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A Sa Klux Reminiscence. ? Tbe recent trial at Yorkville of Jobo S aod Paul R Brattoo OD the -.barge of morder, recalls au affair that developed international import? ance in which two brothers, the father and uncle of these yoong meo, ?were involved 29 years ago. j Doubtless the diplomats of those times would have to refer to the records to refresh their memories about a very thrilling incident between the United States and Great Britain, the issue of which was watched by the people of this "prostrate" State with the keenest interest England demanded the return to his temporary home in Canada of a Soutn Carolinian wno, fleeing tbe State, had sought an asylum nader the British flag ; bad been kidnapped and brought back to face a stem United States judge. It was nc time for false pride ; an offense bad been committed by over zealous United States officers, and this government frankly acknowt edged that fact by quickly comply ?ng with the British demands Dr J. Rufus Bratton and John S Brattoo were gentlemen of large estates in York county, wbere their family had lived for generations They were grandsons of Col William Bratton, who was a distinguished Whig leader in the Revolutionary war At the outbreak of the civil war, both brothers entered the army Dr Brattoo went into the medical department and won distinction as an army surgeon At the close of hostilities the brothers returned to their homes in York county and attempted to restore their fortunes. Many stories have been published about the Ku Klux organization of that time, but most of them have been pictured from fancy Because it gave a certain irresponsible and naturally lawless class an opportunity to indulge personal grudges and ?vindictiveness while falsely repre? senting themselves to bo Ka Klux, the organization gained most ci the disrepute attached to its name It is difficult, even at this time, to obtain from one known to have been a member of that organization a definite 3tatement of their actions .It may be impossible for those in otber parta of the country, who had not to face the condition we did ?o realize the necessity for such an organization by the better element of the whiten," remarked an ex member of the ' klan'7 a few days ago "We were at the mercy/' he continued, "of former ?laves and a hostile gov eminent The negroes were irre sponsibie and knowing we were poweriess to resent openly overbear ing insolence they indulged theil .jew opportunities. "A powerful secret organization ic which it was proposed to have onlj men of responsibility and reliability as members became a necessity It was a success and when it ceased tc be necessary it ceased to exist The purpose was not to murder or burn, but to terrorize the negroes in general and either subdue into quietness theil leaders, who were urging them tc excesses, or force them to leave Ol course, in some cases extreme measures became necessary for self protection. And in the end, tbe Ko Klux prevented many bloody en? counters, and possibly massacres thai would have followed had not some leaders of the negroes been checked. "The superstitions of the negroes made the methods of the Ku Klux especially effective and it is now laughable to think of the simple plans j resorted to. A string of horsemen riding through the country by high ways and byways, at night, dressed in white from head to heel, and mak ing no sound, save the tramp of the horses' hoofs, sent night prowlers scamping to their cabins Tbe signs j of skull and crossed bones on fence I or door carried a warning to the I occupants of the house that required ? them to mend their ways When the supernatural failed, then other J plana were resorted to and more dras tic measures used till the object was attained For, it must be borne in mind, these were not boys or idle men, they were serious and 9ober and realized that under the prevail ing conditions they carried theil lives in their hands "lt can be readily understood that with <uch ricks to encounter, the or? ganisions bad to have the best dis o:p!ine and the most reliable members They were bound by terrible oarbs. but rewards for information agaiost them would have tempted many men. It is notable that the leaders were Free Masons of high standing, and it ia probable that ev.'ry member of that order io the smaller towns and rural districts where the Ku Klux were most active were on its rolls. "With complaints from many quar? ters and demand* that the Ku-Kiox organization be suppressed by the mili? tary authorities then io South Carolina, it is cot s ?rprif-iog that strenuous effor s were made to o?pfure and convict mem? bers of the organization particular y the leaders. It was known in a gene? ral way that Dr. J Rufus Brat'on was the bead of the Ku Klux organ zuio'j in upper S uth Carolina. a"d h-P br- th er, Joh? S Kranoo. was al*''? eupt>' **d to beloon to the seoret order They were singled out lor arr??: by Major Merrill, (ben commanding the United btate* forces in York district . Dr Brattoo waa a thirty-third de I gree Masoo aod there is no doubt this fact caused Lim to be aroused at the dead of eight at his home in Yorkvill? by ao unknown horseman, whose steed waa spent, and giveo an important mil itary seores. Thirty minutes later the Ku Klux leader was riding out of town, beaded northward and leaving his wife and three little children behind. Later in the night a detachment of cavalry surrounded the Brattoo borne Pursuit i was made io every direction, but with a good horse, ample fnods and the friends he oould command wherever the secrets of Masonry were knowo. the fugitive made his way safely into Cana da, taking up hi* residence ic Montreal io the fall of 1871 "Dr Bratton opened an office in the Canadian city, where he began the prac tice of medicine His whereabout? became koowo a? soon as be wrote to his family io York ville, and be was soon being shadowed by agents of thia government He waa joined by bis family a few months after reaching Canada and they arranged to make that country their home until their native State became safer But they were uot to remain in seoortty "No offense on which Dr Battoo oould ba extradited was charged, to he anticipated no furthor trooble frcm the military authorities in this State who had been on bis track, and the idea of beiog kidnapped never ooourrod to bim Bat one evening, tn tbe early spring of 1872, the doctor was called professionally He was gotton into a carriage aod driven hurriedly out of the mtv Three meo bad bim in charge and during the night they got him into i a boat and across tbe St Lawrence I riv^r. The captors immediately brought tbei* prison -s baok to the old jail at Yotkville, where be wa* incar? cerated pending the convention of a oourt specially arranged to try Ku K?ux cases Bat the doctor was for fortunato io having powerful friends io all quarters of the country. The fact* of ni? forcible abduotion for an alleged political cffjnse were promptly laid before the British goveromeot, and i tbi!* wa* followed by a demand by the j government that be be released and I returned under safe oonduot to the i domicile of Canada from which he had I been taken. This d :mand wa? imme ! diateiy complied with "Dr Bratton remaioed an exiio in i Canada U'?til 1878, a year af.'or the la<t ?ot tho United States troop*, had bc?n ! withdrawn ffo-ji S:jOfh Carolina. Then ! j rAceiv og an intimation that rb* oat*;* j ' ^gains' bim would not b- pushed, he ? . rer?irnr<l o hi? old boc?'*, where ho j ! 'fixitnc? tn* prac ice of ar d eine He j ci >r:'i ? u c? rh'TO ?inrufitft?t?d un Ml hi? j ; d**'b m 18U7 F >r a number of years j j b<?f.)?f? hi-? d?-a b be was president of the j S>uh C?roiina Medisal Association and j of ?hA State r*n*rd of Jjeaith I * Jobo S B-attoe,' ?bo waa a gentle* man of large meaos, left bis borne at the same time as bis brother to avoid arrest, and remained abroad two years. Dariog bis absence maoy witnesses in Ku-Klux casos from York County were ezamioed co coooeot Jobo Brattoo with tbe organization. The ooly evi? dence obtained against him was that parties of Kia Klox after ao ali night's ride, could find at a certain spot, near bis borne appetizing lonches, which they, io their habitual silence, ate. So on his return to Yorkviile, Jobo Brat too was troubled oo more." Markham's New Poem Edwin Markham contributes to the Christmas number of "Success" the most remarkable doera he has written since "The Man With the Hoe." His new work is entitled, "The Mighty Hundred Years." and it is a sto.ry in forcible, yet graceful and elegant verse, of the world during the past century In Markham's poem, the Muses stand before the Noms, the gods of mythology, that gave all men birth and tell tbe wonderful history. Tbe following are a few stanzas from this great. piece, illustrating the growth of the world from the death of the dark'ages : THE MIGHTY HUNDRED YEARS. "One mighty gleam, and old bonzoas brok;! All tbe Tust, glimmering outline of tbe Whole Swam on tbe vision, shifting at one stroke, The Hoc'eat gravitation of tbe soul. "All things came circling io ooe cosmic dance, Gee motion o'der than the aees are : Swung by ooe L*w, one Purpose, ODe Ad? vance, Serene aod steadfast ag the morning star. "Men trace tbe spacious orbits of the Law, And find it ia their shelter and their fr.eod; For th*re, behind its mystery and awe, God's sure band presses to a blessed end. "And 90 man pushes toward the Secret Vast Up through the storm of stars, skies upon skies ; And down through tbe circling atoms, near? ing ff.et Tbe brink of tilings, beyond which Chaos hes. "Yt"* in th?? shiping of a grain of sand, He se*** the law that made the spheres to be Seea a'ooi worlds spun by the Hidden Hand, To whirl about their small Alcyooe. "With pp-ll of w zzird Science o > his eves. An argument oi his arm, he projes through spu?* ; Or pushe4 h?c* 'h- In*, unft>n<ilv ski<?s, Tv) feel the wind c\ Sa'urn on bis face. "H? wiilkt abroad npan 'V Z )dt?c. To w*!^ the word.-i tn o*.*tict?, to fuie Sons ui hts crucib-i-. ?nd carry ?act Th? SDher?! tnij^ic aod ?he marcie news." ---~m?mm>- m ? -^mwm^ DeWjtt's Little Karly Risers ar? dainty Me? lla pill?, Ivjt they caver fail to cleaoie tbs liver, remove onsrrucuona aod invigorate the ey stem, J Mr C. Lindsley, secretary of the Connecticut State Board of Health, io hie- monthly report, issaed October 16, says : "The authorities of El Paso, io Texas, are a judicious and a considerate body. They object to the practice, so mach sn ase by the gentle sex, of wiping the sidewalks with their trailing dresses and oarryiog aoonmalated microbes, mad, spittle and other filth into habitations and occupied place?, to be dried and shaken ot? io tho air and so render respiration therein disgusting and dangerous They have proceeded to the extent of their authority by prohibiting the admission of teachers witbio the public shools exceptio 'short skirts 1 Tboir example ought to be imitated throughout the United States/ Lisbon, Dec 7.-The minister of the Netherlands to Portugal aod Portuguese minister at The Hague, bavo left their respective poets. It is believed that a difference has arisen on the subject of the exe quator to the Dutch consol at Lorenzo Larquis. which the Portuguese govern? ment bas withdrawn. i Atlanta, Deo 4.-Commissioner of Agriculture Stevens, who returned today from a trip over the State, said the cotton acerage next year would not be any larger than that planted this year, "Diversified crops aro beginning to tell." said Mr Stevens. "I find the farmers arc piauting large quantities of wh*at. moro than ever before. This I regard as a good 6ign. "The cotton in Georgia has been nearly all picked and now there are but a few hundred bales left- io the fields." Land Surveying. ?WILL GIVE prompt attention to all calls for aurveyioi and Dlattir-f? lands. BANKS H BOYKIN, ? Oct 10-o " Catchall, S. C. | i Onion Sets-leading varieties. i Also assortment of Garden j Seeds. Havana Sesars. Large line of fine Havana j Sega rs. j i Toilet Articles. I A choice line of Toilet and Fancy Goods to which atten- j tion is in vici?t DeLonae's Drug Store. i NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS. _ ? omet OF COUNTY TREASURER SUMTER COUNTY. SUMTES, S. C., Sept. 22, 1800. 'VrOTICE is hereby given that I will be in j\ my office in the County Conn House at donner frem October 15tb to December 31st, 1900 includive, for tbe collection of tax?e for the fiscal year 1900. The levy is as follows : For State purposes, 5 mills. For County purposes, 3} mills. For School purposes, 3 mills. Total levy, 21^ mills. Also the following special school levies : School District No 1, 2 mills. School Districr No 16. 2 mills. School District No 18, 2 mills. School District No. 2J, 3 mills. Mt Clio, 2 mille Concord, 2 mills Privateer, 2 mills. No 5, i mill. A'o 17, 1 mill. Comrxutation Road Tax for ?C01. $1.00, payable from Oct. 15tb 1900 to Feb iii 1901. H. L SCARBOROUGH, Treasurer Sumter Co. Sept 26-13t ASK YOUR FRIENDS! YOU Fl SD THAT THERE ARE MORE ?jk hii lld ?Li * ??' 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