The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-03-29

loose end thrown over the beam. Many
were the anxious eyee and listening, ears
turned toward the spot from every possible
direction, from above not excepted: for
Notwithstanding, the constable had taken,
tne Precaution to form q large ring round.
the gallows, and placed his guard upon|it
as as we'll to give all nopportnnity to see,
as TO prevevent epy attempt at a rescue;
yet 50 grea. was the crowd that it was inn.
possible for one half to see, much less to,
hear what was going on, and to aid this
defect in the nature Of things, the negro
spectators, not considering themselves in
cluded among the number to be benefit.
ted by the formation Of the ring, made the
trees round abou, the gallows, seem as a
Kind of statute Of Jeophails to them, by
climbing up in them, some ten, some fiji.
teen and even twenty feet high, that they
too might see, add probably hear the last
words of their dying fellow servants: it
having previously been announced that
the culprits would haYeRn opportunity Of
confeseing their guilt, and saying what.
ever else it might bahoove them TO say, on
such solemn occasion.
After they had made an end of speak.
ing, in which they confessed their guilt.
and concluded with q warning exhorta.
tion to their fellow servants, and a PRAYER
for their own souls &c., the constable de.
scended from the cart, and profound and
dealhlike silence now pervaded the whole
assembly. Not sound was heard save
the commingling Gin of the distant horses
and mules, stamping at the flies, and the
rattling of their harness. The sound of
the death tap ofthe peg, which suspended
the victims in the air, broke for moment
the fearful silence, and, ,all was still again.
Even the air itself, seemed unwilling to
disturb the solemn stiffness of the scene,
which continued for about two minutes,
during which time the death struggles Of
the negroes were the only motions in view.
Suddenly an old man in the crowd,
overcome by the heat, together with the
soemnity and stiffness of the scene, fain-
ted, as he Sat in his wagon, and fell back
wards, which frightened the horses, and
unable to run they commenced kicking.
This attracted the attention ofthose in the
immediate vicinity, who under the i'm
pulse ofthe moment rushed TO- the old
mans assistance; and it SO happened that
just at this moment, a sudden gust of wind
shook the leaves above the heads of the
dying negroes, which with the Yattling of
the chains on the kicking horses, coming
simultaneously upon the ears of the larger
portion Of the crowd who could not see
the cause of the disturbance, created at
first a panic among the negroes, and
moving among the whites, which as quick
as thought pervaded the whole congrega.
tion, from centre to circumference, and
cr!es of'mad dog, 'insurrection,' sniegers
rlsIn, when in fact they were falling
like ripe fruit in storm, from the trees
in every direction, served of course, to
increase the panic, and extend il among
the fearful and unthinking whites; and
the fact that the negroes literally fell, pei
met out of the trees, where it was presum..
ed they could see what was the matter
from their elevated positions tended TO
strengthen the belief that something un.
common and alarming had taken place.
And such a scene of confusion as hereup.
on ensued, can be much better imagined
than described.
The negroes and whites seemed sud-
denly charged with positive electricity,
and IN strict obedience to the laws Of ma
ture, in such cases, mutually separated
from each other us fast as their feet could
carry them. The screams of woman,
crying Of children, and running of men,
women and children, terrified the horses,
donkics and oxen, and they commenced
kicking and running in every direction,
and as the circumference Of the crowd in.
creased by the repulsive movements Of
tho whites and blacks, the confusion be.
came more dangerous; for the horses were
now dashing about in various directions,
and men, women and children, black and
white were rushing to and fro against each
other, to keep out Of the way Of the ami.
mails.
'The guard! the guardp exclaimed some
affrighted voice.
Where's the guard2'
But alas, neither constable, magistrate
nor guard, could be seen in their proper
places. Nor has it to this day been salts.
factorily ascertained what did become Of
the constable and his equippage, whether
he threw down his sword and betook him
self to inglorious flight, or looked calmly
and undismayed upon the scene Of confu.
sion, until an opportunity offered for him
10 collect his scattered guards and guns,
the last ofwhich were lying in abundant
Profusion, about where the former ought
to have been, is still enveloped in the mist
of uncertainty. 1t is, however currently
reported that he did run, but whether It
was merely for the purpose Of heading
his flying guard, or becagse, being pop
ular man he preferred to act upon the
popular motto, when in Rome do as
Rome does, and made quite On active use