The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, September 30, 1885, Image 1
? / - k VHflHHk 1
1-., ' - . ii . I
VOL.1. ~ 1= " mi""' *~'~~~~
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The Abbeville Messenger.
/ M. L. BONHAM, Jr.,) 4kn 1,
T* P. COTHRAN, V LD10B8,> ?
JAS. S. PERRIN, ) 1 ROriUETOR s
? li
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1885. C
ti
The Edgefield Lynching. !
Another act in the terrible tragedy, n
which began with young Hammond's n
assassination in Edgefield a few days f
since, has been enacted in Edgefield, 1
and the town is in a atato of wildest ex- *
citement over tho murder of Mr. O T. I
Culbrcttth by a masked mob, who charg- c
cd him with the killing of Hammond.
Whether guilty or nnt, the manner in ywhieh
punishment was mctod out is n
greatly to be deplored, and cannot bo a
' too heartily condemned. Tholaw-abid- 0
ing citizens of old Edgefield cannot too ^
plainly make known their'horror and j
disapproval of this red handed outrage j
upon law and order. Our dispatchcs t
bring word that indignation meetings <]
will be held, and the fullest efforts made c
to aDnrehend the euiltv nartics. We ?
furnish below full particulars of the t
bloody tragedy. ^ s
Cmntonwaiid, S. C? September 22? f
[Special.]?The town' of Kdgefield is j
intensely excited over tho last act
in the tragedy which was inaugurated
lost week by the assassina- 0
tion of young W. H. Hammond, in the j
yard of Mrs. Culbreath. Suspicion set- 0
tied upon Mr. O. T. Culbreath, husband ^
of Mrs. Culbreath, as the murderer of ^
Hammond, and last night this suspicion j
culminated in tho murder of Mr. Cul- t
breath, right in the heart of the .village, v
'Y\xr A Kiinrl t\f tnocl/nd innn
Early Monday morning a warrant was g
sworn out before Trial Justice Glover j,
for the arrest of.O. T. Culbrealh, charg- j,
ing him as the assassin of young Ham- ],
lAond. The warrant was placed in tho p
hands of Constable Robert llatncay, ?
who found no difficulty in executing the ?
same. Returning to Edgefield village, c
it was agreed that JJr. Oulbreatli should a
not be placed in jail, as no fear was entertainod
of his fleeing from justice, so lie
was left at the hotel. After tea la1-.
\\
night he repaired to the office of hi<- nt_ ,
' "" | u
torneys, Messrs. Gary & Evans, to'con.!
suit with them reference to hij' iJOnd c
and petition* ..Jt i^d been rfcfong aIl u
S day ; and at about ten mia^a before
M eight o'clock the village yfs ^ qujot ttS
I such an occasion couIc^^qu^^^ when
llConstablj Ilamsay rijjffca int6 the office
l^^ofSfcSSSR^arjfWiivans and informed
them that a body of men wero coming
"J :'np the road. Humors of a lynching P
party had been heard in the village, and ?
Mr. Culbreatli had been advised to "
/. . leave by friends, but he said nobody
uj >. i ?. i ? -i :? ? ?1 - "
wiiiiiuu tu uuit uiiii, uuu il was prouu*
biy an attempt to extort informn 11
"tion from some negroes on his
C tl
place who were thought to know Roraething
about young Hammond's death. 11
" ' - When the constable entered the office 11
/with the" announcement that a body of ^
men wero approaching, it couid no lpn- ^
# ger bo doubted that ^
TIIET WEUE AFTER CUJ.BREATH,
' II
and ho was told to enter the back room c
of tho office and make. his escape
through a door opening into a small ^
yard. He had no sooner left the room a
and closed the door than tho mob knockf'
od aC the front door, and asked if Mr. v
Culbreath was in. They were inform- j,
ed that he was not, but, not satisfied tl
with this answer, they entered, and two 8,
or the men, covoring Mr. Gary . with i,
cocked pistols, two threatening Mr. j,
Evans in the same manner, and two 8,
others propeedud to open the back room j,
door. Messrs. Gary & EvanE wore un- v
armed, but protested vehemently against ^
/ the invading of their private office, y
upon opening or the back room Mr. I j,
Culbrcuth fired, his shot taking. effect! i.
?$>?*? th> door. His firo was immqfff.fj
^Mfeiy'utiirnod, ono ball striking C&ljj
Imj^jlS'.tho right shoulder and anotag^fS
!>?$&trittfng the door. Culbreath cried n
* o&^Ddb'ij shoot mo any more, f,
BEmSI2B??i4Wit*eized and dragged out of the ?
w,1'le protesting his in- "
{jfifflMro^ftCtfiaa'd the great wrong that wus ?
a. ne was ajaggca oe- u
n, about a mile back of the s
out of town, to a small C
en the " Creighton and
places. He called the v
ral members of the'party,
to let him ride, saying A
'ing from his wound and 0
walk ; also asking certain C
0 names he called, if they i
nod to treat an old friend r
1 alleging his innouonco *
??.UL i- < . I I.
f.v? wniuii ne Wjw DCing 11
Vhon thoy arrivod\U the 1
cod to l?o allowed to pjay,
uestcd that ho bo shot in D
9e was then shot three 9
ill striking hint in the small H
one fa the hip, and one &
Inr t!he leg, neither of wjiich i]
l^rbnhds. ' He aunkiojhe ^
- * 1 ly.
By this time a * d
PARTY OF CITIZENS ^
lad been organized and set out in puruit
of the lynching mob. 'Near the 1
louse of Mr. Crcighton they met Mr. a
Julbronlh walking back to town. He ^
tad stopped at the house of Mr. Creigh- c
on, he said, asking admission and say- p
ng that he had been shot all to pieces. r
i j..: it. i * fl
tut was uymg. xiu gavu his name ana
sked for a glass of water, but it was rc- 0
used, and he was turned away, lie J1
lad set out to walk to town when he '
vus met by the party of citizens, who, ^
laving hoard the shots, and beloiving
tiin dead at first, thought it
r
was his g08t,
' a
>ut soon saw it was Culbeeath in flesh 0
nd blood. He was taken in a vehiclc ?
,nd carried back to town, and placed upin
a bod in the jail > for safety. The r
loctors suppose that he fainted from ^
oss of blood and exhaustion just about v
he time he was shot the last times, and j
bus it was that the mob thought him g
lead. He was unable to lie down, and
omplained of cxcrueiating pain in his g
ide. He was propped up in bed, but ^
he attending physicians did not con- 0
idcr his wounds fatal. He was per- p
ectly conscious, and the account of the a
earful outrage upon him, which has
ust been related, is
AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. j
He protested his -innocence throughout,
and prayed for his murderers, caling
the names of several whom ho rcc- v
gnized. He lingered until 5 o'clock tl
his morning, when he died. An in- ii
ucst inaugurated, and has been ad- s
f iU.. * - * e *
uumcii mi iuu pruunrunieiit oi iuriner u
estimony. Taylor, one of the posse t*
rho guarded Culbreath in jail, in his g
estiinony before the Coroner to-day, ?
avo tho names of several parties tty? d
io says Culbreath affirmed, ^ith fi
is dying his breathy w&0 among tl
is murderers. It is porlfcps not wise to d
ublish these until/Yurther develop- tl
icnts are inaJtf. It is due to Mr. A
Jreighton J^'say ije explains-his 01
onduc^^hon Culbreath sought shelter ai
11'/s house, by the statement that ho
oloivod him an imposter and the whole Ii
lie made up. The coroner's inquest ol
ill be -resumed Thursday, and a ver.
ict will be rendered. An indignation
looting will bo held to-morrow by the ti
mzens. ureat--excitement prevails, o;
t was an diitrifgf */Jf the dye "#
vct perpetrated in tike State. it
RKSITHUAM. 01
A FAMILY AFFAIR. Y
The circumstances sorrounding the p1
jrrible tragedy are peculiar, and the
artics are all connected l>y marriage or f
tlw>r rolntiniiR. niAkinir if <> >nJnf llintn "
?. - - ? ""'O " WJ vov,
s<
nfortunate family affairs which are so ^
isastrous in their consequences and so
eeply to be deplored. From a gentlelan
acquainted with all the parties, and a
lie circumstances of both 'chapters in
tie bloody tragedy, wo get the followig
facts which have bearing upon the
latter: The parties are all respectalc,
well-connected people, and stand
igh in the county. Mrs. Culbreath is
tie daughter of the late Captain Win.
'rescott, one the most respected names
i South Carolina. J)r. William Pres- C
ott, a brother*of Mrs. Culbreath, mart
_ _ . CJ
iea a sister of Mr. Culbreath. The
rother of young Humtndnd. who was
ssassinated, was engaged to bo married ^
? a daughter of Culbreath. Culbreath
ras a man past forty years of age and
ad grown ohildren. Owing to his ciuel
rcatmcnt of his wife, she was forced to ^
eparate from him about two years ago.
t is said that on the separation she gave ^
iin $5,000, expecting him to go away to
omc other place, and leave her alone. c
nstead of this, however, he settled
rithin a mile of her, and has since then
tl
ept jealous vigilance over her, making
treats against any one who went to see
er, and constantly importuning her to 0
itjnm come back- He is said to have
kireiteddi'yaqng Hammond's life more "
fiuBn onco, nod bin i>Wn -daughter testifiAkt
inquest ovag-Jfem- T'
that sii*. h?d heard her J
ither had vowed ho would ktil hi*.
roung Hammond was about 21 yean of *
ge, near neighbor of Mrs. Cuibreara,- J,
nd had been employed as a sort of
verseer at the Culbreath dIscb. Hi? c
?' f
lother testified at the inquest that her .
on had told her a few days before that 11
'ulbreath had threatened his lifo and he
old her so she umight know, in case he ,
ras killed who was his murderer." '
Said our informant in view of these 1
icts, there is little doubt on tho minds w
f tho peoplo of tho neighborhood that
'ulbreath is responsible for young a
lammond's death. There is a fence
unning along by tho Culbreath house ?
nd (liam ia ? Anr.m at -.r
? *MV?W ?? w WVV4 ?W VilVUCI CUU VI *IIU
0U80. There waff a beaten path along
ho outside of this fenco running the "
angth of the house, showing thnt Hammond's
murderer had been waiting the
pportunity to kill him for some time, b
nd had paced backward and forward k
door to door in the attempt to see c
Aio house or secure an opportunity to I
When Hammond came into the ti
^Mththe child the desired oppor- *
pRy was afforded, and he was shot fi
own like a dog. Said our informant :
Vhilo I was not in Edgefield at tlie
iino of the killing of Culbreuth, I know
lie fueling which existed towards him,
nd the reasons which lead to his being
ealt with by the mob, viz: the firmest
onviction of his guilt, the inability to
rove it, and the knowledge that his ar-)
aignment and trial would be a mere
arcc, resulting in his acquital. It is not
ertain that Culbrcath did the killing;
iO was perhaps too smart for that, and 1
earn ho wrote a letter to l)r. Prescott
ssuring him that he could prove an ali>i.
It-was firmly beleired, however,
iy the inon who killed him that ho was
csponsiblo for the murder, if not the
ctual slayer, and that if a negro 01
thcr person did the shooting it was
rierely as a tool in Culbreath's hands.
The report that there wore improper
elations existing between Mrs. Culireath
and young Hammond is utterly
rithout foundation, and receives no creence
from the people who knew her.
he is one of tho most estimable ladies
n South Carolina and is abovo suspicion,
laid our informant:' I do ?not give you
hese facts in justification of the action
f the mob that killod Culbrcath. I dc
>rccaic ioc saa occurence as mucn as
nybody, and heartily disapprove of
heir course.?Augusta Chronicle.
dr. Chas. Creighton Explains
A
Mr. Charles Creighton, of Edgjtftjtd, i
ras in the city yesterday ?nd asks (
hat the following oxplanaJi\ft{ be made 1
n reference to the Ed^afold lyching, in I
o far as his name. connected with the t
nfortunate affoV. He says the Chron- <
cle's aor. lint aT vnotnf/1 n" 1 -
rayyinjusticc, and crcates the impresYrrt'
that he had tui'nod from his door a
ying man whom ho knew and had.reised
him a glass of water. He says
lat Mr. Culbrcath did not come to his
oor, nor did he see him at all and gives
?e following account of the affair :
bout nine o'clock Monday night some
ne passed along the road, by my gate,
id called out in a very hurried way :
Charlie Creighton, Charlie Creighton !" i
i a moment the buggy had passed out. <
t Hearing ana remarked to my wne,
rhat-is some drunken fellow."
In then retired, leaving my wife sitng
up. In about half an hour some
no called rapidly . "Mr.^Creighton,
hvOretBtihrni*'" fansWerod. .thinking
my servant.^ The party then called upn
me to ''come out." I asked "who are
ou ?" and he replied: "A friend.'' 1
nid to Mrs. Crcighton : "Thatdruniccn
illow has come back to annoy us
gain.?' He continued to call me, sayig,
"Gome out, I won't hurt you. I am
juatting down hero by the fence." I
id not answer again, and told my wife
> blow out the lamp and he would go
way. When tho lump was blown out he
'alked down tho lane. onDosite mv win
ow, and said : "Come out, I want to
2C you ; my name is Towlcs Culbrcath,
nd I have been lynched ; give me some
'ater." ]
I got up then to investigate matters, j
nd Mrs. Greighton being so very much larmed
caught hold of me and entreatd
me not tq go out I told her it was ,
nly some drunken fellow who had reorted
to this ruse to get me to come (
ut. 1 looked through tho blinds and (
ould seo no one. 1 had not beon to
)wn during the day, and knew nothing ,
f the warrant for Culbrcath or his arist.
I knew, however, that he lived
Dine fifteen or twenty miles away, andfait
satisfied that it was some drunken
tan, so I did not go out to him. Had
Ir. Culbrcath couic to iny door, informd
me of his condition and asked for wa
;I U1 (K) iUU \J ft! UfllULG9 Ut*
ount implies, I would have been less
:>an human to have turned him away.
My houso being on the road leading
ut from town, my family has more
tian once been subjected to great anoyance
from drunkon men, and not
aving the least suspicion that it was in
sality Mr. Culbreath, or that ho had, in
j?t, been shot, I declined to go out.
"(Bay ^easily imagine my feelings
y to the lynching or In '
, when, in fact, I regard it asthV' trtif
astardly 'outrago ever perpetrated in* ,
Idgefield county. My friends in Edge- ,
eld know, tho circumstances which 1,
ave related above, and the explanation ,
rould not bo necessary to acquit me in
lieir sight, but I have acquaintances
nd business men in Augusta, and I
liink the foregoing account is due to
lyself and them, Tor a man who would
nowingly turn a dying man from his
oor, and refuse fyim * drink of water, is
rorae than the man who fthot.hira.
' .
Mr. Jason Simpson sells some of the
est machines ever brought to this'maret
Ho recently sold us a White .Mahine,
that.gives Complete satisfaction,
t is light funning, simple of construcon,
and durable. We can with aafety
ssuro thiso wanting a maehi.te. of th*
ne qualttios of the White, 17-tf-71
Fitz Lee and John "Wsejf ?
[Special Correspondence New York ,Y'j?ld.l ^
Riohmohd, Va., September 15.-.'ijfloro t
are a good ftiany points of resoi^ftnce 1
between the two opposing candi??t<jl for 1
the Virginia Governorship, Ge^ Vitz- '
hugh Leo and John S. "Wise. Gnj Lee i
has fifteen years the start of lih Ippo- <
nent, but both are comparativeljjloung '
men. Both belong to the sang Ji/r of
Virginia social life, and are born Brahmins
of tho Brahmins. Bcjth ar^openair
men, whose code is simple?U fight,
to ride and to speak tho truth.1 {Both
fought gallantly on the sam!l bide
through a long and bloody str&glo;
Lee, a dashing young cavalry offifr at
tho head of his column ; Wise,? a'endcr
blue-eyod cadet, who with 200/of his
boy comrades was marched unjer tho
Re* Gen. Pendleton frdm the Virginia
MUlUrr Institute^ U?? kMtleVf New
Market, iOtfL firomtUt day
renafir at Apporiinttox followed the tlag
of the Confederacy. Gen.
Lec, accoutred and caparisoned
all the glory of a gray Confederate uniform,
a black plume in his widft-brimmed
hat and curbing a fiery stood, inspires
a crowd, as at the last inauguration,
with great enthusiasm. Added to this, the
very whisper of his magic namn is as
tho sound of the battle-cry to an old
warhorse, and no crowd of Virginia soliVeVsT^rt^jnust
break out in loud huzzas
when it is spokenT ^ItTtnT^TWll^Jdress?
ind ho is not fastidious as to hi^-unftn^s
but, as on the occasion of Gen. Grant's
funeral, frequently appears in garments
)f strange fashion and the worse for
(rear?Gen. Lee is a homely, stout Virginia
farmer, plain in speech, fond of anjedoto
and with a loud and jovial laugh
that fills the town with a breath of plantation
life and tells the club men two
squares off that uFitz Leo" has come,
[t is in his courtly and deferential manner
to women, whom ho treats with a
reverent courtesy ' that is particularly
winning and engaging, that he appears
socially at his best. Gen. Lee is not an
arator, but even Virginia pooplc, who are
of all people roost given over to the traditions,
are beginning to realizo that
this is a lost art, and one that does hot
properly belong to a highly civilized conimunitV
wllicli line ntKor "-111TO in
J J ? ?? .."JO v.^a[orming
itself than through the silver
lcconts of-a popular speaker. His
rough clothcs, his rough-amj?rcffdy
speech his unaffected interest in County
nffairs, in stock breeding, and even a
country tournament, where the pretty
girls in the neighborhood all assemble,
give him a popularity with the masses
which a more eloquent and even a more
nble man would fail to excite. "The
truth is,'' said a Virginia gentleman, sitting
on the unpainted veranda attached
Lo the house of his eighth great-grandfather,
uFitz Leo's a gentleman ; wo all
know him and his stock ; be married a
Virginia girl, a beautiful creatnre, Nelly
Fowle ; we all know her stock ; nice
plantation ; knows a good horse when
he sees one; good soldier, and besides,
his name's Lee, and we'll all go to the
II 1 ? ...
puna nuu givu itiio n uanusome majority.
No debt question or negro's place in
equity there."
Mr. Wise, is also a gentleman of birth
and breeding, an excellent lawyer, a
?00(1 friend and the best raconteur of
his day. His handsome, bull-dug, clean
shaven face contrasts well with tlje
fragile beaut}' of his golden-haired wife
and his'tall young sons, by whom he is
always surrounded. By a combination
of circumstances which begun as far
back as '75, when his personal enemy,
Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, now of Balti
more, then of Richmond, contested the
Beat in the Virginia Senate with Mr.
w..? n ~r u:.k. a h- w-?
II >? U. ALingii^ UI Uikiimviiu, iUI'. ?Y ISVJ
boiled from bis party and bccatue an itvdependent.
Under that name the buttle
was fought a long, long time. "For a
hatred and an implacable hatred," says
George Eliot, "commend ine to to tho
hatred of tho blocd relation." When
"Johny Wise," as every man and woman
in Richmond dubbed him, went
over to the Republican party through
the ranks of ReadjustiBtn, with Mahone
for p leader, a try went up all ovor tho
Uod. And why, should it not have
ed to the negr<r*vote, might overcofihF
the rightful Democratic mojority, and
conceived tho soheme of repudiation
glossed over under tho sugary title of
readjustment, was it to be for ono moment
supposed that men of integrity and
intelligence, such as John S. Wise was
thought to be, would enlist under such
a banner borne by such a leader ?
The Westmorland Clulj, tho most
exclusive and conservative rendezvous
for gentlemen in Richmond, saw fit by
blackballing to intimate that Mr Wise i
was do longer welcomo in thqir society.
Rightly, thon, did the pretty house on
Main street, which.had boon Iho scone;
of wan;,* gay .company, bocamo shijt
and silent. The Richmond German
Club issued its invitations, bnt the
names of Hon. and Mrs. John 8. Wise
rere absent from the lady and gentlenen
patrons. It w-as all society could to
lo, but there is .nothing so relentless. It rr
abooed the Senator from the Richmond T
district and his lovely young wife, a
3ut recently a reaction has taken place, p
'Let us havo peace" has a glimmer of if
meaning even to that cnttghteued jury c
jf American citizens we call society n
who are for a verdict of guilty?to a
woman, every county. h
The papers rage, and here and there a v
fiery politician or a strong partisan organ
like" the Richmond Whig makes the c
canvass a personal one, but it is renlly c
lacking in bitterness. 1
Virginians remember Gen. Robert E. i
Lee, their chieftain and hero, and will <
vole the Democratic ticket and give, as
the Planter prophesied, "Fitz Lee" a 1
* it .1.1
nanusomc majority. out uiuruuru uiu- i
timers who wilt also recall the fiery
element He;ry
fM also a power in the land, and ther&T
are the men who wore the cadet uniform
at New market who - have not forgotten (
the 15-year-old boy in the ranks, whp*r!
was a soldier oven then and of good
stuff to the core. . S&?v)
On one thing the Virginia people moyi ^
be congratulated. There will be, after
an interregnum of ten years?for Gov.
Cameron has never nnterlained?a mistress
at the Government House, and, no
matter who is elected, a charming and
beautiful hostess who will open the
1 -t ?J ? *
I lung ciusuu pnriors ana m&Ku a social
[centre of the house which for so long
has Bl'tf.r.lhe gloomiest and tho most forlorn
in all VirgiiflWr
Anecdotes of Justice. t
The justice of tho peace is somewhat ]
a pcculiafity, and if some ono does not ^
watch him ho will exceed his jurisdiction.
It took a constable, prosecuting
attorney and a club to convinco a Wyoming
justice of tho peace that he had
no right to send a man to the peniteniter.tiary
for life. Another justice in i
Utah sentenced a man to be hung on the
following Friday between 12 and 1 '
o'clock of said day, but he couldn't enforce
tho sentence. A Wisconsin jus- i
tice of the peace granted a divorce, and
in two weeks married the couple over 1
-again?ten dollars for the divorce and
two dollars for the relapse.
Another one, when his first case came
up, jerked a candle box around behind
the dining room table, put his hat on the
back of bis head, borrowed a chew of
tobacco from the prisoner and said:
"Now, boys, the court's open. The first
feller that says a word unless I speak to :
him will get paralyzed. Now, tell your
story." Theu each witness ahd the defendant
reeled olf his yarn without being
sworn. The justice fined the defendant
$10, and made the complaining
witness pay half'the costs. The justice i
then took the fine and put it in his pocket >
and adjourned the court, and in an hour
was so full that it took six men to hold <
his house still long enough for him to
get into the door..
A North Park justice of the peace
and under-sheriff" formed a partnership
years ago for the purpose of supplping
people with justice at New York prices;
and by doing a strictly cash business
they dispensed a good deal of justice,
such as it wss.
It was a misdemeanor to kill game
and ship it out of tlio State, and as
there was a good deal killed there?
| consisting of elk, antelope, and black|
tailed deer especially?and as it could
not be hauled out of the Park at that
I season without going across the Wyo|
ining line and back again into the State
of Colorado, the under-sheriff would
load himself down with warrants, signed*
in blank, and station himself at the foot of
the pass to the North. He would thenarrest
everybody indiscriminately who
had any fraction of a deer, antelope or
elk on his wagon, try the case then and
there, put on a fine of $25 to $75, which,
if paid, never reached the treasury, and
then he would wait for another victim.
The average man would rather pay the
fine than BO kiob 10ft milna thrnnoli 1Kb
mountains to stand trial, so tbo undersheriff
and jostice thrived Tor some tiino.
But one day the under-sheriff served hif
patent automatic warrant on a young roan
Instead of paying this fine the youth,
who was quite'nimble, but unarmed
knocked the bogus officer down witji the
butt end of his whip, took his self-cock
ing credentials away and lit ont. In less
than a week the justice and his copper
tfrere in the refrigerator.
I was onco a justice of the peace, and
a good many funny littlo incidents
occurred while I hold that
office. I do not allude to my-official life
herein ordor to call attention to my
glowing career. Tor thousands of others
no doubt could have administered the affair!
p?4J?* office to, troll as i did, but
rather to apeak of one incident which
psSk place whilo I was a J. P.
:.v.- - # ..
One night after I had retired and gone 1
i sleep a milkman, called Bill Dunning,
ing the bell and got me out of bed.,
hen told me that a man who owed him r
milk bill of $35 was loaded up and '
rcparcd to slip across the line overland
?to Colorado, there to grow up with th'
ountry and acquire other indebtedn'
o doubt. Bill desired an nttichr
or the entire load of goods and p
ad an officer at hand to ae*
rrit. Mr"But,"
said I, as I #?i>r
ome" husk door mat' arOr
>us proportions,"how do *
ve controverse tofcethc
ng his way down thr
lee ?? / :
"Never ti^itid V
iam, "Youjcse
I'll tend 4o thr
tlie do
deUSnt.
*?Y6u reckoTlect, _
"that the waggin vwbe^
Mile with a big nut. v)fo ?
any length of limo without ?.
nut onto the axle. Well, whftltTsa
what's-hiR-nnme was packed up and .
waggin loaded, I took the liberty to b<Wry
one o' them nuts for a kind of momenta,
as it were, and I kept that in mypocket
till we served the writ and came
to his milk, if you'll allow me that expression,
and then I says to him, 4Tardner."
says I, "you are going far, faraway
ffriTn-ffsLniDjy $ff??irgv<s y o ?3>koj
this here nut," says 1 "and put it onto |
Ihe axle of tho oft hind wheel of your
tvaggin, and whenever you look at it
hereafter, think of poor old Bill l>unnings
the milkman."
Law in South Carolina.
Wo publish elsewhere under the
above caption an editorial from the Ab
beville Press an<l Banner the object
of which is to show that the law against
murder is not enforced in this State,
and that human lifo is hol<l ton oUnnn
But the statistics of our esteemed
contemporary arc alwayS too raguc and
uncertain to prove anything.
Beyond the facts that thirty-three
homicides have occurred in
County within the list eight ' yfktMf ?h?
that two murderers have beel hanged
within the same time, nothingH#
except tho ''opinions" and "belief."
Evidence of this kind is not admissible
in determining so serious a question as
tho one under consideration.
As the Prdss <t)\cl Banner, with the
exception of two facts, has given us
nothing but ''surnrs s" and "'guesses''
it may bo allowable for us to indulge in
a little speculation upon this matter,
and see what effect it hati upon this
fearful fact of thirty-three homicides in
eight years.
Homicide is a word of very broad
signification, including killings which
are jutsitlable and excusable as well
as those which are felonious.^ It is
therefore fair to presume that at least
one half of these thirty-three homicides
wero excusable or justifiable. This
would reduce the number that could be
classed as felonious to sixteen and a
half, and a half, and make it seventeen.
Now man-slayres do not usually give
themselves up to.justice, nor do they
stund still and wait for the officers of
the law to come after them. It in highly
probable then, that at least five of
the seventeen escaped arrest. This reduces
our number to twelve. But a,
criminal often escapes justice by a failure
of evidence, particularly a8 it is
necessary according to law to prove his
guilt 'beyond a reasonable doubt." Then
we may allow four to escape through i
loophole. We now have eight who are
guilty of felonious homicide, which is
either murder or man-slaughter. Two
of these eight have been hangod for
murder, according to the Press and
Banner's statement while the remain*
ing six if its "belief is correct, are
sorving out their terms in the penitentiary
for man-slaughter. s
Now we do not hopo to vindicate tlio
enforcement of the law by the.- above
showing, but it is just about prf' fair 'as
TTTU?wvy?m w uiuu HUIIHV newspapers
Lirovo that the law is n^Hmforced.
'"frlwyrai* -rf/uifj Banner's reference
M^(i ?Ia?$?? fcalirib**.:** uj^p-slayers
cau&'iTOi^
able?many justTnaoiV^HHt ?Ha(r tadri
never allows any circumstances to j?@
cuse, much less justify the pig'BtflH?)
Nor do we think the jury whichjmBf
a man of murder on iho plea
doferce, Virtually convictfeAHnp
roan of being an out}aw vgHjUBp
to be killed,'' If in the
"onpleasantness" eithei^gg^y
killed the other would/ cwfflHr
trial hayo been acquitted, tm
body woold overrate %\uM
editor of the IfttelligtaoM
tor from Andrfrvon a*
deserv6d^<o b*
gp?- \ 1
iii
v"
,VJ- ' '
. " '
' .
. }j. iW
. . .
.
!?m?u
a yea) ap;o. and lias pushed it so
ously that'70 miles of it has beofr
pletcd and in operation to Saundersv^^^^H
paying 20 per cent. on its capital
Mr. Mitchell has recently become
terostod with ex-Knmtnr f!*lliann
Edgefield, and others in the scheme
building a narrow gauge from AnpwtiBM
to Newberry via Edgefield C. H? and^^fl
the money for that is now in hand ready
for the beginning of work as soop.?s~tlf3
survey settles a local ctespute about V
what points tho line shall run to.
This road is chartered to Newberry. X/ I
Tho Ninety-Six people now propose 1
at a point fifteen miles below Ninety- I
Six and ten or twelve miles above Edge- ]
geld Court House and ^extending to I
Greenville with a view to ultimate ex- j
tension westward over the mountains* J
An informal meeting was held at Nine- I
ty-Six and Captain Kirk was requested M
to visit Augusta and have an interview
with President Mitchell.
Broadly stated, Mr. Mitchell's Resign
seems to bo to continue pushing tn&^H
narrow gauge line south far down . intti^H|
Florida and west over the Blu* Ridge'flH
mountains until he has a continuous
lino several hundred miles in length,
onnectcing with Charleston bytheSouth^^H
Carolina Railroad which has given ev-^^D
ery indication of a purpose to work^^H
with him. He heard the planM^ih^^^H
Ninety-Six people as stated.
Kirk, and, after a long"
which all the ground was
over, gave a endonM^^^H^^^^fl
pledge to
pie interested would do
building it. He undertakes
par bonds of the proposed
amount one half its
promises to furnish the rollil^HH^^H
and run tho road as part of his
although he advises those interwynftSfl
u i..w.M u .?/)w^L/x
uicir own control and believesitifteyu^EV
do it. If thoy should decide on
course he promises to buy^their.rollHft^l
stock, ties, railing, et^at the same rl^^
St which ho boughV^them for his owb*/
road. That roajir'nas cost for oonstnflP^|
tion and conipfato equipmohJt $4,600
mile, and/1tho proposedlj^Ba can*|j^^^
built mora cheaply, i|j^|gBift^MW|MB^
mujch easier than tha^Hftl^ ^#^ip^ '
r?<t
uioson cc BtunaermH
jBWVf?' sv - v ;,v?* '
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