Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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L. Tt*afet' ?. c..:-? I I -'? Bw- ' ukoU'' r Wm, Nicholson b Union, Soul PAY INTEI Hr ** Time CertifiroT< = ^T/ie TTvu 7/vltir CT^/ei f/Zecn/Zs to the -mALemonij oi the ^slitinc/en of >^ii(it . >' . oi/ the y^Veg, *f< . By Win. II. Brawky. United Stales I In Centennial Edition of 1 &= I have been asked to give some - v . jl account of the operations of the - 4$Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina, * to be published in the centennial number of The . News and Courier. I was never a member of the Klan and cannot speak from any personal knowledge of the organization. I was elected Solicitor of the Sixth Circuit, in 1868, which then embraced the Counties of Chester, Union, York and Lancaster, the County of Fairfield being subsequently added. During the first two years of my term there was nothing in tho nflfiiru nf 'Ifn k'liiY nnora_ tions in that circuit, but in the winter of 1870-71 there were a great many flagrant violations of law in the counties of York, Union and Spartanburg, which profoundly excited the country ; at large, and led to the passage by Congress of what is generally known as the Ku Klux Act, by virtue of which President Grant, some time in the autumn of 1871, suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the counties of York, Chester, Fairfild, Spartanburg, Laurens, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Newberry and Marion; the county ?of Marion was evidently included by a mistake and a subsequent proclamation substituted the county of Union for it. My duties as Solicitor gave me cognizance of all violations of law in the Circuit, and naturally I became tolerably familiar with the subject. There were no^Ku Klux operations proper in the counties of Chester, Lancaster or Fairfield, and I had no special knowledge of Spartanburg, which was not embraced iifc/my circuit, ' my information as to that county being derived mainly from reports in the newspapers and from what was developed in the prosecutions in the United States ? Courts in the winter of 1871. So far as ray knowledge and information go, and I think that is substantially correct, the operations of the Ku Klux Klan were confined to the counties of Spartanbqrg, York and Union. While there were riots and disturbances in some of the other counties embraced in the proclamation, none of them had the / " . / ! & Son, bankers, ti Carolina, t REST ON es of Deposit, a n in <Soi/t/i (2aro/ina f a n ty dninn C?i/izf/ts Stevens, near tin ion, no -^stCi/ifia. Mstrict Judge for South Carolina. The News and Courier. JE that would be tedious and unprofitable at this time, to discriminate between acts of violence which may be called normal in the condition of affairs which then prevailed, and those acts which could be properly attributed to the Ku Klux organization, and when you succeed in eliminating "from the aoeonnt. of the T(u Klux all of the murders and whipping and outrages which are not directly traceable to the Klan, there will be another and more serious difficulty in separating those cases which may fairly be traceable to the organization, which presumably had some general plan and purpose more or less political, and those numerous outrages committeed by gangs of ruffians in, the name and under the disguise of- the Klan and which were generally perpetrated in the gratification of some private revenge or some other mean purpose. It is commonly believed that the first organization under that name was formed in Tennessee and that its beginning was for the purpose of having some fun, life being rather dull in that region. However that may be, there can be little doubt that in 1868, as by a common impulse, all through the South there were formed some kind of secret organizations, called variously the Caucasian League, the Invisible Empire, the White Camelia, the Pale Faces and the Ku Klux Klan. These were most local organiza! tions and were probably intended to serve the same general purpose as the Union League, which was a negro organization. Most of these organizations died out, and far as relates to this State, at least, there is nc evidence that anything was done by them. In the year 1870, it will be remembered there was a political movement under the name of the Reform party, which f U A A! Artf 1A? A-P ^Ai ' A\?rt wiit^oiA:u vusz ui uuvuiii' or Scott, the nominee of the regular Republican organization. Judge Carpenter, a Republican, being the Reform nominee foi Governor, and General Butler the nominee for Lieutenant Governor, and it was hoped that the exposures of the corruption and misgovernment of the Republicar organization might lead the better class of Republicans to sup port the Reform party. A vigorous canvass was mad< by the Reform candidates, anc there was much political excite ment and considerable violence During that summer a negrc militia was organized and armed and it was charged and generally believed that this organizatior was promoted by Governor Scot as part of the election machinery for securing his own re-election No white companies were al lowed to form part of this militii organization, with the possibb exception of one company in Co lumbia, and the arming of thii colored militia, which was fur furnished with ammunition, wai attended by most unhappy re suits. The corruption in th< State Government, the wastefu and profligate expenditures o public money, the nigh taxation the generally inefficient and ig character peculiar to ru iuux operations. The trouble at Laurens, for example, just after the election in October of 1870, when several negroes were killed, on account of which Col. Leland and a number of citizens of the town of Laurens were arrested and kept in jail some time, could not in any sense be called a Ku Klux outrage. This was simply one of those unfortunate collission8 between the races, not uncommon in the then disturbed condition, the causes for which were on the surface. It occurred in the day time, with no disguises, and had none of the incidents peculiar to the Ku Klux operations. And so it was with many of the acta of violence which marked that period. They were referred to in Congressional dehates and in the newspapers as Ku Klux outrages.It is a matter of no little difficulty, therelore, without going into details, norant local officals, naturall: caused great dissatisfaction, bu the arming -of negroes, and th< frequent exhibitions of reckles; insolence excited perhapsr nu>r< disquietude than all the otrhii causes combined. About this time too, then were a great many incendiarj fires, but whether they precedec or followed the Ku Klux crime* was never definitely established It was during the early w.intei that followed the* election ol 1870, that the Ku Klux Klar seems to have been reorganizec in the County of York, whicl was the scene of its greatest activity. The organization* which had been formed in 186$ had practically died out, or al least there was no evidence thai anything had ever been done b> Ku Klux or any like organizatior until some time in the winter ol '70-?71. York County lies alonp the North Carolina line, and it i* not unlikely that the success ol the Democratic party in that State in overthrowing the Radica Government, aided, as it probably was, by the Ku Klux, stimulatec: the organization in that county, About the last day of December, 1870, there was an occurrence near the town of' Union which led to fearfal consequence* and orobablv excited the miblic mind both at home and abroad more than any other incident in 1 those troublous times. A young man named Matt Stevens, vvhc had lost an arm in the war and was generally*!iked in Union because of his good nature and accomodating disposition, was com1 ing to town in a wagon, hauling a barrel of whiskey, when he was met a mile or two from town by the negro military company which had gone out there foi some purpose that never was satisfactorily explained. He was halted in the road anc ' some of the negroes asked hiir for whiskey and he gave them s ; flask. They then took possession 1 of the wagon and helped themselves out of the barrel. When Stevens attempted to get away from them he was shot and his body mutilated. This atrocious murder naturally created intense excitement in the village. The citizens at once took the arms from the militia and arrested five of the men who were supposed to have been chiefly concerned in the murder. The deputy i ?/v 1- i ?* snerin, wno was engaged witn | the posse in making the arrest, 1 was shot at from the house where some of the militia were 1 and mortally wounded. A few nights after a band ol Ku Klux, variously estimated . to be 50 to 100 in number, rode into town, all being disguised, . took the five prisoners from the j' county jail and saving them tc the edge of the town; shot theni, . two of the men being killed; uft | other three were wounded , and escaped, and subse, quently rearrested. All this was so quietly done that a great [ many of the citizens knew noth, ing of it until next morning, i The regular term of Court foi . Union convened the week follow . ing, and 1 went there in the usual discharge of my duties as , solicitor. Union at , that time was a quiet little country village ? a d such an occurrence as this , naturally caused great excite. ment. Upon my arrival I wenl . to the jail to see the woundec i prisoners and to ascertain, if ] - could, whether they had anj - clue to the identity of any of the band. One of the men had beer j a waiter at the Tavern, where I Un/1 U aam i 4- V* /~fc I iiau uccu in LIIU nauit - and I knew him very well. Th< . poor fellow was terror stricken ) He was badly wounded and wa: , still under the spell of the fearfu r night through which he ha< i passed. He said that he did no t recognize any of the men: tha f they had been taken from th< . jail in the early morning by mei - who were completely ^hsguised % and carried to the edg<TnirtOWn e not a word being spoken on th< - road. There were several per 3 sons with me when I made thi - visit to the jail. 3 Subsequently I had a message - from the boy that if I could b e seen alone he wanted to tell m il something, and I went back b f jail. He then said that he wa , sure that if it was known that h had recognized any of the K y Klux, mncf^Sd disclosed it, he t would fte kiffid. 1 thought that 3 very lilffely$ind told him that ii 3 he nw hny information 1 3 would *ot let it be known that 1 r had miy knowledge as to the persona who were on this raid 2 until things had so far quieted r down tint he would be protected. 1 He thes eupon gave me the names 3 of thre ^ men, whom he said he V recognfted. *. I, of Vourse, kept this informf atioty strict? coufidence, and i rieverrMd anyone that I had any 1 clue, knowing well that his life i waa-ih Imminent peril if any such t disclosure had been made. 3 J^gjptime s'-v ur m'.ivht mciuJ the militia company, L charged v.-ith the murder of t Stevems, had been arrested and ' put in jail. i M&ty the court met on Mon? d$H?$er a conference with the f leadipifelawyers of Union, it was i agrraKhat the public mind was t in m a state of excitement over t9& murder of Stevens that I it was doubtful that fair trial of his alleged murders could be had I at that term, and that the case , should be continued. Thfi .iudtrfi of the nirnnif woo o Republican, and while he was t not very highly thought of as a ; judge, there was no bitterness in : him and he was not especially I unpopular. He was in a very i unhappy state of mind, however, : during the whole of that term. > We stopped at the same tavern, I and on two or three nights he had hi3 bed brought into my room and slept there. I never thought that was in any danger. The ; week {following the term at ; Union,*' he was in Columbia, t where ?nie proceedings looking r to his ^removal from office had * been commenced, for causes hav5 ing no'.relation to these troubles now u&ler consideration. [ Wh? there he was induced to i makeii order somewhat in the i natiue.of a writ of habeas corpus, L d^eovJUg the sheriff. ,of JTnicrn to . brinVtne prisoners charged with t the murder of Matt Stevens to Columbia. This order was cari ried to Union by a colored man i not in any way connected with i the court, and given to the sheriff, i who, owing to its irregular form, 1 consulted some of the lawyers at Union as to whether he should i obey it, and there was a delay of [ a day in the execution of the r order. ! It would have been the part of wisdom to have removed the . prisoners from Union in the then i excited state of the public mind. i x. i i ?t uul it was very uniortunaie tnat ? it should have been attempted in [ the bungling way in which it was , done, for the information had gotten out somehow that the > prisonersvwere to be taken to J Columbia, and on the night before they were to be taken there p be^y of Ku Klux said to be j fouror five hundred, rode into town, tdbk them out and killed . them. Ttte organization must ! have been strong in numbers, ' when such a large body of men could be assembled upon such short notice. I do not remember any other occasion in which the Ku Klux Klan operated upon such a large 1 scale, but such was the apparent * power of the organization, and * such the awe that it inspired, ' that from early in January, 1871, it was felt that the counties of York and Union were to a great extent dominated by ij}& The immediate effects of this raid upon the Union jail and of some of their operations in York was the breaking up of the companies of negro militia and some of the more obnoxious officials were under threats led to resign. The governor called in the arms of the disbanded companies and appointed better men to the vacated offices and the result was j; that a great many men that ordi^ nnrilv wprf> linnnlHpra nf law e while feebly deploring the meth1 ods so far approved the ends ac' complished, that the Ku Klu> ' KWi was looked upon by the une wise *s a sort of "saviour oi ' society. A particularly foolish fellow the son of a former Governor e residing in a county where th< e Klan does not seem to have car e ried on its operations at all, was 0 so outspoken in approval and sc 3 boastful of his connection wit! e it that when at a later day his u county was put under martia SF. M. FARR, President. X 2HI I Merchants and Plan Successfully Doing Busin mmsa i* tlm OLDEST Ilsnk ill I 9 9 h?>? u capital ami surplus H P is the only NATIONAL I Lj i i lias paid dividends xnio J-- pavi FOI'll per cent, n tfl pi is the only liank ill l*nioi H i'j has Iluirfiar-Proof vault, 5 pays more taxes than A I, WE EARNESTLY SOLI law, he was arrested and put in ! t jail. He really had had no con- I nection with any outrages, and s there was nothing against him t but his own boastful declarations, t and he was released upon the t filing of affidavits by his family i and friends that he was such a c liar that he could not be believed! This case illustrates the effect r produced upon the more foolish i part of the community. The more f judicious looked with grave ap- r prehension upon the unloosening ? of a monster which threatened t > the very existence of organized 1 , , x _ _ rni society, mere is reason to be- g i lievc that in the beginning the i Klan was under the control of ? men of good standing, who be- ? lieved that they could direct its t energies towards the accomplish- t ment of public purposes bene- j ficial to the community. Subse- c quent developments disclosed the names of those who were at the c head of the Klans that were c broken up, but I do not think t that there were any that could f he fairly called leaders in the J State. 1 If they had been men of real f ability and foresight they would 1 have foreseen that it is in the j very nature of secret societies, t engaged in lawless operations, to fall under the control of the most I ' violent and most reckless, and t that in fashioning an instrument c of such tremendous potentialities <. for mischief, there was danger r of great abuses. [ What might naturally be ex- j c pected to happen did happen? j i for some months there was pan- j ]demonium. Bands of ruffians in I t disguise rode about the country in at night committing nameless1 a crimes. To what extent thejt regulaaly organized Ku Klux c Klans were engaged in this work | ot murder and terrorism it is im-! \ possible to say, for it was easy ' i to assume the name and disguise J a for the purpose of wreaking pri- I t vate vengeances or for other' g vicious objects. c Mr. Reverdy Johnson, who de- I fended the Ku Klux prisoners v. that were brought to trial in the following December, thus refers I to these outrages: c "But Mr. Attorney General has * remarked, and would have you ? suppose, that my friend and ? myself are here to defend, justify j' or to nalliato tho oiitrncros Hmf-la have been perpetrated in your j t State by this association of Ku |r , Klux. He makes a great mistake | r as to both of us. I have listened j' with unmixed horror to some of, t the testimony which has been;v brought before you. The out-iy rages proved are shocking to hu-'t manitv; they admit of no excuse c or j ustification; they violate every 11 obligation which law and nature ! r imposes upon men; they show j t that the parties engaged were J t brutes, insensible to the obliga- j tions of humanity. The day will' t come, however, if it has not al-! t , ready arrived, when they will! \ deeply lament it. Even if justice! a shall not overtake them, there is c . one tribunal from which there is [ no escape. It is their own judg- ( ment, that tribunal which sits in r , the breast of every living man? j \ . i that small, still voice that thrills j c j through the heart, the soul of i ^ . I the mind, and as it speaks, gives! t . I happiness or torture?the voice | A .' of conscience, the voice of God.! \ [ If it has not already spoken to! \ f them in tones which have startled ( them to the enormity of their,, . conduct, I trust in the mercy of j Heaven that that voice will speak }, \! before they shall be called above | 1 to account for the transactions . 3 of this world; that it will so speak | j as to make them penitent; and ( j that, trusting in the dispensa- j i tions of Heaven, whose justice 1 is dispensed with mercy, when J. D. ARTHUR, Cashier. C E ters National Bank, ess at the "Old Stand." I'liion. oi $ln '.in*'. lank in I".linn, iintinvr to ltl'ICKl oil <li-po8l(*. ii l?y an iillifL-r. , ami Safe with Time I.ock. 11, the Hunks in I'nioti comliiti' ?1. CIT YOUR BUSINESS. ;hey shall be brought before the >ar of that great tribunal, so to ipeak, that incomprehensible ribunal, there will be found, in he fact of their penitence, or in heir previous lives, some grounds ij^wh >v men v iou may say parIon." 1 think that the explanation of nuch that occurred in this region n the spring of 1871 is to be 'ound in social and economic, ather than in political causes, ind while it is probably true that he organizers of the Klans ooked to the accomplishment of ;ome political ends through this nstrumentalitv their followers ;oon got beyond their control ind most of the outrages were lue to the fixed and deliberate, hough probably una vowed pur)oso, of driving the negroes out >f the country. The first man that was murlered by the Ku Klux in York ounty was Tom Roundtree, a hrifty, industrious and successul negro, who lived near the ^orth Carolina line, in a comnunity where there were but ew negroes. I prosecuted three nen for this murder, all of whom n*ove alibis to the satisfaction of he jury. Two of the men charged were, think, innocent; as to the other here was ground for a reasonible doubt, the men being disguised there may TiaVe been a nistake as to their identity, toundtree held no office, and I ould see no motive for the killng, except that fierce race latred, which is strongest among hose who, in woridly estate, are nost nearly on the same plane, ,-,,1 iivi 111 wot llivciy IU 1JC 111 COmpGition with the negro as laborer ir as renter of lands. It may well be asked how it vas that in a country calling nself Christian and civilized, uch a state of affairs could be indured. It is to our great ihame, discredit and injury that rime was allowed to run ram>ant and unpunished for so long i time. Several things may be said, not >y way of excuse for our short:omings, but in explanation. ?irst, it may be said that an organization that could bring together upon short notice five lundred or a thousand horsemen, irmed and disguised and bound OP*f?t~hpl* lw mnef cnlomn noflin ?0 ??ivuv uvivuui vatno, noving mysteriously in the darkless, already stained with human ilood, and with the callousness hat follows a blunted conscience, vas well calculated to excite fear ind in a rural community, where here were no organized forces if pol ce pivt'ction, men were oth to antagonize a power all the nore to be dreaded, because of he mystery which did not admit he measuring of its force. Second, some of the early lemonst rat ions were secretly ap>roved of as being directed tovards the remedy of real grievmces and the punishment of real iriminals. mi v<, auu Viiucil.y, tut? OllitC Government was such that it was lot supported by the public opinon of the better element of the state, and there would have been general acquiescence in its overhrow by any methods however violent and revolutionary. It is mpossible here to describe fully die kind of Government that was established in South Carolina ander the Reeonstmif?tinr? Anfa Mr. James S. Pike, a Northern rhnft4 and ' a Republican, who had iioen Minister of the United States it The Hague, appointed hy Mr. Lincoln, anil who spent the winter >f 187:? in Columbia, thus describes it: (Continued on last page.)