Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-11-01

prepare for the onset, the opened blade Of
Luke's knife wauld be seen gitierlng in his
hand. Harp would then pause, aud gather
up handful of stones; instantly the knife
would be shut up and pocketed, and then
the stones would be thrown down : the mo-
ment this was done. the coaodrdly knsfe
would be again fourIsh'd and then ugaln
the stones would be restored 10.
On another occasion, he and q brother
gambler quarrel!ed,--the latter was stand
ing leaning his head against the post of a
piazza Luke, with his knife, aimed blow
at the lhroa, Of his adversary, he saw the
blow and barley escaped it 100 effect On
the post instead Of his neck.
For some words Of drunken insolencc,
he was once very properly slapped in the
mouth, by a most respectable and amiable
man in his fury, he staggered into the Pi-
azza of the store where the affair occurred,
seized foot.adze, and vas in the acl ofre-
entering the store with j. drawn over his
shoulder to strike his antagonist, when a
carpenter standing behind him, seized and
took il from him. Ec was then thrown out
of the house, and while lying on his back
ia the yard, tumbler Of water was handed
20 him-he drank the water, and with the
l1rocity ola madman. bit "A piece out ofthe
iumblnr. On the same day, he was ncxt
WhiIe Standing r m = ssESssss:
en- wretch, John B. Davidson, staggered to
the piazza, and laid his head on the piazza
rail Luke, as he was called by way Of
eminence, excIaimcd," have been author
ized over all day, and vii see if can't
authorize some loo," and knocked poor
Davidson sprawling into the street. In a
few minutes afcrward>, Luke was in a re.
'ail sore, quarrelling with his old friend
Harp a fight was again about to take
PLACE, his kniGe was again resorted 10, and
seen by the store keeper. TO prevent
Lnke's assassin purposes, he got over the
counter, slipped shoe hammer out of
Lukn's pocket, aud with it struck him on
the back of the hand, until he dropped the
knife on the floor: he then threw him on
his head in the yard. This closed the day
but Luke's " deeds W. re evil, and loved
darkness rather lhln Light" At night he
was found stoning some poor unoffandng
negrors and for SO doing, was literally pei.
ted beyond the village.
His next outbreak remembered, was
drunken sprey, as it is modestly called by
drunken rowdys. riding along the road, he
saw an old Frenchman, Cesar Duva!, a
stone mason by trade, :rudging along the
road on (oot, with his stone hammer in his
hand. Luke being moved and scduced by
the ins'igations of the devil" 10 VIII, strong
drink, determined to ride over him. No
sooner thought, than away went Luke, at
the top Of his horses speed, and the old
Frenchmen was in an instant Frustrated un-
der The hors-'s feet. But as he fell, the
horse fell over him, aud Black Luke, as the
old Frenchman us,d fanlliary to call him,
was Pitched some twenty or-.Lir,y Co..
over his head, and lay insensible IN the
road, in the power Of the nan 20 injure
whom was his ruffian purpos S. 81 could
have knocked him o. the head with my
stone hammer. said old Cesar, but pity
, poor. Black Luke" and left him, unharmed
by him, 10 rise when he could.
One of his drunken fea's. the subject Of
judicial investigation, was the causing and
procuring aeighbor's riding gig 70 be saw.
ed to pieces.
Another, exhibiting more lh,n the usual
wan, off.eling 10 ruAian, was, in her faith.
er's own house, cutting with a knife, the
clothes of the bo6y ofan unotfcnd!ng young
girl. =
Scum sa.,-.,,,s.-sr -sr,r SOME off:nce, real or
inIIginary,ho presented himself rife in hand.
at the door Of one of his best friends, and
levelling his rife, said 10 him, Phil SORT
yours II out from your wife and bsbies, for
intend to land you in hell in minnte."
A parley ensued, and Luke's attention was
attracted to some other object, his rifle sci.
zed, and with it he was knocked down, and
compelled to be peaceable.
In 1924, without any legal or moral ex.
cuse. he killed in Edge6eld District, man
of the name of Fouts, report Of the case
will be found on the files of the Court of
Appeals, Nov. 1924, at Columbia. He
was convicted OF murder, and sentenced 10
be hanged. At the instance Of his wortky
and ansiable brother in-Iaw, the late Mopr
Canton, he WAS pardoned by Governor
Wilson and on promises of reform, and
future good conduct. he was taken into the
house Of his brother-in-law, rs member
of his family. In a short time, &" like the
dog to his vomit, or the SOW that is washed
to her wallowing in the mire." Luke re.
turned to the Grog.shop; and in fit of
drunken fury, in the absence Of his brother.
in-law, drove his sister and her little ones
from their own home. This ended his resi-.
dence under his bro'hrr-in.law's roof.
Soon afterwards. at Grog. shop, KEEP!