Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-12-22
Lynching of Three Desperadoes.

Is,
since the war, been the scene of the most afro
cious crimes. Hobbcrics and murders have
become so frequent t!.a. at last the inccnscd
community organized band Cor the cxtcrni
nation OF these dcspcrndocs, and commenced
on three young men confined in Jail The
committee, armed with guns, marched into
the town about ll45 p. M, pickctcd the
streets, and arrested sll nquisitivc citizens
The front door of the Jail was broken opvu -
The lallor ran up stairs and hid himself Not
being able to find the jailor, the mob attempt.
Ell to break III the iron door Of the Jail with
slcdgc- c-hammcrs. Failing in this, they found
the Jalior, and forced him to deliver up .he
keys In the meantime the prisoners, eight
i'll number, were awakened by the halnmcring
at tho door Fully understanding the danger
that mcnaccd them they shriclicd and yelled
for help, aud armed themselves with Lillcts of
wood, fully determined to sell their lives as
dear as possible When the mob came to the
door Of the dungeon they unlocked it, and
after some parley, part Of them entered the
eel! without resistance. The leader of the
mob then called for Glenn. Crowdus, William
Goodc and Tom Stcphcns, who Immediately
answered to their names. AS they delivered
themselves ~, the lender said s'Crowdus,
have been looking for you for long time"
Crowdus answered: 8" know you have, Mr..
-, calling the man 10y name. Forming
into procession, the mob Immediately started
ior hill about one and half miles distant,
giving ono triumphant shout rs they passed
through the town. What took place at the
hill, prior to the banging, no one but tic
members of the mob know. In the morning
the bodies of the three men were found hang
ing to Il tree Crowdus heels nearly touched
Il root Of the tree, and he had evidently suf.
fcrcd the horrors Of sui!ocaton, with his toes
upon the ground The rope upon Goodies
neck slipped 80 much that he stood upon his
Feet 50 his legs "crc doubled up and lis feet
tied to his hands. Stephens swung clear, his
necS being disioca;cd. a company of United
S5dats tylaHsa Hsaf, bul"tHe u the
refused to interfere unless requested to do so
by the civil authorities, but although the mar.
shal was present, the troops were not called
upon to defend the JAIL
WHAT GEN. GRANT THlNKs-Wc make
the following extract from the report Of Gen.
u. S. Grant:
Passing from civil war of the magnitude Of
that in which the United States has been cn-
gagged to government through the courts it
has been dccI,ed necessary to keep military
force in all the lately rcbei.vs States, to in
sure the execution of law and to protect life
and property against the acts Of those who, as
yet, will acknowledge 10 law but force. This
class has proven to be much smaller than
conld have been expected after suci. conflict.
1t has. however, been sufficiently formidable
to Justify the course which has been pursued
On tie whole the condition Of tic States that
were in rebellion against the Government may
he regarded as good TO warrant Inc hope but
Il short time will intervene before the bulk of
the troops now occupying them cam DC sent to
our growing Territories, where they arc so
much needed
WHAT GIN. lIowAnp TnINKs.-The fol-
lowing extract is taken from the report of
Major. General O. O. Howard, Commissioner
of Bureau Refugees, Freedmen and 4Aban-
doned Lands:
General Saxton, by order of the War De
partment, was mustered cut of service and
succeeded by Brcvet- aIaior,Gcncral Il. X.
Scott, who has been very efficient The mat
ter of Sea Island lands held under General
Shcrnan's $ order in this State and Georgia was
substantially adjusted by now Bureau law
Prior thereto disputes were occasionally set
tied in accordance with tho plan given in the
Commissioners last annual report Instruc.
tons of March s, directed Assistant Commits
sioncrs to locate definitely those who occupied
land under sail order, holding them in pos
session ill some definite action should he ta-
ken by the Government. The rest of estates
or parts of estates were to be restored in ac-
corlancc with circulars 5 and 20-sclies of
1865. In this State there are nearly 10000
pupils regularly instructed. Society has been
greatly unsettled, yet the demand for labor
crs is inccssant. 1t is feared that in proper
ton as the United States authority is with
drawn, public opinion and the State Govern
ment will prove Intellectual to protect the
schools from the violence Of cvil-mindcd per-
sons. Great suffering prevails among the
destitute classes Planters have asserted that
in most cases the freedmen were working with