Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ME mEKIilJkiei TIMES, j gfiBotqd to ^.fluiqnllun!,. .^ortiqtitUirc, gomqBtiq ?nondmj}7^^^HiP^i^F?ottti^s, and thu (furrent gjtfcs of the gag. ?. ^ _LT"_L >? ^ vol. .ix:?New s$ru^. ',-. ^ ^ ' lygW^lgTr i=m **Frnm #?i? V.,?- o?-? I - - - - - REDMOND'S STRANGE STORY. \t A TALK WITH TUB OUTLAW IN TIIK IIE ART OF THK Jjj RIDGE. . or \I8ITrNO IIENDRICKS, They found an overcoat, which several said was miuc, but I did not think so, and w would uot take it. They tried to pursuadc mo to do so, but I told them I would not m wear another man's coat as long as 1 could m buy ouo for myself. The shawl was not there, nud ouo of the party #?s about to j; seize n saddle blanket in place of it, but I at stopped hiiu, nud mado him leave it whore 0. ho found it. I told thcui that the officers j; had uot stolen anything of tho kiud from st mo, and I would bavo nothing but what I n( knew was miuc. I kept them from takiug aa P- oway oevcral other things, and took nothing at all myself. The 'court met a few days oftar this, and"a bench warrunt was issued for uic for stealing the two overcoats 'a judoe mackey's part. P< I havo been informed by an officer oft jM tho Uourt of Pickens County that when ac the charge was 'preferred in court against tu Redmond, of haviug led this raid and of l :? a ? . i uiiviug luKoa mo overcoats, the graud jury 1,1 examined the witnesses and, fiudiug no s'( proof agaiust him in either matter, returned Ul to the court room and handed in a vcrdicU Wl of "No bill!" Judge Muckoy at once sent vc them back with other witnesses, nud again they returned with the same verdict. He P' sent them back the third time with the N?u?ar. ,, mark, "I suppose, gentlemen, you have not Wl had cuough witnesses," aud seeing that he was determined to have if, they returned at . 1 last with an indictment. - The proceedings 1,1 in a grand-jury room arc, of course,' secret, (?) but it is said in Pickcus County that ~ 1 the evidence upon which this one based its 'ln final verdict was two-fold, to wit: First, that two overcoats were takcu by a party ot men an from Hendrick's house ; second, that Red- a,J mond was accu at Pickens Courthouse next y day with the sumo party. Ou this alleged evideuce "tho Court issued its bench war- '01 rant, ordering KcduiotTd to be brought into Ul. its prcincts dead or alive. A posse wu? 1,11 accordingly sent after him, they fouud him no at work in his field, and ordered hiou to Pa 1_ _ 1? _ 1 - * nan ana surrender. INot knowing who they s"' were or what they wanted, Redmond refused to obey, and they fired upon hiui and t0 continued firing until ho obtaiucd shelter ^ in tho vioods. Possibly being just uien ',c they did not try to hit him?we may hope ** preceding the ineffectual raid after Gary, which took place Monday, tho 11th, and of 00 course RedmoucL .who did not lead tho Gary "c laid, led tho jnir-breakers also. Of course P'1 ho did no such thing. Tn.point of fact, he was across the lino in North Carolina when the jail was broken, and knew nothing of iQj it until ho was informed of tho occurrence, co There are plenty of witnesses to prove thut he ho was in North Carolina at the time, and, if if this is not enough, Sheriff Mauldin is Ua reaay to lesitty that uo was not in the party I th who rescued the prisoner* from his keeping. ' th But the timorous revenue officers declared inj that "Kedmop4t his gang of forty or ho fifty m^feftflfrchascd them across the wi coUBte^ toi two days and uutil tlicy found an the walls of Easley Station ; ;i . ujw?BBri?e bad evidently stolen their sacred Ur ** Overcoats from the (sometimes) ravfekfcfy th sanctuary of a private dwelling; Judgo to Mackey und all the mighty revenue depart* foi moot were excited for the fato of the fiy country, and an example must be made of toi somebody 1 . Who so suitable ior ttu H^rh |]e flee as Redmond?the official revenue scape* nD goat?the raging ram presently to be caught W1 in the thicket 1 f0l V TtlE HATCH OP WARRANT8. tin I understand that at the same time tho hii ? ?- : J p - " ' Mivivmiiu wwuvu nuunilb Tf rtO 1HUCU IUF IVUU- f|Q mond iour others were issued for certain no revenao officers who were also charged with be sundry crimes and tnisdomeanors. That be one against Redmond, as wc have 6ccn, was us very nearly put into fatal execution, and \ still bangs over his hoad ; tho others, I am informed, wero recalled before the court od^poroed. Why wero they issued, and j"' why and when recalled ? I do not know. j1* ANOTIIER BIT OF IIISTO&r. ta: And while I am off my subject, let me inform the public of another bit of revenue .history. I do not propose to defeud those 11 who broke into Picadlmsei), but it may be ai> OS well to know, for the nrst time, whom it "l was thoy turned loose on that occasion.? or The rescued prisoners wore threo in num- 8tc bor;onoamun named Beasoly, who was tl' caught in an illicit still house; tho other " two were a father and son named Stansill. , The father was fiO VA.in ftf oirn ll>? I da j r - ?"? i?o . mn 16. Both were arrested at their homes, ' handcuffed^ carried to Pickens and there ,! lodged in jail to await trial. Their ueighbora released them, and they returned to t0 their homes and resnmed their daily lubor on tho little farm from which they had been, torn and marched off in disgrace. Re ar- bu . rested a little later by the county officer N< thoy were carried before the commissioner co and discharged, thore being no evidence ail against them.' 60 much for the Pickens tb jail dolivery, of which one crime at least, tic gentlemen, I charge you to acquit tho pris- ov oner, Lewis 11. Redmond. se JUDGE MACKEY. I Ono Word if explanation - in regard, to be t ' u<Jge Muckey. I rcooguizc the tact that is scarcely within my province to criticise is action iu the mutters above referred to, that of any .Judge of his ability in any attcr. Hut I feel free to say, nevertheless, fat I am honestly of opinion that ho acted ith more zeal than discretion in this one ?fancc, and would have accomplished uch more .good had ho followed up Redond less closely and the revenue officers ore so. To do hiui justice, however, he d order the recently reported investigation, id would no doubt make good use of it if iportuuity were presented. To return to cduiond. 1 have promised to end his ory with this letter, and though I hope > one of tny readers have wearied of him yet, I shall try to koep niv word. a fai.se alarm. Feeling really ill from the cffcots of tiguc, as I have said before, I was couidled to close uiy second interview with before midnight, when he again tcompanicd, me to the house of our uiual friend, my host. There I bado him lod-night, nnd went to bed, while he and y host took blankets and walked off to 3ep in the woods. I quickly foil into an icasy semi-conscious state, from which I is startled an hour later by the subdued del of our kind young hostess whispering my coqipasion, Mr. Fields, to "get up, ease, and -strike a light;" the Revenues oall ajputid the house !" The frightened lie Mas clad iu her night-dress only, and etned beside herself with anxiety and jrui. "I have heard some one walking th6 yard," she said, "and they always utc about this time of night!" Mr. ?i.i. ? J ,?lua must) uuu sinking a match. (how inl they were to find !) went to tho winw and called, "Who is there?" A voice swered.a whispered consultation followed, d at last my companion came back and lispered to mc that not tho Revenues but e prisoner they had captured the day bore was without! I congratulated him in y heart on his escape, and Mrs. rumiged around and got him a supper. I did t^eo him, but my hostess and uiy couinion told me they never saw a man eat much in their respective lives. Then i pushed on over the hills and far away home from which ho hud been taken c morning bciorc, aud where, no doubt, i was welcomed as one risen from the dead. -m 1111 o n 11?n a >od rejoiced- over tho facttjf his escape ?? i T .. .. - w wviutug ? . xit'iivif OUl JL C0U1Q11 C !<*jp1d you bod you bocu in my hkdmond's hesevolknck. Redmond breakfasted with us next morng, and our. hostess waited upon us and uld not do enough for him. The siuiplearted women of the mountains nil admire they do not love him, and neither his me uor his presence have any terrors for em. Why it was only last year, say they, at he paid off the taxes which were hangg over the heads of I am afraid to state \v many poor families, and took his pay, ien he got any, in "chips and whetstones" d other like valuables, among which was veteran raui, which one old lady forced lonhim. and whiob lie eover *%ir after e dhj"">f trausfur, it preferred ler yard hi*, it seemed,, and be never went back r it. all this, did be notrido c conkectative days "working for Humps'' during the last campaign, and on electa day did he not hitoh up hi* own wagon d team and tend eight or teu old men 10 couldn't walk, and who hadn't voted * years, all the way from their homes to q poll at Kastatoc, where ho dare not go mself? Aud, outlaw as ho is, is he uot w supporting his three sisters, who have other dependence, and one of whom has en a cripple for eleven years? Certainly has done and ho is doing all these things, every body hereabouts will tell you. OTHER GOOD DEEDS. It was not so very long ago that a poor in, whose oxen and four sheep which he d taken to market were levied on for res at Pickens Courthouse, met "the ajor" in the road and asked for help and t it. It was a small sum, only $G25, but was a very largo sum to the poor farmer d to the despised Samaritan, but it was ven freely, and has uover been returned asked for. No, the money was neither den on tho highway nor was it the rc: rn of any unlawful salo; it was the price produce grown on the outlaw's furui by ird labor, and which farm and home he res not visit except at night and at long lervuis, ni mc risic ot his lite. "The 3vci)uc3 have been there after bini very ten," said one, a Revenue himself, to ino day. ^HOW REDMOND TOLD III8 TALE. O?avo made another digression I find, it do not think I need apologise for it.? ot so much of good has ever been said ncerning Lewis R. Redmond that I noed cnce the publio voice of his praise on is the one single occasion of t)is justifica>n. I havo written down in theso letters ery word which he has said against him* If in speaking of his own misdeeds to mo. declare that the story was not told lastingly or evasively*?but quietly and as I believe truthfully. Ho wrm'-e.-iMTul t<? b< correct throughout, and ^liatev.Jr othei crimes have beco charged against* him n< man bus ever yet accused hiu? of flying.? "What he tells you you may rely oh," is tin testimony ot nil, and when lteduinid gave Mrs. Barton his word that lie would nol harm his worst cueuiy, her huajand, vlu knew her-uian, and called upo^ that bus band to come out uud laec a doztn rifles it; the hands of augry men who were eager ti kill hiin on the spat. You may! condemn some things he has do.ic, and ofi which h< has told you, if you will, but,: for swcci Justice's sake, give hiui credit fqr the good that is in him, and of which other people tell you. What bo has dons we partly ma3 compute, iliuisolf only known what U< has resisted, "Ho will UiU; 111010 eursinf than nny man I ever saw,F said a oioun taiuccr to uio. "I heard a man call him 11 0?J d?d linr, and he 1 >nly laughed ai him. He tries to keep be peace at nil times, and never has a fuss with any on< when lie can help it. He |s fair, and wil bold his end of the bridle, but when h< starts he is game. When he savs 'that': enough,' you may kuow itfs a pleuty. lit is one of the most sensible uieu I know and only needs an education to make liiui ; leader iu the country." This may be pool logic, but it presents no bad nieture of tin character of its subject. Til K LAST INTERVIEW. After brcakf;ttt our party went ouc< more upon the hillside where I held uii third and last interview with the outlaw.? TlTtr em I re r .1 a ti rm -tr.i s erf a -more g^ftrn character thuu on former occasions, jpd hii thoughts were directed at last to n review of his early life. "You were not old enough to go into th< army during tho war, were you?" I asked. "Yes," he said, "I ran away ironi home when I was thirteen years old, and went t< join the compauy my brother belonged to When I first talked about going my fathei said if I went he would bring me back anc whip uie half to death, lie sent uie tc feed tho horses one night, and L took a p.ui; of pants and a shirt and struck out for the nearest station, where my brother was, au>] got there just as tho chickens were trowing for day.. My brother and the other men The and 'stopped me. I couldn't help fi-ou shedding.tears te save my life, lie begged me to go back, aod the uieu begged me, sc I went. My brotherxjauic homo afterwards on sick furlough, and whon he returned tc bis company 1 went with him and stayed six months, lie was shot and sent home, and they gave me a furlongh at the same time to go with him. The Yankees captured him at home soon after, but 1 was so young they did not bother me. 1 never saw my brother again ; ho died }a some Northern prison. Apqi^^ shattered; foot. He had received seven baits in ail I have another brother living in ?-?, (another State,) but I never write to him now, and he does not know of my troubles. II I were to tell him it would only distress him, and he might come and get into a difficulty on iny account." THE OUTLAW WEEPS. The outlaw paused, and looking up I saw that bo warn weepiuir and had Lurn?il !> < I face in bin hands. ^ofcut ou I my note book whita he was speaking, and though I detected a slight trcuior iu his voice, did not suspect the cause or look up until be ceased speaking. I was both surprised and shoeked beyond measure at such a manifestation of emotion in such a man, nnd knew not what to say. lie tried to control himself, and lookiug'at mo with a smilling, tear-wet face, sobbeX out in 6pitc of all his effort: "I can't help it. I can't help it. I am not a crying in.au, but when I think of these things and of tu^Tather and brothers, and how they fought and vfcre shot to pieces or died in prison, and thc^ think how 1 have been served, I cau't hcljicrying. I ought not to do it, but I can't Ik m it?I cau't help it," be repeated sadly,-wglin nnd again, as if in shauied apology for ? weakness ho feared I would despise. I flid not despise him, I was sorry for hius. 1 am a poor, tender-hearted fool inyself, at "best.? One touch of llftfurn ar'ill ? -? I -I-! ? V nm UIUKU IIIU IUCI UklU to anybody, oven a revenue officer, apd uiy best nature was touched. Bohemian and brigand, we wero there together, attiug apart, with the uiountaineors looking! wonderingly on, and it was all I could po to swullow something big aud hard ini throat, and keep my own tears baek. 'Mmt'e an honest confession, and any knave <jr fool is at liberty to poke fun at lie if he likes, ONLY OIVB 1IIM A Redmond, the outlaw, dried his eiuful tears, aud the smilo he nlwayj wears cume back agaiu to his face, though his voioe wai very sad and oamo from his heart when he said in his own unaffected way: "It looks hard for me to have to go through ul this. If I had doco anything worthy of it I would.not mind, but I have not done more ,thnu other, people, and Why should I have U \ \* A. Aju Jll ' . . g ! 5 bear it all ? If they wouhl only give inc. a v r chance (God help bim 1) like they give otli- a > er tuba, I wouldn't miud it. I have set- f tied my troubles with Barton and Hen- o 5 dricks, aud this very week Gary sent uio n ? word that if I would let him aloue he would o quit the revenue service and go to work on li ; his farm. I have nothing against him or t - any man. If they would let me aloue I v i certainly would uot trouble theiu. I sent / > word so to him. 1 wouldn't have any trou- d i ble now, but tor this reward that has been ii 5 offered for my capture, and they think they g t will get it if they kill me even. It was fur b I tho Pickens jail delivery and I was not ) there, and for tho raid on 1 I had nothing to do except what I have h 5 told you. 1 only want j>cacc, so L can go I 5 back to my farm and work for myself und a ? my sisters, without beiug shot at every day t i like a dog. They have shot at me twenty- ii I six times already, and I think that ought to I I be enough. I am willing to surrender my- p 5 self and ataud my trial for kilhng Duck- k 1 worth. I kuow they would acquit inc. I a 3 have no money to pay a lawyer, hut I sup- r j pose they would pay mo the reward if I f' I surrendered myself, and he might take that! c , They say they are williug to give auiuesty h i to all other rneu, aud I don't see why thev ii r should leave me out. l)o you thiuk they c i willho said suddenly. " "I do not know," I replied, "but I will a speak to Governor llnuipton for you," (js f I had promised him before this to do.) 1' THE MESSAGE TO UAMl'TON. 1 f ^ s "Tell Governor Hampton," lie said earnI estly in parting, "I am a poor man and have ^ . worked for my living all uiy life. I have t B not had a fair chance siucc this revenue ( party came in, and if he wants a rccom, meudution of inc?from my childhood up L ?1 can give it to liiui. I would rather s^ud him one than not. I will leave it to the ^ 5 citizens of the country, to Uradley aud c } Howen and [fields, and other county officers here and in North Carolina. The sheriffs r of Pickens and Transylvania counties will "J. I sign it, and every good citizen that knows , me will sign it. livery uian in Pickens j( . will sign it, and I will send it to him if he y , wants jt. Tell him 1 only want to go home [ and live at peace, aud would bo willing to o , stand trial eveu in the United States Courts ^ ' if 1 thought I oould g*t only a fair trial ' ) there. I am ready to surrender to-morroio, ^ ^ muy&xfti* glrc 8HV.600 bail of good citizcus, u . if allowed. Toll Governor Hampton all f ithi* for me," lie esi*, - 4*wid sec what you , can do f< r mo. I will wait for news from j I you. 1 know you are my fricud now, and j, , if you can do anything for me write or t t send mo word, and I will ?'n ?ml 0 ? wuv,v * , myself." r I Alas ! what can I do for him ? Nothing Q but to feebly write down his lar oft' iuipas- ^ , stoned appeal to the executors of that stern law which has outlawed him, and then , await the answer I must send. What shall it be ? Will they give hiui a chance or , not ? I do sot know ! TntCTRUB STORl^jrHEllOLB UEDMONfc'a v ' J Jnly 2.?"ludiscreikwoi.'^ oh4"goiog a little too far," are terms in which the revenuo hounds prefer to sptpik s of their recent outrages. *'1 do not dcuy," n . says one, "thut some of the members of the " f force have committed indiscretions iu the u t discharge of their duty." "I think myself,' a ' says another, "that they have gone a little e too far iuto private houses." C Indiscretions let them be ; they will smell v to high Heaven just as sweetly under this a name as if called by any other, and it may li be found that going Just orer the threshold, si or even sticking a few feet of the barrel of tl one's gun just over the threshold of a pri- k vatc house is far enough to scud tho tres* a passer permanently over the threshold of a o certain public house whose name shall he s nameless. a I have to make one or two remarks only ii concerning Redmond, which I neglected to <1 i nanrf in 1 .uwv>? ? (.null (Mlipfl |>iaCC, UI1U Will the 111 t) resume iu a general way the subject of in- n discretions which was broken off by my ii visit to him. The first of these is that'he has no Indian blood in his veins ns has t! been charged by the revenue officers for the f? pui^iosc, as 1 suspect, of investiug his char- y actor with an air of treachery, and possibly n of inducing the general government to send a O. O. Howard after him. There is no trace c of such alleged origin in a siugle feature o of his face, and ns he cau prove his descent i: from Irish aud German ancestors it is really g difficult to imagine where the Indian alloy a comes iu. One of his sisters is fair haired o and of as fair complexion as any fraulien k in Khinclnnd. lie has too in his posses- p sion full dnoiimftrO""-" *1 ? * -....uivuvai ? UHULIIW) U1 II1U IllCt 0 that his grandfather (or, perhaps, great- li grandfather) was a faithful soldior in the o American army during the Revolutionary s< ' war, and received a pension and liberal gruat li of laud "in recognition of gallant services e rendered" as such. Perhaps this same par- w col of land is that whereon the outlaw's li I sisters now live, but whereon he sets his n > foot only at the imminent peril of his-life, s ? At least he would not leave it and them a > when an sunt in North Caroliua offered to t t give him a farm in that State, worth $11- o I ,000, if ho would come, aloue, and live on 'J ? it. u > The second remark is that ho had no u > hand in the shooting of Leo Fisher a lew iV . L1-1 . .1 ?1yi J- ii-Jg recks ago. Tho circumstances of this' ffair are not generally known and arc as ollows; A squad of revenue officers went n otic of theii periodical raids to Reduoud's house, and seeing a niau come out f it with a baby iu his arms, they cried- , alt. and this command being disregarded, hey as usual tired seven shots after him, rithout effect, however, and he escaped.? titer leaving the house, and when soino istance from it, tho party was in turn fired uto from tho roadside, aud Fisher, their uido, was wounded in the wrist by asinglo uck-shot. No one else was touched. Tho lUiVwUo lirodj^ie.sUut ''wns not more than' ift^ yards" from the roadside," and was liuiself fired at several times by the party. Icdmoud declares that ho was not this tnnn, nd his statement is sustaiucd by tho fact K..? ?... i i.~i.? - - uu, uuc uuvNaiioi. ui wic load readied :? aim ! Redmond doesn't shoot that way. i. man who could muff a caudle with a istol ball, as Redmond can, or who could ill a rabbit ruuniug, or a bird flying, with pistol ball as Redmond can, or who could T. ide full gallop and hit a email sapling at ftccn paces with a pistol ball as ltedmoud au, or lastly, who could turn rapidly on is heel aud put six balls one after another uto a small tree at thirty paces, as Redmond an, I say I don't think such a man would liss a revenue sijuad or even their guide t fifty yards, with a load of buckshot, fired roui "a gun resting on a log." It doesn't aok reasonable, and it is really going a Title too far to assert it. True, the officers wore it was Redmond, but it must be borne U uiiudlbat .tbcy SWCQt i.hat ovarybody and ivery cow and sheep aud stump iu tbo nouutuins is Rcdmoud, aud as it is likely bey nVc mistaken sometimes, they may be gaiu in ibis ease. A third and last remark concerns the utlaw's moral character, which has been ichl up to reproach on every possible ocasion because of the relation he has borne o one of Ladd's sisters. It is not a subset that I need or care to say much about jr obvious reasons ; but I may be allowed ) say tli:s much : First, that some at jast of the revenue officers are not at libity, from a biblical poiutof view, to hcavo tones at hiui to any great extent; and sccud, tluit the injury be has done lie propocs to repair, as fur as possible, at the first pportunity, by marrying the woman ho las wronged. She was ptesjnt for a few niuutes on tho occasioQ of, iny .first iuter iew, haYtflg'-1?im-for tKic ym~ ^ iress purpose or having the ceremony perorated by uiy companion, Mr. Fields, who lad also attended for this purpose. It was rranged in my presence that the ccrcuiouy hould take plaee next morning about simisc, with myself as a wituess, and it was nly postponed from the appointed hour intil?on account of the absence of a socud witness, whoso presence for good re-anna was desired by both the parties most iitcrestcd. I could say more if I were not ssurad that what I might say would probbly lead .to the presence of certaiu uuia-ited guests at the wedding, whose peculiar bject in be\ng - there at such a time I do efr Odfe further. The readers of the Newt and Courier' hall be informed of the fact when the cerenouy takes place. It will be a wedding in high life"?on the top of a louutain. My parting with ltedmoud was sad one, to hi in and to vie. The feeling loqueucc of his last Words?the appeal to lovernor Hampton?I can not give in any fords. I am only sorry that the Governor, nd every citizen of the State over which ie rules, could not have heard him and een him with mc; and I left him feeling hat 1 had a high t*ust committed to my eepiug in the vindication ot an oppressed nd persecuted man. I need not ignore deuces he has committed ; he has told that tory himself without reservation or evasion, nd L have followed his example in rcpcattig it as he gave it. The wroug he has ,one, however, was not done maliciously, ut froui the natural impulse every brave nan feels to resent undeserved and repeated ajury. To those who say he should have borne hem in patience and appealed to the law )t protection, I have only to reply : I)o ou know what law was in'Sbuth Carolina t the time of which I speak, and do you pprovc Klicnton and Hamburg, and thou ondemn him ? The rude, unlettered men f the mountains are not qualified to moralto prettily about the abstract duty of ood citizeus, to tako every case of insultnd injury into the nearest court. They nly know when they suffer a wrong and ow to resent one, aud not having bcetv artieularlv edifimt hu it.? Al ^ ?j kouivo ui mcir xperimcutal applications to courts for rcief, they naturally concluded to take caro f themselves. Wheu they violatud what eeuicd to them an oppressive aud partial rw, they found that the hand of tho Gens ral Government foil heavy upon thorn ; rhen its officers violated just and common iws, they found that tho General Governjent was equally ready and willing to hiuld theso from the conscqueuces of their cts ; and tho temptation to substitute cerain and summary punishment for nominal >r no punishment, was well-nigh irresistible. These were the circumstances and considerations that have uiadc liedmond an outlaw u.? uavu come near outlawing jL'ickco* [CoMffnUvWox 4(h * I