Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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' H*1 SUPPLEMENT TO ~ fl)f Coitntg Itoril VOL XIX T KINGSTREE, SOUTH CAROLINA, DECEMBER 21, 1905. NO 52 j {VENTS THAT HAPPEN Tl COLONEL J. A. RHAME WRITES INI CUSSED In another newspaper, under the nrtm il? "Omp who w tliem" UVU1 V4V W V- .. -- - ?? I have previously shown that which was well known to thousands of our people to wit: That iD the Ku Klux days, '69 to'71, thtre were -large Companies, members of the Klan, ridiDg up the middle section of the State,particulary Sumter, Clarendon, and "Williamsburg, iu the endeavor to accomplish good and prevent mfechief. And it may interest some of your readers to know more of the happenings of those days. It may be news, Mr Editor, to even some of the true blue of the mysterious order, to hear that the - * 1 * TT xri _ !_ J _ ^^urss aen or ivu ruux organizeu ju ^ciumter cdunty was organized in the. town of Sumter, by a young mau fresh from Ku Klux headquarters in Tennessee, bearing the genuine Ku Klux "Prescript". This young man was a son of a well kuown and much loved Presbyterian minister, at that time of Sumter county. After the young man who organized the town of Sumter left, a cer? tain Major from Georgia sojourned in Sumter until everything* in the county?maybe in other counties too ^I?got in working order. Besides the Swimming Pen raid, . there were other and numerous raids " in the middle and lower section of the State. Some of the most notable were: First?The privateer raid, during which a battle occurred, with the result that one negro was killed and others wouude I and a member of the Klan waS shot down. The wounded Ku Klux was spirited away and ten1 derlv nursed back to health; and the authorities m Columbia were none rthe wiser. Second ?During a raid, or by appointment, a notoriously bail character.. a negro politician, was put to ^death-ly the Ku Klux m Clarendon county near the town of Manning, v Third?A raid iu Williamsburg county where a negro whose life and . >conduct had been for some time 'a stench and unbearable, was, after chie warning to leave had been disobeyed,strung up by the neck where the;?ublie found his body next day. Pourtji?In Williamsburg county, near Scrauton or Lake City, a whit*.enemy of the people was duly tried * 17lrt? oA*?fnnAn/l un/1 nil t Uy luc rviau, scuicuvtu nuu j/?* w death. Fifth?A white qiau in the BishopvilSe section was, for good provocation, thrashed and ordered to retnrn to his home iu North Carolina. Sixth?A white man, deserving what he got at the hands of the Ku Klux, was thrashed in old Lynchburg and given orders which he religiously respecced and obeyed. Seventh?During a raid in Darliugton county, a white man, desiring to avoid punishment for his misdoings, broke one of his legs in his flight from the Ku Klux. Eighth?A laid was made around the locality known then as Lynchbnrg depot, during which a negro niercbaut was thrashed for disobeying orders, which he ever afterward , respected. Ninth?But not by any means the least there was another raid in the locality of Lynchburg depot made for the purpose of settling accouuts with a white man doing a general merchajelise and liquor business. This man had been waited upou once before, after beiug warned, but on the first visit paid him, for the purpose of punishment, he was sick; and he promised to give no more trouble. And, as the Ku Klux ^ were not looking up sick men, they took his word for the time. However, iustead of the man, John Murphy by name, keeping his promise, be made made many threats and ample preparation to receive them should they decide to call agaiu. Murphy bought and loaded with powder and buck shot four double barrel guns, which he placed in different parts of the store convenient .to his hand, lie also kept on his person two pistols, and he invited / .. me more thauonce to join him in his * ' pistol practice while he was getting r ready for the Ku Klux. I did practice with him, and beat him shootmsr and he said to me "If I could T o' ~ shoot as wjdl as you can I would certaiuly set the Kn ,Klux- gomg," -but I told him laughingly, and a' good guess it was, that his pistol' would not shoot straight if aimed at a Ku Klux, unless loaded with siU Yer bullets. In the meantime,- the Ku Klux, being fully aware of Murphy's purpose to entertain them with powder and bnllets, prepared for the ? occasion. However, it should be stated /that Murphy's couduct, the i warnyg gi/en him, his promise, his 4kre&tS ixuu}e later and his preparation to kill were all duly reported ; io headquarters for orders. The op - i *N. jt' -a ED IN IE DAYS OF THE K, K. K. fERESTINGLY OF THAT MUCH DISPERIOD. iders came "compel him to obey, but 1J take life ouly to save life.'' ! So, in due time they offered him ' the courtesy of another interview, i which he hotly rejected with flashi ing pistols. Mr Editor, I witnessed : this battle between Murphy and the Ku Klnx. whicli resulted in his , being shoi through the neck and I body. Murphy sticking his pistol I in the face of the foremost of the Ku Klux, fired the first shot, but nrssed his aim?or being rattled had no aim?and was promptly shot down l?y the man he shot at, after which the detachment of Ku Klux, seven in numW, retired to the woods near by. The leader simply pointed his pistol upward above th right shoulder ar.d repeated "K K K." when each of the other six, in reply, pointed to himself ani said "safe," and immediately the command, "rti turn," was given, when they walked leisurely across the green to the forest in view. j I assisted in getting Murphy's cot | from the loft of the store where he slept, helped to get him on the cot ' and sent for a doctor. In about or, limn- frnm Hia tim*. Xfnrnhv was 141J I1VU1 i i vi y vmv w??mv |... . _ ! put to bed, while there were only thi^e or tonr of us in the room with him, one hundred mounted Ku Klcix from Williamsburg and Clarendon, accompanied by guides from Sumter couuty, rode up and surrounded the store, and to say that some of the eyes in the store, at that moment, were as large as tea cups would be some slight exageratiou, but te say tremendous would be mild. The riders satisfied themselves that Murphy had been sufficiently punished, and after admonishing the attending physician to faithfully care ior the wounded man, Ihey gave new orders which Murphy never disobeyed, and disappeared Murphy was restored to health a 'am iu about two months by the skillful attention of Dr Thomas Wells, an ex-Confederate surgeon. In this battle, the present Bishop A Cok?' Smith, then a young minister, and his father, Rev Win H Smith, came near being hit by Murphy's bullets. He was tiring directly towards them as they walked along by the railroad track. They and I had just gotten off of the passenger train from Sumter about 9 o'clock in the evening, and we walked together from the depot up the track by (he engine. The Messis Smith kept on along by the tiack while I turned direct across it to Murphy's door. And at that in6taut the Ku Klux entered the 6tore by the open front door, when Murphy immediately began firing across the counter, to the right oblique, putting Messrs Smith d rectly iu the range of his bullets, which struck tlie track near their feet. Mr Editor, those were terrible times, and the whole truth concerning them will never be tcld. Certainly a terrible condition of things ?the peculiar and' awful condition then existing?was .accessary to warrant the Ku Klux organization or the existence of any, other secret t order doing tlig line of wcrk done by the Ku Klux Klan, under he claim of maintaining v/hite supremacy, resisting persecution and . preventing robbery and other villainous deeds. But, iu the judgment of the best people of this land, ; the urgent ueed and the justiication ! did exist And no man who belonged to the order will hang his head in Jiauie for having been "one of thm"?unless lie was mdividtiallv a mean man aud guilty of some act not known of or author! ized by the Klan. ; I have 110 more regret for having been a Ku Klux than I have for i displaying some patriotism in run| ning away, as a 12 year old boy, accompanied by a little bro'her still fyounger aud one a little o)d?r, with j the purpose of joining my soldier brothers In the army of Virginia, I during the Civil war, or for the p?I "K'l T ...C 4.U I 11 luiioiii nuu giitj a. j aiuug ?itu uuici | red-shirt Democrats, displayed in j reaping the fruits for which the Ku i Klux Klan had at least in part paved the way by The redemption^ the State from negro rule in '76. i The same men, in a large measure, did- both,helped today the foundation and fully redeem the State. That the government could' have been taken-from the horde in power, by fraud and force, without a bloody war and'a sigu of arson,- had it not been for the impression already made by the Ku Klux-Klair ie beyond belief to many of* us. Of course, conditions were' not exactly the same in all parts' of the State, even-where all was' bid; and no one*person .can- justly ciaiArto know all the truth of thoue tertfMe times,> neither has- tbtete ever' been - any record or book printed that contains half ot the whole truth. Now, Mr Editor, I will confine myself to the middle section of South Carolina, and chiefly to the territory lying along Lynch's river, as it touched the counties of Sumter, Clarendon and Williamsburg, aifd nauie some of things that moved almost all the best, brave and true men of this section to join or encourage ihe Ku Klux organization. Let it be first stated that the courts, particularly the magistrates, courts, as then composed were totally inadequate for the punishment of "" I /1/mm. uixl tlui nrccoiiM nf Vmi C? I I-VtV/XTI C ? (4I1U VIJV J'i V vvuvv V4 a ? kee soldiers in town garrisons had emboldened the evil disposed to a degree unbearable. Some of the things suffered by our people therefore were the occasional assassinatiou of white men, bj> order of the Union league?composed of misguided negroes and a scalawag i or carpetbagger. The burning of bains, gin-houses, etc., by order of the league. Public speeches by carpetbaggers aad negro politicians, calculated to produce and produciug arson and bloodshed. The wholesale stealing and butchering of hogs aud cattle, in some instances Mfteen or twenty fattening hogs out of a bunch of probably thirty. The stealing of half a herd of cattle within a few weeks. The stealing of crops from the field, and the buying of these stolen farm products?gathered and sold in the night time?by selfish, greedv enemies to the common good,. The arming of negroes by the State government and the parading of these armed negroes in such i way as to drive white people from the public highway .and streets. And, in some instances the cursing by a black brute, of young ladies returning from preaching at night. Mav it be re . i x l! J uiemoerea, mat we nau enemies present besides the carj>et bagger and the misguided negro?the scalawag was here. Mr Editor,in conclusion, 1 would suggest, that if yod iiad even done something unquestionably wrong, for which you were being prosecuted and per sec ut 3d, you would certainly feel a good degree of comfort if you had anything like the same number of the best women of this laud?the mothers, psters and sweethearts of the best men of this land?praying for heaven's blessiugs on your head that prayed for and blessed the Ku Klux in their day. More abounding then should be your comfort, and readiness to die if necessary, with all these good women on your side, and knowing you were right. ?J A Rhaine, in Sumter Evening News. Final Discharge' Notice is hereby given that Keuben J Parrott, administrator of the Instate of L II l-arrott, deceased, lias this day made application unto me for a Final Discharge as such Administrator, and that the 8th day of January, A. I). 1900, at 1" o'clock a. m., at my office at Kingstree, S. C? has been appointed for the hearing of tlu* said petition. S. McB SCOTT, Judge of Probate for Wmsburg. Co., S. C. Notice of Sale. IB virtue of a power of attorney given to us by Mrs Pauline Smith ana others, residuary legatees under the will of the late A J Smith, we will offer for sale at public auction in front or the Court House in Kingstree on Monday January 1st,1906 at 12 o'clock, noon, the following described premises, being the real estate embraced in the residuary clause of said will: 1. All that certain p'.Ae, parcel or tract of land situate, lying and being in the county of Williamsburg and State of youth Carolina containing one hundred and twentyacrea more or less, and bounded as follows: On the north by lands now or late of Joseph E Brockinton: on the east by lands ol Joseph E Brockinton and J A Scott; on the south by lands of J A Scott and on the west by the Darlington Public Itoad. 2 All that e-rtain piece, parcel or tract of land, situate, lying and being in Williamsburg county and State of j South Carolina,in King township con[taining one hundred and thirteen j acres, more or Jess, and bounding and (touching land- of J E Brockinton, the estate of Samuel Matthews, the estate of E J C Mm,'hews,Covert Scott. W I) Cokei, the est**? Calvin lialiie?? the estate of Joe jVyoeki'iton, coloren, and the estate of Brockinton, being the same Dnct Ot land conveyed by J E:BrockintdW^heri/T. to A J Smith a'" the property of E P Bradley on the hid dav of Novell her A. D 1892, 3: AMI that certain piece, parcel or i tract* of land, lying, being and situate ' | hi' the couhty of Williamsburg ai d Srrtte of South Carolina containing Eighty-four acres more or less and boun Art as follows, to wit: North by lands btwwn as the Staggers or Burgess tract?east by lands of S P* Brockinton and McKenzie lands; south by lands of the'<*8tate of McKenzie and on the west by lands of J W McClam, " I. L.i".. -4 K/./-1 lo Kai n/v /idlwl *k ? uiic ucavittuu laui'o uuiiik ally a part of Solomon McClam's plantation. 4. All that certain1 piece, paicel or tract of land, lying, being and situate in the county of Williamsburg and S_ate of South CaroMha containing Fifty (oO) acres mofe or less and bounded on the north by lands of R F Duke, on the south by lands of Elizabeth A Nelson, on the east; by lands I of J L Stuckey and on the west by < lands of William Thompson. Terms i of sale cash. Purchaser to pay for papers. John A Kellejv * i Robert J Kwk.- i 1S-14-3U . Attorneys In fa*** iiiir - A ' ' ^ Chris -HOLIDAY I 190? Rates ALL POINTS EAST OF 1 SOUTH OF TH*? OHIO , N V?a^ Atlantic - C Tickets for the public will plus twenty five cents for ber 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, January list, 1906, final re Tickets for students and from December 17th to 241 return limit January 8th, and surrender of certifical dents, principals or presic j lepes. I For further inform est ticket A^ent or write | W. J. Craij Wilmingtc j . . Notice of Election. As to increase of Tax Lew in School District No 23Notice of Election as to increase of tax levy for public school in School District No 23. *S Notice is hereby given that airelection will be lieM at Venters. S 0 on the 30th day oi December, 1900. upon the question of requesting the General Assembly to pass an act authorizing said School District No 23 to levy an annual tax of nine mill" in addition to the tax now authorized and levied, for the support of the schools of said District. All electors favoring such additional levy will, at said election, vote "Ye?," and all opposing the same will vote "No.'' The polls will open at 3 o'clock in the forenoon and close at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The following are appointed managers to conduct said election and declare the result of the same, to wit: J II Chapman, M V Cox and It Gannon. A 11 K VAtA ut ohu*. All persons quuuucu iv> ivw tion, levying special school tax will vote at the election above mentioned.' C .1 Ilolllns. I)r W V Hemingwav, L L Ard. Trustee* o? school District No. 23, 12-14-3t. Tax Notice. The tax levy for year 1905 is as follows: For State ft}.* Mills ' School 3 " ordinary county 4 ' " [toad i " -Jail 1 "t Special School Districts. No 15-23 and 24 3 Mills " 1G and 2G 4 ? 18 1 " - 19 -20-21 and 22 2 " A capitation tax of one dollar on all male persons between 21 ar.d 60 }ears of age?and 30 mills on all cattle, sheep goats and hogs Anderson, Suttons, and part of I'enn Township.?.-*lso 50 ct? ,per head on all dogs. 1 1 iiur iwnf. nttHnltv fnr AlttT i/t*e Oi.-'i i ? w.iw |'? Jan. 1 percent for Feb. aid 5 percent penalty for March will !>e added. After March 15th Tax Books wi.l close and execution issued Com mutation tax $1.00 for year 1900. payable until 1st day of March lflOO. i will be at the following pla^p-mentioned bt low for collection of said taxes October. Kingstree Greelvville -0-1.1 Kiugstree ' 28 and 24 Saltors j-5 Gourd ins Trio 27 Harpers 28 Morrisvllle Rome , November Church * Lamberts * , S B Boston's Store , j E F Brosser's Store j Jj Leo ? Lake City Scranton ? Lake City 10 Cades e }[ I Kingstree ,^ .14 & jjj |u'dar Swamp jKennedy's Store. ^ ir ... _ \* [Klngsr.ee Nov 20 iT' March 21 inclusive except Saturdays. 1 G W JOHNSON Co Treas Registration Notice. The office of J1!'tr. Supervisor of Registration will be C$hed on the first Monday in every rfcon^h for the purpose of the regis :erf*pof Any person who is qualified a.> follows':"' Who shall have been' r resident of the State for two years,-aw of the connty one year, a id of tlicpoltihjgpre einct in wnicn tne elector 0Wers-to vote four months before tlife dky of election, and shall have paid,- af* months before, any poll tai then due and payable, and who can both* read and write any section of the congtittf-'' tion of 1886 submitted to him by th& Supervisors of Begistration, or wlib can shew that be owns, and hat paid' all taores collectable on during the' present year, property sin this Stater assessed'at r,hree hundred dollars or morev J. J.BADDY, - of_Bp#cL f I'M nc Illicit lXCURSION.=M >-06 ?==?= to5=^ THE MISSISSIPPI AND " I \ND POTOMAC RIVERS, ' /Oast - Line. be sold at one third fares the round trip on Decem30th and 31st 1905, and turn limit January 4th. Teachers will be on sale th inclusive, with final 1906, upon presentation te signed by superintenlents of the various eolation, call on your eari | g, G. P. A., >n. N. C. p. t jF 11 j FOR SALE- t Brick ia.any quantity t<i suit purehas j cr. The Best Dry Press Macii lce-ma<le A:E^ICS:-3r ? Social shapes made to order. Corre- . pondence solicited Botore placing your orders. W. R. FUXK, | J The Largest and Most Complete J 4 Establishment South. ^o. s. mem 8 si; ?SIANUFACTDB :RS OFSash, Doors, Blinds Moulding and Building Material, 4 1Vn.&h Wpitshts and Covin i CHARLESTON, 8. C. "" BUY THE SEWING MACHINE U*. 4 J)o not bo deceived by those who advertise a $60.00 Sen ing Machine for $20.00. Thiskinik^ jraachinecan be V ight from Uif^r any of our d ?rs froni?|4.00to-~1S.00. It MAKCA VARir -iw ' THE I-W H0M-" IS "+H BTEST. The Feed detennmes the ngth ? weakness of ScLfing "^ae T' ]Ooub > utr* i' f. intsim: th b. j* v'jjwin*. I Write for CIRC1 ire muiiufuclvri THE NEW HOME SEir ORANGE M< 181 .on Sq. N. Y., Chicago jita, (*<v^ ' IV als.Mo., Dallas," X., Vrancisoo, CW I I J rcn SAlE by ( | \^rfslow Wright, Scranton,5? j ( iU Fir 1 Busies.: New Sturt^-Fresh Stock. 1 We Carry a Complete . J lAd& aif Staple ind Fan- | cy Qf^eeries,' C 'ockery, j Tin &nd ?iasa f Ware, I cu_^ Cigarettes ' XILLC? Oy | and Tobacco. < ?AJso? Nunnally's Candies. WE: INVITE YOUR PATRON A 0^ AND WILL STRIVE TO ^ PLEASE. MUM. Nfeit door to Postoffice, ' WdM't Yom Writ? ; I J Us^A Lettert l-| OUR 'BUSY" DRY CM)OD8 STOBE I Is now filled with choice winter fabrics. From now until the spring season opens we'll make V strong efforts to clear out this stock. If there's ^ something in winter goods you can use?^ m ? JUST WRITE US A LETTER * I j we 11 rorwara samples at once.__j^L_ RMf HERETOFORE we have sold out our surplus Eg stocks by means of CUT-PRICE sales twice a E||| week, and only our home customers reaped the 1 benefit. Now IF YOU'LL WRITE US A LETTER, we'll quote prices for the next sale. " This K opens the wav for our out-of-town customers to ? 9 secure the unusual bargains offered at our special * B If you want prices on Furniture,Mark your4 Sit Leitterfor "THE BIG FURNITURE STORE" I . BUELL ^ ROBERTS, fa CDaajelestocr^ G. C. [ | ? ?< W fAlMETTtrCLOTHWG BEST F1TT,N5' BEST WEAR,N6 T1UO? MaCK Mr. S. Behrmann and Mr. A. C. Barnes both are now j | in this territory selling the Famous J f Clothing. | I Many of our friends wiite and tell us that "PALMETTO T , *> LABEL" Clothing sells as easily as Coats' Spool Cotton. I If neither of our representatives has called on you this t season, drop us a line and we will send them on to see you T at once. t Merchants wiio have not handled this line as yet . had t better come in and take hold of the best selling line in the J South, made in New York by Southerners for Southern ? < '] Trade Exclusively. , t PALMETTO MFG. CO., Hi 26 & 30 East Fourth St., NEW YORK CITY. I 3 Southern Headquarters: CHARLESTON'S^ C. ^ AFTER THE FIRE \ PILE OF ASHES' IS POOR COMFPRT. ; T V T"> . . . . I. rnmnnniac ftf insure i uui nupci iy m vwiit|/aiitbi> w> UNQUESTIONABLE RELIABILITY! We Represent the Following Companies?the * Largest and Most Liberal in the *Wt?rld. LIVERPOOL & LONDON <& GLOBE, LONDON;, PHENIX, of BROOKLYNp'^^ GERHAN AMERICAN, of NEW YORK; , 7S HANOVER of NEW YORK; SOUTHERN - 59 STOCK MUTUAL, of GREENSBORO, N C; EQUITABLE, of CHARLESTO N; GLOBE & RUTGERS, of NEW . YORK? Us SGUARANTY CO.. of BALTIMORE. Aggregating $50,000,000 Assets. ' . WE'Li BOND YOU In One of the Strongest and. Most Popular Companies in the United States- 1 , For Rates Or any Other Information Apply to _ < T ' lit HIIIKIM IMmM 8 BONDING ?. ' KINGSTREE, S. C. v SPN. B. We make a specialty of insuring baled cotton in Town or Country in quantity. . t / r > .-W <j F.^ason for the supremacy of 2 ll \ I theRTMINGTON TYPEWRITER $1 J is its persistent: superiority, em- S I Iphasized again and iigain in every new f 3 9 model since the invention of the writiiv m si * V thachine. ^ I ZVek^ Models Now Ready ? ( I ^ We will be glad to fiave you call it our office and see the H > new models or send for illustrated booklet describif$ Y - the new features. GB >/ BEMINCTON TYPEWRITER CO. ! I