prcincts dead or alive. A posse wat
accordingly sent after liiu:. they found him
at work in his hold, and ordered him to
halt und surrender. Not knowing who they
were or what they wanted, Redmond refused
to obey, and they fired upou him and
continued tiring until he obtained shelter
in the woods. Possibly being just uicn
they did not try to hit him?we may hone
had takon place on the Saturday, the 19th,
preceding the ineffectual raid after Gary,
which took place Monday, the 11th, and of
course Redmond, who did not lead the Gary
Yaid, led the jainbreakers also. Of course
he did no such thiug. Tn.point of fact, he
was across the lino in North Carolina when
the jail was broken, and knew nothing of
it until ho was informed of the occurrence.
There are plenty of witnesses to prove that
lie was in North Carolina at the time, atid.
if this is not nnniifrh Sheriff I
-- ? ?V..VI III I'iiiuiutu 13
ready to testify that he was not ia the party
who rescued the prisoners from his keeping. |
But the timorous revenue officers declared
that ''Redmond and his gang of forty or
fifty men'-. had chased them ncross the
country for two days and until they louud j
. stt^fty with in the walls of Kasley Station ; .
?V'homo^ne had evidently stolen their sacred ,
overcoats from the (sometimes) inviolable, i
sauetuary of a private dwelling; Judge i
Mackey and all the mighty revenue depart- j
mcnt were excited for the fate of the j
country, and an example must bo made of i
somebody ! Who so suitablo lor the s^cri- i
fice as Redmond?the official revenue scape- ;
goat?the raging ram presently to be caught
in the thicket!
> THK HATCH OP WARRANTS.
T understand that at the same time the
aforesaid bench warrant was issued for Red- |
mond four others were issued for certain
revenuo officers who were also charged with |
sundry crimes and misdemeanors. That
one against Redmond, as we have seen, was ;
very nearly put into fatal execution, and
still hangs over his head ; the others, I am
informed, were recalled before the court
adjourned. Why wero they issued, nud
why and when recalled ? I <lc? not know.
A NOT II Kit HIT OF HISTORY.
And while I am off n?y subject, let i?c
inform the public of another bit of revenue
history. L do not propose to defend those
who broke into PickchMjuil, but it may be
as well to know, for the first time, whom it '
was they turned loose on that occasion.?
The rescued prisoners were three in number;
ouo a man named Hcascly, who was
caught in an illicit still house; the other
two were a father and son named Stunsill.
Tho father was GO years of age, and the
son 16. lloth were arrested at their home*,
handcuffed, carried to Pickens and there
lodged in jail to await trial. Their neighbors
released them, and they returned to
their homes and resumed their daily labor
on the little farm from which tliey had been
torn and marched o(V in disgrace. Ho arrested
a little later by tho county officer
they were carried before tho commissioner
and discharged, there being no evidence
against them. So much for tho Pickens
jail delivery, of which one crime at least,
gentlemen, 1 charge you to acquit the prisoner,
Lewis H. Hcduiond.
JUDOF. MACKF.Y. |
One woid of explanation in regard to I
Judge Muckey. I rcooguizc the fact that
it is scarcely within u>y proviuco to criticise
his action iu the mutters above referred to,
or that of any Judge of his ability in aoy
matter. Hut I feel tree to say, nevertheless,
tITat I am honestly of opiniou that he acted
with more zeal than discretion in this one
ir/?f.lnce, and would have accomplished
much more .good had ho followed up Redmond
less closely and the revcuue officers
more so. To do hiui justice, however, he
did order the recently reported investigation,
and would no doubt make pood use of it if
opportunity were presented. To return to
Redmond. 1 have promised to end his
story with this letter, and though I hope
no one <f toy readers have wearied of him
as yet, 1 shall try to koep my word. _
A FALSE ALARM.
Feeling really ill from the effeots of
fatigue, as 1 have said before, I was compelled
to close uiy second interview with
hi^Qfl^iulc before midnight, when he again
accompanied, me to the house of our mutual
friend, my host. There I bade him
good-night, and went to bed, while he and
my host took blankets and walked off to
sleep in the woods. I quickly fell iuto an
uneasy scuii-couscious state, from which J
was startled an hour later by the subdued
voicfi of our kind young hostess whispering
to my companion, Mr. Fields, to "get up,
please, and strike a lightthe Revenues
aro-nll around the house!" The frightened
wile^'as clad in her night-dress only, and
scorned beside herself with anxiety and
alacm. "I have heard sonic one walking
iu thft yard," she said, "and they always
come about this time of uiglit!" Mr.
Fields arose and striking a match, (how
hard they were to find !) went to the window
and called, "Who is there?" A voice
answered, a whispered consultation followed,
and at last my companion came back and
whispered to me that not the Revenues but
the prisoner they had captured the day hefore
was without! I congratulated him in
my heart on his escape, and Mrs. rum- j
lunged around and got him a supper. 1 did
not^ec liim, but my ho?toss and uiy com- 1
pan ion told me tluy never saw a man cat
so much in their respective lives. Then
he pushed on over the hills and far away
to home from which ho had been taken J
the morning belore, and where, no doubt,
he was welcomed as one riseu from the dead.
It was the old story of captors dyaiugv a
sudden dash for
Redmond?nay, how the wfioNT neighbor"
hood rejoiced over the fuel of his escape
next moruiug! Pcccavi, but I couldu't
help it. nor could you had you becu iu my
pi
Redmond's benevolence.
Redmond breakfasted with us next morning.
and our hostess waited upon us and
could not do enough for him. The simplehearted
women of the mountains all admire
if they do not love him, and neither his
name nor his presence have any terrors for
them. Why it was only last year, say they,
that he paid off the taxes which were hanging
over the heads of I am afraid to state
how many poor families, and took his pay,
when he got any, in "chips and whetstones"
and other like valuables, among which wos
a veteran raui, which one old lady forced
upon him, aud which he envcr saw after
the dnjr of trausfer. It preferred her yard
to his, it seemed, aud he never went back
for it. And besides all this, did he not rido
five coakeeutive days "working for Hampton"
during the last campaign, and on clec
lion clay did lie not hitch up his own wagon
and team anil tend eight or ten old men
who couldn't walk, and who hadn't voted
for years, all the way from their houics to
the poll at Eastatoe, where he dare not go
himself? And, outlaw as ho is, is he not
now supporting his three sisters, who have
110 other dependence, and one of whom has
heen a cripple for eleven years? Certainly
he has done and lie is doing all these things,
us every body hereabouts will tell you.
OTIlEIt (loot) DEEDS.
It was uot so very long ago that a poor
man, whose oxen and four sheep which he
had tuken to market were levied on for
taxes at Pickens Courthouse, met "the
Major" in the road and asked for help and
got it. It was a small sum, only 8(> ^5, but
it was a very large sum to the poor farmer
and to the despised Samaritan, but it was
given freely, and has never been returned
or asked for. No, the money was neither
stolen on the highway nor was it the return
of any unlawful sale; it was the price
of produce grown 011 the outlaw's farm by
hard labor, and which farm and home he
dares not visit except at night and at long
intervals, at the risk of his life. "The
Revenues have been there after bim very
often," said one, a Revenue himself, to uic
today.
HOW REDMOND TOLD IIIS TALE.
I liavo made another digression I find,
but do not think I need apologize for it.?
iNot so much of good lias ever been said
concerning Lewis 1{. Redmond that I need
silence the public voice of his praise on
this the one single occasion of his justification.
I have written down in these letters
every word which he lots said against himself
in speaking of his own misdeeds to inc.
I declare that the story was not told
boastingly or evasively?but ijnictly and as
' J '? 1 1 -1 i " yuri *{.? f x
I believe truthfully. He w^B^nJpiwl to be
correct throughout, ami <fh.ite\cr other
crimes have been charged against- him do
man has ever yet accused him of'lying.?
"What he tells you you may rely oh," is the
tcstimouy ot nil, and wheo IteduJmd gavo
Mrs. Barton his word that he *ould not,
harm his worst cueuiy, her huaiand, the
knew her.tnan, and called upof that busband
to come out uud face a dozfti rifles iu
the hands of augry men who wefe eager to
kill hiin on the spot. You may coudetnu
some things he has done, and of which he
has told you, if. you will, but, for sweet
Justice's sake, give hiui credit fdr the good
that is in hiui, and of which otker people
tell you. What he has done^ti partly may
compute. Himself only knof-a what he ?
has resisted. "tie will tuktf.nioro cursing
than any man I ever saw^r said a mountaineer
to uie. "I heard ajmuu call him a
G?J d?d liar, and ho fcrily laughed at
hiui. He tries to keep the peace at all
times, and never has a fufcs with auv one
wheu he can help it. lie is fair, and will
bold his end of the bridlfc, but when ho
starts he is game. Wheu Jie says 'that's
euough,' you may kuow it|s a pleuty. IIo i
is one of the most sensible men I know,
and only needs an education to make him a
leader in the country." This may be poor
logic, but it presents no bad picture of the
character of its subject.
Til K LAST INTERVIEW. 1
After breakfiiit our party went oucc
more upon the hillside where 1 held my
third and last interview with the outlaw.?
Ttirr vomrersatimi-was erf a more gi?brnl '
character than on former occasions, j>ud his
thoughts were directed at last to a revictr
of his early life.
4,You were not old enough to go into the
army during the war, were you?" I
asked.
"Yes,'' he said, "I ran away lroni home '
when 1 was thirteen years old, and went to
| join the company my brother belonged to.
I When I first talked about going my father 1
j said if I went he would bring me back and 1
whip mc half to death, lie sent uic to '
food the horses one night, and 1 took a pair
i of pants and a shirt and struck out for the
nearest station, where my brother was, aud 1
got there just as tho chickens were trowing '
for day. My brother and the other men 1
(old mc to go back, but I wouldn't. The '1
and stopped mc. I couldn't help from (
shedding.tears t? save my life, lie begged ,
me to go back, and the uiun beggad me, so 1
[ went. My brother'came homo afterwards !
on sick furlough, and when he returned to
his company 1 went with him and stayed
six months. He was shot and sent home,
and they gave me a furlongli at tHe same 1
time to go with him. The Yankees captured
him at home soon after, but 1 was so j
young they did uot bother mo. I never saw 1
my brother again ; ho died in some North- 1
eru prison. Auotber brother, the oldest, '
shattered," and was badly wounded' U? 'the'"
foot. He had received seven balls in all.
I have another brother living in , (another
State,) but I ucver write to him now,
and he docs not know of u>y troubles. If
I wero to tell him it would only distress
him, and he might come and get into a difficulty
on my account."
TIIE OUTLAW WEEPS.
The outlaw paused, and looking up I saw
that lie was weeping and had buri"d his
face in his hands. 1 bad i>ceu 'intent on '
my note book whila iic was speaking, and j
though 1 detected a slight tremor in his ,
voice, did not suspect the cause or look up i
until he ceased speaking. 1 was both surprised
and shocked beyond measure at such
a manifestation of emotion iu such a man,
and knew not what to say. He tried to
control himself, and looking at mo with a
smilling, tear-wet face, sobhetf out in spite
of all his effort: "I can't help it. 1 can't
help it. I aui nota crying man. but when I i
w '.ma ~ " ! y
think of tlu'sc things and of tn^Tatiter and ,
brothers, and how they fought and were shot j j
to pieces or died in prison, and thej^ think j
how 1 have been served, 1 can't heljkcrying. j J
L ought not to do it, but 1 can't hey it?1 !
can't help it," lie repeated sadly, again and
again, as if in shauied apology for ft weakness
ho feared I would despise. I plid not
despise him, I was sorry for hiia. 1 am a
poor, tender-hearted fool myself, at best.?
One touch ot nature will make mc feel akin
to anybody, even a revenue officer, and my
befet nature was touched. Bohemian and
brigand, wo were there together, sitting
apart, with the mountaineers lookindwonderiugly
on, and it was all I could |do to
ii _.i - - - - -
swiwiuw sometning Dig nud hard iui iny *
throat, and keep my own tears back, that's
an honest confession, and any knave or fool
is at liberty to poke fun at lie if he likes. '
ON I.Y OIVK HIM A 011A MO f. I "* *" ,
Redmond, the outlaw, dried his sinful 11
tears, and the smile he nlwnyj wears eaino :
back again to his face, though his voice was I
very sad and came froui his heart when he I
said in his own unaffected way: '-It!
looks hard for me to have to go through all I
this. If I had docc anything worthy of it J
I would not mind, but 1 have not done more i
,than other people, and why should I have to |
.HUM.' i-l - JL . - 1 '
bear it all 1 If they would only give vie a
chance (God help hiui!) like they give other
moo, I wouldn't miud it. I have settled
my' troubles with Barton and Hendricks,
and this very week Gary sent mo
word that if I would lot him alone he would
quit the revenue service and go to work on
his farm. I have nothing against hint or
any man. If they would let vie aloue I
certainly would not trouble thetu. I sent
word so to him. 1 wouldn't have any trouble
now, but lor this reward that has been
offered for my capture, and they think they
will get it il' they kill mo even. It was for
the Pickens jail delivery and I was not.,
there, and for the raid ou Gary* *
I had nothing to do except what I have
tQ)d you. 1 only want peace, so I can go
Daolc to my farm and work for myself and
?.. -m?* *?-? - -
uij oiaiuio, v?iiuuui> ueiug ?noc at every day
like a dog. They hare shot at me twentysix
times already, and I think that ought to
be enough. I am willing to surrender myself
and atand my trial for killing Duckworth.
I know they would acquit inc. I
have uo money to pay a lawyer, but I suppose
they would pay mo the reward if T
surrendered myself, and he. might take that!
They say they are willing to givo auiuesty
to all other uicu, and I don't sec why they
should leave nic out. Do you think they
will?'' he said suddenly.
"I do not know." I replied, ''but I will
speak to Governor Hampton for you," (is
1 had promised him before this to do.)
T1IE MESSAOETO HAMPTON.
"Tell Governor Hampton," he said earnestly
in parting, "I am u poor man and have
worked for my living all uiy life. I have
not had a /air chance siucc this revenue
party came in, and if he wants a recommendation
of me?from my childhood up
?1 can give it to him. I would rather s^nd
him one than out. I will leave it to the
citizens of the country, to llradley aud
llowen and Fields, and other county officers
here aud iu North Carolina. The sheriti's
of Pickens and Transylvania counties will
sign it, and every good citizen that knows
ine will sign it. Every man in Pickens
will sign it, and I will send it to him if he
wants it. Tell him I only want to go home
and lire at peace, and would be willing to
Jtand trial even in the Uuited States Courts
if I thought I oould g*t otily a fair trial '
there. I am ready tu surrender to morrow,
ttuiuM* ffrft fclO-.bOO bail of good citizens,
if allowed. Toll Governor Hampton ull
fhM for me," he said, l,uud see what you
3an do f< r me. I will wait for news from
you. 1 know you tire u>) friend now, and
if you can do anything lor me write or
send mo word, and 1 will go and surrender
myself."
Alas! what can I do for him '( Nothing
but to feebly wrilo down bis far off impassioned
appeal to the executors of that stem
law which has outlawed him, and then
iwait the answer I must send. What shall
it be ? Will they give hiui a chance or
not 1 I do not know !
rnu true story, of .jrhe box.d kjedmoni/s 5
' \?oofe'kl> i.ovk. .-ayiixk,
^w1y *S'.?"1 u discretion#". i
Aid "going a little too far," are terms in
.vhich the revenue hounds prefer to spqak
)f their recent outrages. "1 do uot deuy,"
'ays one, "that some of the members of the '
torcc have committed indiscretions in the i
lischarge of their duty." 'T think myself,' i
says another, "that they have gone a littlo i
too far iuto private houses." 1
Indiscretions let them be ; they will smell
to high Heaven just as sweetly under this
name as if called by any other, and it may
bo found that going Just wcr tfie threshold, i
jr even sticking a few feet of the barrel of i
jue's gun just over the threshold of a pri- I
rate house is far enough to send tho tres- ;
passer permanently over the threshold of a <
jcitain public bouse whose name shall be 1 i
I have to make one or two remarks only
concerning Redmond, which I neglected to <
insert in their proper place, and will them I
resume iu a general way the subject of in- i
discretions which was broken off by my i
visit to him. The first of these is that he
iias no Indian blood in his veins as lias l
been charged by the revenue officers for the
purpose, as 1 suspect, of investing his char- <
icter with an air of treachery, and possibly
if inducing the general government to send
[). O. Howard after him. There is no trace i
if such alleged origin in a single feature i
if his face, and as he can prove his descent
from Irish aud German aucestors it is really j
difficult to imagine where the Indian alloy
couies in. One of his sisters is fair haired I
iD(l of as fair complexion as nny fraulien I
in Rhincland. llo has too in his possession
full documentary ovidcnco of the fact
that his grandfather (or, perhaps, greatgrandfather)
was a faithful soldier in the
American army during the Revolutionary
war, and received a pension and liberal grant
of land "in recognition of gallant services
rendered" as such. Perhaps-ttota same parcel
of land is that whereon tho outlaw's
sisters now live, but whereon he sets his
foot only at the imminent peril of his life.
At least he would not leave it and them
when an aunt in North Carolina offered to
give him a farm in that State, worth '
,0(K>, if ho would come, aloue, and live on !
it.
The second remark is that he had 110 '
hand iu tho shooting of Ijoc Pistoer n lew |
weeks ago. The circumstances of this'
affair are uot generally known and aro as
follows; A squad of revenue officers went
on one of theii periodical raids to Redmood's
house, and seeing a man couio out
of it with a baby iu his arms, they cried- ,
halt, and this command being disregarded,
they as usual tired seven shots after him,
without effect, however, and he escaped.?
Alter leaving the house, uud when souio
distance from it, tho party was in turn fired
iuto from tho roadside, and Fisher, their
guido, was wounded in the wrist by a singlo
buck-shot. No one else was touched. Tho
waft., wUuyfixed jfr<Mhal ^irns not nioro than'
Wty yards from the roadside," and was
hiuiselt fired at sevoral tinios by the party.
Rcdiuoud declares that ho was not this man;
and his statement is su&tniucd by tho fact
that but one buckshot of the load reached
its aim ! Redmond doesn't shoot that wav.
A man who could ?nutf a candle with u
pistol ball, as Redmond can, or who could
kill a rabbit runuing, or a bird flying, with
u pistol ball as Redmond can, or who could " t
ride full gallop and hit a email sapling at *
fiftccu paces with a pistol ball as Redmond
cau, or lastly, who could turn rapidly on
his heel and put six balls one after another
into a small tree at thirty paces, as Redmond
can, I say I don't think such a man would
miss a revenue squad or even their guido
at fifty yards, with a load of buckshot, fired
from "a gun resting on a log." It docsu't
look reasonable, and it is really going a little
too far to assert it. True, tho officers
swore it was Redmond, but it must bo borno
ju mind yhfttfthoy ^yflQTjhat. and
every ct>w ana snecp uud stump in tho
uiouutuins is Reduioud, aud as it is likely
they nVe mistaken sometimes, they may bo
agaiu in this ease.
A third und last remark concerns tho
outlaw's moral character, which has been
held up to reproach on every possible occasion
because of the relation he has borno
to one of Ladd's sisters. It is not a subject
that I need or care to say much about
for obvious reasons ; but I may be allowed
to say th:s much : l''irst, that some at
least of the revenue officers arc not at liberty,
from a biblical pniutof view, to heuvo
stones at him to any great extent; and second,
that tho iujurv he bus dl.. .! ho nrnim
? - ? i" "f
sea to repair, ah fur as potwible, at the first
opportunity, by marrying tho woman ho
has wronged. She was presmt for a few
press purpose or having tho ccremouy performed
by uiy companion, Mr. Fields, who
hud also atteuded for this purpose. It was
arranged in my presence that the ceremony
should take place next morning about sunrise,
with myself as a witness, and it was
only postponed from the appointed hour
until?on account of the absence of a second
witness, whose presenco for good reasons
was desired by both the parties most
interested. I could say more if i were not
assured that what I might my would probably
lead .to the presence of certain lini~ " " "
cited guests ""Tine peculiar
?bject -fn TJeTng there at such a timo I do
boi care to further.
The readera of the Newt and Courier'
shall be informed of the fact when the ceremony
takes place. It will bo a veritable
''wedding in high life"?on the top of n*
mountain. My parting with Ueduiond was
a sad one, to hitn and to mc. The feeling
eloqucucc of his last w^rds?the appeal to
Governor Hampton?I cau not give in any
words. I am only sorry that tho Governor,
aud every citizen of tho State over which
he rules, could not have heard him aud
seen him with me; and I left bitu feeling
that I had a high (gust committed to my
keepiug in the vindication of an oppressed
and persecuted man. I need not ignore
offences he has committed ; he has told that
i.: - ! ' -
5iurj iiiuisisu wuuout reservation or evasion,
:uid 1 have followed his example in repeating
it as he gave it. The wrong ho has
iluiie, however, was not done maliciously,
but from the natural impulse every brave
man feels to resent undeserved and repeated
injury.
To those who say lie should have borne
them in patience and appealed to the law
for protection, 1 have only to reply : Do
you know what law was in'South Carolina
at the time of which I speak, and do you
approve Kllcntoii and Hamburg, and tbeu
condemn him? The rude, unlettered uien
of the mountains arc not qualified to moralize
prettily about the abstract duty of
good citizens, to take every case of insultand
injury into the nearest court. They
only know when they suffer a wrong and
how to resent one, uud not having been
particularly edified by the results of their
experimental applications to courts for relief,
they naturally concluded to take caro
of themselves. Wheu they violated what
sceuied to them an oppressive and partial
law, they fouud that the baud of the Geuoral
Government fell heavy upon theui ;
when in nffioni-o '
?vv.U nuintvu JUHII UIJU cum moil
laws, they found that tho General Govorumeut
was equally ready and willing to
shield these from the consequcnees of their
nets ; and the temptation to substitute certain
and summary punishment for nominal
or no punishment, was well-nigh irresistible.
These were the circumstances and considerations
that have made l<edmond an outlaw
and have come near outlawing Pickcmt
{Coittmu.-d oz 4(A l'uye.]