The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1858-04-14
Volume XVI.
The Disturbances in Darlington
Trial Of the Vigilant Committee,

of the recent sad disturbance in Dar,
lington. We give the Friends article
entire:
On last Wednesday, scene, un.
paralleled in the history ofciiminal ju,
rlsprudence, was witnessed in oul
court room. On that day, finy-foul
highly respectable citizens of our dis.
trlc', including grey haired old men
as we'll as tender youths, were ar
raigned, charged with the murder OF
Caleb Freeman and Abe Wndham
Thers were two indictments, but by
agreement and with the consent Of the
Court, they We're tried together. The
prisoners selected the following gen
tlemen, from among those presented
who constituted the jury: Hon. l. d.
Wilson, Foreman, Col f. w. Cooper,
w. II. Hearon, DR.. T. A. Dargan, Col.
Samuel II. Wilds, Geo. |. w. Mccall,
Robert E. DuBose, Oliver C. Cogge-
shall, d. Sidney Law, w. C. Brunson,
Jas S. Mccall, Sr., and J. w. Lee.
Well might his Honor remark, as he
did in his charges, that never before
had he seen so intelligent a jury en-
Panneled. Thus did the prisoners de-
clare their desire, to be tried by some
men whose feelings could not influ-
ence them, unless their judgments
were convinced.
On Wednesday afternoon, the State
began to develop the case. We will
not notice the testimony of the wit
nesscs, either for the prosecution or
defence, but will content ourselt with
stating briefly the circumstances OF the
case as obtained from reliable and un-
contradicted testimony.
The grog shop ofAck Windham, at
which the fight took place, was proved
to have been pest to the community;
it was retail establishment, mis-
called by some grocery. and ne
groes seem to have constituted his
principal customers. Some ofthe suf-
ferers from his nefarious traffic, not all
members of the Vigilant Society
had waited upon and requested him
to desist from retailing and negro ira
ding, telling him attae same time that
they could not and would not longer
endure it. He promised to do SO.
Shortly after this, however, perhaps
on Monday before the Thursday on
which the homie des were committed
three barrels of "bald face" were de-
livered at Gainesville for him. As
soon as this was known, some of the
citizens ofhis Eeighborhood assembled
for the purpose Of waiting on him and
spillng the liquor. This was on
Wednesday, the Sd inst Windham
having been notified of their intention,
assembled his friends to defend his
rights (?); the consequence was that
the other party had to deslst. By the
next morning, however, the members
Of the different Vigilant Societies and
others had assembled, to the number
of seventy-fve or eighty, many of
whom were armed, and proceeded to
the shop. As upon the day before, they
found the Windham family with some
of their friends, prepared to defend
the whiskey; they were well armed.
The Vigilant party was under the
command of General Carter, and his
orders, proved to have been frequent
ly repeated within the hearing of the
Windham's, were, Don't fire a gun
unless you are fred upon; or strike a
blow unless you are struck; if assailed,
defend yourselves"
Before the Viglant party reached
the shop, it was halted, and two o: the I
elder gentlemen were sent to inform
the Windhams of their intention; they
expostulated in vain, and were called |
away by their friends, who, seeing
evidences Of hostility on the side of the !
called out to them to t
stand aside, for ifthe opposite party .
fired, they would return it, The Vigi- !
liant party approached the shop, which b
they partly surrounded. A company t
by Captain Giles Garter, t
being in the roadimmediately in front e
Of and facing the shop door, before 9
which the Windhams were standing, i
others ofthe Vigilant party were near
sr the house and in very few PAGES J
,f the door. While in this position, n
Sen. Carter informed the Windhan a
patty that his intention. was mot to o
njure any of them, unless they began a
he attack; that the party had come to s.
Empty Ack Windham's whiskey, and
hey intended to do it," AT this time b
ack Windaam tod his party to come n
.way and let them have the whiskey, :,
md he would law them; this they re- L
used to do, swearing that they would n
lie rather than give it up. While they te
we're parJeying thus, Caleb Freeman, "
whom it was proved had sworn to kill "
tiles Carter upon the first opportuni- y
y, stepped off from his company, and a
xclaiming, Il see you, Giles Carter; l
ou are the first man | intend to kill NJ
red, the shot passing through his b'
oat and striking Samuel Robinson, NJ
him severely; he endeavor- W
d to fire a second time, and while in ci
ne act of doing so, he was shot, and W
,lling, discharged his gun in the air. y
.s soon as the first gun was fired, IN
ieneral Carter gave the command, tr
Take them, men," and rush was tn
,stantly made upon them. Mr.. A. o'
7. Stuckey grasped one of the Wind 1T
ans around the body, and while pI
olding him, Abe Windham rushed W
pom him from behind, and plunged et
Is knife into him twice, but before he VI
,rlJ ;pa;c, , ,hird hl,w be re.e;,ed tn