The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-14
More Highhanded Proceedings
at the South.
An Irishman Scourged and Tarred and
Eeathered.


An Irishman Scourged and Tarred and
Eeathered.
From the New York Tribune.
The Charleston Mercury, OF the 10th ut, has
the following paragraph under its Columbia Is CO.
correspondence
workman the new State House, named Powers
has been uterDg sedous here without
cesment and ON more Than OCCASION expressing his
entire approval Of Browns invasion He apprenend-
ed by the Mayor and subjected examination the pre-
sence OF the Commissioner Of this Circuit The proof Of
his incendary language and feelings abundant and
conclusive, although not Of any attempt tamper with
the slaves He was therefore, yesterday ordered TO be
escorted from prison TO the outskirts Of the city by the
MaTshas AS threats OF had been made other
stone masons he carried through the town a eleven
O'Clock A. NJ, and through the Stats House yard, where
these men were ut work. crowd Of course attend.
ance No attempt at rescue made, and at the Char
louie junction Of 1e city the Vigilance Com ntee took
him in hand stripped him TO the waist, inflicted twenty
nine lashes and coat Of and feather Hence he
forwarded by railroad 10 Charleston.
The same journal has this paragraph, under the
head of its leading articles
The TARRED STONE CgR-Th tarred stone cutter, al.
uded 10 in the Mucurys Columbia correspondence, duly
arrived in this city consigned 10 the Chief OF Police He
walked TO the Guard House voluntarily 10 his unique
dress He relates his adventures in the simplest man
ner, concluding with tho assertion that he don't care
d-n for the Earring and ieaiherns but the nine and
thirty administered TO him was o little tight
On Tuesday last there called at the Office of the
Tribune avery good looking young man, represent
ing himself 70 be James Power. He had arrived
here IN a steamer from Charleston on Monday the
day before. he showed his scars and blood marks.
He told his history in very simple straightforward
way 10 this effect, after denying the editors state
ment that he did not for the tarrng and feather
ing
and settled in Philadelphia. He learned the trade
OF stonecutter. He was working with Mr.. Waters,
West Chestnut street, Philadelphia, year sinca
but Gull times growing out of the financial revusion
caused him to leave there and seek employment
elsewhere. He went down the Ohio and Mississippi
bur could not at any of the towns find work. He,
however, saw blacks employed. He went to New
Orleans, Mobile, Augusta, and other places but was
still unsuccessful. Arriving at Columbia S. c.,
he found work on the State Capitol now building
there.
Among the workmen were Irish, English Ger.
mans, and Americans; but only one South Carroll
man as he recollects. At his clearinghouse, &C.
customed as he had been to speak his mind, he
among his brother mechanics, spoke on more
than one occasion in favor OF the employment Of
white mechanics, and thought the blacks should
be confined to the fields and swamps. He does
not recollect ever having stated that he thought
slavery should be abolished. He had cast his vote
in Philadelphia for Mr.. Florence, the democratic
member of Congress, and was therefore demo-
crat. He "a sober man; had not drank any
spirits Tor four months, but was one night lately
"on frolic' with brother workman. That
workman testified against him as an abotionist,
and on hearing that the vigilance Committee
was after him, he attempted to escape, but was
arrested at q railroad station ten miles from Co.
lumbia and brought back to that place; was thrown
into prison for some days. and then taken before
the Mayor.
Four men on the trial testified against him. One
swore that he had stated that John G. Fremont
made speech at Mobile, saying that in case nc
(Fremont) were elected President he would libe-
rate the slaves! Power states that he had heard
that that was said of Fremont. This curious speci
men Of his knowledge of the republican candidate
and policy did not save him. 1t did not appear on
trial that he had ever said word to the negroes.
witness (Cheeseb0rough by Dame) swOre tina
when under the influence Of liquor, Power had
said he was an aboltonist before he left Philadel
came to the Sonth. Mr.. Power appears to have
been laboring under the deusion that liberty of
speech is moderately allowed in Sonth Carolina
OF this the mayor, the Hon. A. j. Greene also
by recommitting him to prison, where he re-
NAMED for six days, up to Saturday fort
night He was then taken by 1.-TWO marshals'
from his cell, and delivered into the hands Of two
d. d son of Abb, as you are fond of negroes
Ill give you negro escort" He was then led
through the main street by the two negroes,
great crowd following. He passed the State House
yard, where the wOrkmen were. The Carolinians
about him said to the workmen, "Send werd to the
Cd ID Northerners to come here and we can
whip them" He passed the Hall of the Legsla-
.S1e; many members were o on the stepssaIong
laughing. He was led three miles to the rail-
road junction. There were thousands present
he thinks about half the population of the town
must have been there Troops of horse and
cried "Spike him !" "Shoot him. "Hang
him. &c. He was stripped to the ankles,
and negro, underthreats of being dashed him.
self, gave him thirty.nine lashes The blood
flowed, and the marks of this yet remain. The con-
tents of tar bucket then applied to his head
and his body down to the waist He suffered awful
pangs, which were the subject of derision. The
train during all this was stopped, and the engineer
celebrated the event by sounding the whistle freely
Power was, after interval of nearly three hours
put on the train in Q car full Of negroes, and taken
toward Charleston.
After he had travelled he supposes fifty miles, q
master mechanic Of Charleston, plying his suffer
ings and exhaustion, gave him cup Of coffee and .
biscuit; whereupon the mob around the station
himself Some came into the car and seized him
by the hair saying, Let's look at you, You God
damned abolition son of q b-h." Some desired to
give him fresh coat of tar and feathers, but. not
able to find any of those staples, they applied cot
ton to the tar already on him.
The mob were likewise of opinion that there was
a whole lot Of aboliuonists in the cars who ought
to BE- hanged. He arrived at Charleston and was
put in priseu.
He had been kindly counselled to make no COM
plaipts, or he would get one hundred and thirty
lashes more physician who attended him told
accused Of being Northern pickpockets arrested at
the Agricultural State Fair, and committed to jail
One Of thew had received five hundred lashes,
smother . less number; that the man who received
the five hundred was near dying. Power had not
read Of any trial of these men 30 accused and
punished. Oil and water were given him TO
cleanse himseA. Silence was enjoined on him, lest
the mob should get hold Of him. He paid his own
passage money from Columbia TO Charleston, the
negro taking out IS from his pocketbook. He
heard that il was published that the negroes Of
Columbia had made subscription TO pay his pas
sage. On Saturday last, at seven O'Clock in the
morning, be was put on steamer for New York.
When the Christmas festivities were at their
height on Monday, this "po0r exile OF Erin" with
the bloodlash marks on his body-in6icted unde
the agis Of the constitution and laws for some
naudlin words or childish talk in Columbia, South
Carolina arrived At this great metropolis. He l,
reduced in flesh, but is sturdy in spirit he ask
work, not aims. It is pity he could not have ar
rived in time for the Union meeting, so that Charlie
O'Ccnor, Esq, could have presented him to tn
Union savers, and illustrated the effects of tn
patriarchal system on the person Of an lrshman.