The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, November 24, 1916, U.D.C. EDITION, PART II Pages 9 to 16, Page 15, Image 15
THE KU-KLUX KLAN
(Continued from page 10.)
They armed themselves and went below
where Mr. Long's father resided,
got up a pretty good crowd, well
armed and hid in a piece of pines,
waiting for the negro militia to make
their appearance. They failed to come
and the mef\ disbanded and went to
their homes.
The next morning the men got the
Information that they had started in
their direction, but upon reaching
Duck Pond church, f>0 in number, under
the command of a large black negro
by the name of Alex Walker, and
had gotten as far as Upper Fair Forest
church, they met G. Matt Stevens
and Ben Robinson in a two-horse
wagon, with two barrels of whiskey.
Walker ordered Mat Stevens and Robinson
to halt and demanded the whisfkey.
Mr. Stevens told them the whiskey
did not belong to him, he was only
hauling it for Mr. Steen, the hotel keeper,
but that he had a quart in his
pocket he would give him, which he
did, and drove immediatelv off and rmt
30 or 40 yards away when the militia
opened fire and killed Mr. Stevens.
Mr. Robinson jumped out of the
wagon arid ran to Mr. John Scott's'
house for protection and while there
the family of Mr. Scott and Mr. Robinson
could hear the militia knocking
the heads of the barrels out with the
butt ends of their guns. They got
drunk and lay scattered all over the
fields that night. They took Matt
Stevens' body, battered out his brains
and, realizing what they had done,
dragged his body some distance west
and tried to bury it and covere it up
with leaves. Stevens and Robinson
were old Confederate soldiers, Stevens
having lost an arm on the battlefield.
The next morning Mr. Long, Brew
flK l||r
Jj f mm :
% -f
:''' .
MAT EISON, |
One of Capt. Townsend's 16-YearOld
Boys. |(
ton and Dr. Sims learned why they
had not been visited by them. Mr.
Long and Mr. Brewton got up a crowd
of young men and proceeded to the
negroes' homes and demanded all their
guns, ammunition and accoutrements,
and they had all they could labor under?they
and their horses. They
brought the guns and ammunitions,
etc.. to Union and turned them over to
Sheriff Rice Rogers and requested him
to notify Gov. Scott that they had tak
en up the puns from the negroes and
they were subject to his orders.
Shortly after this they learned the
names of the parties who had started
out in this raid to kill them, amongst
them a negro blacksmith by the name
of James Hardy, who was in the crowd
and begged the militia for mercy and
not to kill Mr. (?. Matt Stevens and
Robinson. They now commenced making
arrests as to those who did the
killing. Several of the negro barricaded
themselves in a house known as
the Yellow House. Dan Smitih, deputy
sheriff for Rice Rogers, went to
this house to arrest them. Instead of
surrendering they shot through the
door and killed him with some of the
militia guns and made their escape
for the time being. They arrested several
of them and put them in the county
jail. Among them was James
Hardy, who had interceded so piteously
with the negro militia for Matt
Stevens and Robinson.
Chief Justice Willard, who was a
carpetbagger from the State of Massachusetts,
and a very brainy man, isenor)
a ufnlt /\T Unl.?<? 4 - 1
??wv> u .?..v ui imucan iui|)us iu nave (
the negroes brought before him in Columbia
to appear for baH, but the Klan
knew it meant to turn them loose. ,
Dr. Chas. Sims, the Knight Hawk or
courier of Den 500, was sent to the ,
^.LEVI W. SMITH, ;
One of the 16-year-old Boys.
an
ca
ro
an
I WM. A. NICHOLSON,
Of the Hospital Corps, Who Walked Hi
From Columbia to Union After ho
Sherman Had Burned the City to w<
Get Food for the Sick and ho
Wounded Soldiers. tr;
ch
Grand Cyclops of the K. K. K.'s of In- tr;
visible Empire of America to know co
what to do. The Grand Cyclops ordered
the K. K. K.'s of Spartanburg, to
Union and Jonesville to meet the let
chief of the Klan on Sunday night at w?
the Hanging Grounds, which they did. go
The Klan proceeded to the jail and
demanded the keys, but Sheriff Rogers Sr
had thrown them away, drew his pis- (ti
tol and said, "I will kill the first man J.
that advances. The chief called out Jas
four selected men, viz., R. E. Brew- ou
ton, Dr. Charles Sims, Wm. Webster
and a younger brother of his. Calhoun w<
Long, at the same time making this th
statement, "We do not want to hurt lo<
you, but ordered my four selected men Ix
four paces to the front and told them pn
not to shoot unless the sheriff did first ot
and when they shot to shoot to kill, as
as we intended to have the prisoners wj
as we had come for them." Sheriff m<
Ropers left and Dr. A. W. Thomoson
came runninp down the hill and the tic
pickets halted him as they had them an
stationed all around the jail. Dr. pr
Thompson said. "I want to see the w<
man in charpe." Mr. I.onp told his ho
pickets to send him down. Thov
passed him alonp, and he made this lej
statement to J. G. I/onp, as near as jSv
he can remember, "I have come to la,
hep for one Jim Hardy, one of the di?
men eharped with the killinp of Matt ed
Stevens. Jim Hardy had made a state- ws
ment to him that he had bepped the at
militia not to kill Stevens, and he had Jo
learned from several other parties that M
such was the case; so they left Jim ha
Hardy in the jail. They removed s</ven ja,
out of the jail at this time?had them
all tied and carried them to the first th
mile rock. One escaped before they n0
reached the mile rock and Mr. iJonp M
ordered them not to shoot, as it was co
dark and mipht accidentally kill a pi,
member of the Klan, or disable the ha
horses; but to be sure and hold on re
to those they had. The prisoners were fn
carried to the first mile reck and shot. jf.
One of the neproes feipned dead 11 is ho
name was Slyvanus Menpp and upon
this incident one of the Klan com- so
posed a few verves, which thov sanir I
to the tune of Richmond Road. One jn
stanza was like this: . av
W
"Andy on a Hickory, Sylvanus by his .
side. !n
The bullets would not kill them
For we've already tried.
re
Chorus?
Oh, send them on home; th
Send them on home, home, home, home dii
T<
During this time the sheriffs were th
changed and Sheriff Dunn took charge
and a Yankee officer by the name of te
Swan was stationed at the jsTil. Eight sp
more negroes were charged with the Sp
same offense, the killing of Stevens, a.
were placed in jail and another wit ai,
of habeas corpus was sent up by Chief y,
Just'ce Willard to send them to Columbia
immediately. Owing to there y,
being but one train a day the sheriff
could not tret thorn ready. The Klan
sent out couriers over North Paeolet
and all over the county. Sheriff Dunn j0]
was not at the jail when the second fa
raid was made, hut Thomas Hughes at.
and I.onnv Hill were the deputies. The a|j
K. K. K.'s demands the keys hut the sa
deputies had hid them. They hroke
into the jail. If there hanpened to he wj
any other prisoners in the jail they mJ
did not want, they always fastened cr
them un before they would leave. The wj
K. K. K.'s carried the eitfht men uo to ,jt,
the Crooked Hickory tree, where they jlw
hantr the criminals on. The weather
was hitter cold and the Klan intended fei
to he as quiet as they could, hut as
daylight was fast approaching they pr
shot some and hunt? some. The Klan so
returned to the'r homes before dav.
Sylvanus, who had feigned dead the wt
(irst time, did not pret away this time. an
1'urine 1^71 President (irant de- ,ou
[dared martial law over Spartanhurpr. j0
York. Union. Chester, T.aurens and hii
Monrham'r oaimdoa n.wl im.a.J.J c.J.
'V II.'- ha
ivrit of habeas corpus so no one could ;i
[rive bond in any of these counties. ,?n
xnd sent several military and infantry se|
'omnanies here. Cant. French, of the jei
White llorse company, and ('apt.
Fhomsort, of the Black Horse Co. Tom
Cluster was the first lieutenant of co
Clapt. Conch's company. Mr. I.onjr p()
made it a point to become acquainted en
with these men; he cultivated their fQ
acquaintance for a purpose; he was Qf
learning something and they were jjs
learning something, too. Tom Custer
was a brother of General Custer of the
Biff Horn Massacre.
The cavalry finally made a raid ^
for Brewton and J. G. Long and the la:
coldest nifrht these men claimed they un
ever saw they spent at a widow lady's (20
home, a Mrs. Mitchell. The next mornr ov
g they passed within 40 yards of
e soldiers and did not know it, as
ey were hid in a thick piece of pines,
a gully on the place of General Wal:e.
W. H. Long was postmaster, depot
ent, etc., at Jonesville and that
>rning had asked J. G. Long to atrid
to the depot for him and Brewn
and Long fixed up everything. J.
Ijong, his wife and Newton hoarded
at W. H. Long's and this morning
G. Long had a presentiment not to
to the house to wash before parking
of their breakfast and he said
Brewton, "Let us wash at the
>re," which they did. Upon looking
ck at the house they saw it was
rrounded by the Yankee soldiers.
ie ground was frozen and they broke
d ran awnv Rwuitnii ....:.?i us
WII Of/1 amuu 1113
kle and fell and Ideut. Custer
ught him. Long ran across the railad
into a four-acre piece of pines
d thence into an original forest of
veral hundred acres, the property
f.em I lames, the father of I J. J.
ames. lie staid all day, came back
one that night and the next day
?nt to the train below his father's
me. Sergeant Williams was on the
ain and Mr. Long patted his Winester
just to tantalize him as the
ain passed, as he knew Williams had
me back just as a spy.
They carried Brewton to Charlesn,
kept him in prison sometime and
: him out on bond. He escaped and
?nt West and they (United States
ivernment) never pushed the bond. |
A short while after this .1. (I. Long.
.. Calhoun Long. .1. M. Bunch, I). C.
st, W. E. Thomson, .1. II. Rodgers,
Bank Lyles and .lames Moore, the
st two from Limestone, and numers
others went West.
Several men from Union count>
?re sent to Albany prison, standing
eir trial in Charleston, viz., Whit:k,
five years, Hosea Mathis, Alfred
tmaster, who died in prison with
leumonia, Marion Fowler and several
hers. A Rev. Mr. Ezell confessed
to who the K. K. K.'s were and
is released, after serving a few
Dnths in Albany penitentiary.
President Grant issued a proclamam
that those who were in flvison
d away from home and who would
omise to make good citizens he
mid pardon and they could return
me.
After returning home Mr. Long
lined how President Grant came to
jue such a proclamation. A. S. Wal
e, a member of congress from this
?*r!ct and a Republican, as h<> passLong's
home at Jonesville on his
jy to attend a Renuhlican meeting
Gist's station, four miles above
nesville, asked for a drink of water,
r. Long recognized him and thev
d been friends before the war. Wal:e
invited Mr. Long to attend the
'publican meeting, but Mr. Long
anked him and told him he could
it go. Unon leaving Wallace told "
r. Long if there was anything life
uld do for him he'd do it with
easure. Mr. I-tong said, "Wallace. T .ve
two boys gone away and cannot
turn and several friends and I'd like
r you to see President Gant and get
so mv boys and friends can come
me. If you will see President Grant
get these K. K. and those in prison
they can return T will vote for you
November. T will vote for the devil
hell if you will do it and do it right
vay and get my two boys home."
allace returned home, went to Washgton
and got President Grant ?o
?ue the proclamation and in six
2eks the garrison was recalled and
moved from the State.
Most of the K. K.'s returned, but
e Grand Cyclops never returned and
ed about two years ago at Paris,
ivas. Thov hnmo in limn tn ,1,.., I
e red shirts and vote for Hampton. |
When John Whitlock was freed af-1
r two years in Albany prison he
opped in Washington to pay his reacts
to the Republican congressman,
S. Wallace, and after soundly
using him made him pay his way l<>
nion.
Out of 1<> dens of the K. K. K.'s in
nion county there are only two livg
chiefs, J. (i, Long, Sr., and lb
tarles Sims of Cowpens.
There were numerous trials in I'u
n county court house and John Long,
ther of J. (i. Long, Sr., was very
tive in securing evidences to prove
ibis or establishing: alibis; and it id,
for each and every defendant
at on one occasion after drilling his
tness to prove that he was with a
itn charged with a crime; that if the
ime was committed in Jonesville this
tness would testify that he and the
fendant were in Ooshen Hill at the
ur the crime was committed, and if
e crime was in ISORansville the dendant
and witness would be on
oad river at the stated hour. The
osecuting attorney at last having
me doubts as to the truth of these
Uements, finally asked him, "Where
:re you when Cain slew Abel?" In
instant the witness replied, "I wasjB
t 'possum hunting." This enraged |
hn Long so, and he whispered to |
m, in rather audible tones, "You ?1
ve played hell; that man asked you * C
question about Revolutionary time |
u iiui rvu-rviUA illfiu JUKI you nilVC U
nt the last one of them to the peni- |
itiary hy such fool swearing as
at."
Papers are preserved where in this
unty was assessed $-,000 as its prortional
part in raising $ If),000 to
iploy council for the men arrested
r Ku-Kluxing and quite a number
familiar names are attached to the
ts and the amount subscribed.
Of 16,700 cows tested through
isconsin cow-testing associations
it year, 3,375 were disposed of as
profitable. This is something over
per cent that did not pay for their
m board.
\
^1^?
AT
Sale
In C
TEN large, beaut:
WALLACE-HILL
the Graded Schoo
at Public Auction
ON MONDAY
At Elevei
These are the mo;
other city for fine
100 yards from tl
Main street busin
TER
ONE-FOURTH CAS
payable in one. two a
sale and after maturi
purchaser and mortge
for payment of taxes
have the option of pa
purchase money in cs
all papers without ch
Not to be Sold
[ J. CL01
AGrea
Determination and a r<
necessities in the success
handicapped in the battle
There is a great oppor
practical young farmer (
just such a great opening
Here is the men! in thr?
the Farmers of the count
and for a period of from I
It does not require an;
tical and reasonable plan
that the way to build a (
Look up some of the of
for further information.
BAILE1
& LI
FOR 20 YEARS UNION
9
I
\
/
TRACTIV
> of L
ity of Uni
iful and most desirab
j land on Mountain St
1 building) will be of
on the Grounds
f, NOVEMBER
1 O'clock A. M ?
3t desirable lots in t
5 homes; near the scl
he depot and 200
ess, and have cement
:ms of sal
H?balance in three equ
nd three years, with inter
ty at 8% per annum, seci
ige of the premises; whi<
and attorneys fee on sui
ying as much more thai
Lsh as may be desired, S>
arge. Lots staked out. C
I to, Owned or Occupied by
UGH WAL1
i AnnAvtl
II uppun
iasonahle amount of common s>
of any man. Without those gil
of life.
tunity looking right into the eye
)f today. At no time in the pasl
cocoanut: The government has
rv to get money at not exeeedin
) to 40 vea?'s.
v world of red tape to .eel this 1
thought out by wise men \vh(
lounty was the building of Far
ficers of the Union County Far
r FURNI1
JMBER G
f'S LEADING HOME BUILD
FURNISHERS.
15
E
ots
on
ile lots of the
;reet (opposite
iered for sale
27. 19111
Sharp |
Jnion or any |
100I building;
trds from all ;
sidewalk.
,E
al installments,
est from day of
ired by bond of
zh will provide
t. Purchaser to
1 one-fourth of
eller will draw
jo see them. ^
Negroes j
LACE I
???i *
ense are two prime
'ts, a man is greatly
s of I he determined. I
t has there ever been
made it possible for
g b per cent interest I
money. Ii is a prac- i
) lon.u; a,i*o realized
ms. |
111 Loan Association
PURE
'Oa
ERS AND HOME