Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-07-09
From the Chester Standard.
PEDLARS AND HAGRANTS,

for some years Dach our DlstricL mas
been infested by swarm of Irish Pedlars,
who have been selling pure and genuine
linen, purchased in the manufacturing Irish
markets of New York, Charleston and
sometimes Chester. 1t has been estimated
that these lawless fellows sell the modest
amount of $4,000 worth of goods year,
within the District Of Chester. But this is
not ALL These goods, instead of being sold
cheap, as the people imagine and az these
fellows represent, are disposed of at 80, so
and 100 per cent. more than the identically
same quality of articles can be bought for
at Cash rates, in the town of Chester. And
that is not all: The money paid to these
vagabonds is appropriated in drinking, lewd.
ness and proaigacy, or else taken off out of
the country and used for purposes in which
we have no interest. Recently there have
been an alarming number of these County
Connaught men, rowing about our Town
and District, "having no visible means of
support" except horse load Of luggage on
their backs.
Furthermore, our merchants and traders
have to pay tax to the State on every
SlOO worth of goods they sell; or if they
wish to peddle they have to pay $50 for a
license for one District But these strolling
fellows pay nothing to the District or State
in the way of tax or anything else. Be.
sides, they are destitute of character, as
a general thing, and are bad persons to be
tampering and trading with our slaves. But
our merchants are men Of responsibility and
character, who are taxpayers and suppor-
ters of the State and her Institutions. Is it
right then that these men should be brought
in competition with each other: the one
skulking and living in continual violation Of
the laws of the land and the other acting
openly under its sanction and protection Z
We think not and we doubt not but that
every orderly well disposed person will con.
cur. with US.
I On Monday last, however, our town was
awakened and enlivened by faint ebbing
of the tide, as we'll as dawning of better
day. Giles J. Patterson, Esq, on complaint
duly lodged issued his warrant, as rumor
hath it, for twenty vagrants, of all sorts Of
wild names. This document was lodged in
the hands of Jesse, who soon brought w.
| Walsh and Thos. Connagham to taw.. The
other parties having smelt a rat" few
days ago and scattered off. A Jury consist
ing of w. F. Farley, w. II. Anderson, Rev.
4 l.. C. Hinton, w.. D. Hunt and Dr.sJ. w.
Wilkes, were .empanneled to try the said
prisoners for vagrancy. They patiently
heard the evidence, which consisted of tes.
timony that said Walsh and Connagbam
had been seen about Chester, with other
parties supposed TO be pedlars, for some
weeks past; that they had received packa-
ges from.the Railroad Depot, supposed to
contain goods and merchandise; and that
they had no ostensible, lawful and honora.
bic means of support The Jury under these
circumstances found verdict convicting
them of vagrancy and they were forthwith
committed to jail Here they will remain
until they give surety for their future good
behavior: failing to do this they will be
advertised for sale for one years time. At
the time Of sale, if there be no purchaser,
they will be sentenced to receive thirty nine
lashes, and turned loose, to be retaken and
whipped as often as they may be found in
idleness or violating the laws.
The law upon the subject is as follows:
Gail persons wandering from place to
place, without any known residence, or re.
siding in any City, County or Parish, who
have no visible or known means of gaining
fair, honest and respectable livelihood (;
all sturdy beggars; and all unli.
censed pedlars-are and shall be deemed
vagrants, and liable to the penalties of this
act. Every person Of suspicious character
coming to settle in any county or parish
within this Stale, shall be deemed a vagrant,
unless he produce certificate from the
Justice of the County Court of the County,
or three Justices of the Peace of the Parish,
in which he last resided, setting forth that he
is person of fair character, and not an idle
or disorderly person, or unless he obtain
within the space of days sufficient security
for his good behavior, for twelve months
ensuing"
Our people have endured the encroach.
ments of these troublesome vagabouds with
great patience, but at last they have risen in
their might and gone to work with will and
spirit worthy Of such all object The Jail
is nearly empty and has room for as many as
can afford to come within the jurisdiction Of
our District officers, and act or live in viola.
ton of law and order Before this time,
however, in our opinion, the coast is clear,
all these low fellows having kaed off to
parts unknown.
Since writing the foregoing, two other
persons, 9ne of the name Of lsaiah--(a
Pole) and the other named Frances Cutler,
ian lrshman) have been arrested and com.
mitted to Jail under warrant for hawking
and peddlng. They will have to remain in
Jail until Fall Court, unless they find securi-
ty for their appearance at that time. The
penalty for this offence is heavy, being,
we believe one thousand dollars fine. One
fellow escaped, leaving his package, by out
running the constable's horse, and thereby
giving good leg bail. The news flies rapid.
ly and it is not probable any more of them
will be overtaken in this District. Cutler
offered resistance when first encountered,
+ but speedily yielded to the majesty of the
law, on finding he was obliged to do 80. He
deserves no sort of commisseration.
A SLIGHT M1sTAKE.-.The Louisville Jour.
nal has the following nonchalant paragraph:
| We learn that a shooting affair came off at
Lake Providence about week ago. A man
named Jones shot man named Patterson,
,;,t, ,L;,o him for ona Ppnninpton Patfor