American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-12-26
A New Phase of Reconstruction


in South Carolina, about year ago, Is
creating a good deal Of comment IN 9th
eal circles here. especially as one OF the
counsel for the defense was Mr.. Secretary
Browning, then Il lawyer and claim agent.
The records aud papers in the case were
all PRODUCED before the court in the late
trial before Judge Hall, and the facts are
thus hil open to the public The names
Of the parties are Joseph Crawford Keys,
Robert Keys. his son, Elisha Byron and
L. G.. Showers. The crime Of which they
were convicted was murder, committed on
the night Of Sunday, October Sth, 1868.
The victims were Corporal W. 9. Cor
betl, Emory Smith and Mason Browning,
all of the First Maine Volunteers, who
were killed while on guard over cotton.
The arrest was by the military authori-
ties, and the trial took place before
military commission The facts proved
cynclusively were these. Some days be
fore October, 9th, 1855, the officers of
the Treasury Department had taken pos>
session Of fifteen bales Of cotton lylngat
Browns Ferry, on the Savannah river,
aud had put it in the custody of w. 7.
Brown, owner Of the ferry, wl.o lived i
few rods distant The cotton was claim
ed ty Crawford Keys as his property, and
this Keys had engaged Showers, one OF
the men set free by Judge Hall, to carry
it by the boat to Savannah. On Friday,
the 9th inst, Showers informed Brown
that the cotton was about to be taken
away secretly, but that he himself was
not to do 1t, and advised Brown to get
himself relieved Of its custody by the
military authorities, and of all response
bility in the matter. Brown therefore
gave notice to the military Of the inten.
ded removal, and the guard of three men
wh yse names arc given above were sent
to the ferry the same evening. The trip
to Savannah was at once put off, Showers
giving as u reason that his stcefsman was
sick. On the succeeding Sunday night
about eleven clock five men, four Of
whom were recognized by Brown and his
assistant, man named HoYell, to be
those named above, and Peter Keys,
second son Of the elder prisoner, passed
the ferry gate in the direction Of the riv-
er. They were soon to go to the Ter y,
where at once an altercation began be-
tween them and the guard. a voice was
heard and identified as Stowers's, orders
ing the guard to lay down their arms
On the soldiers replying that they were
acting under orders which they must
obey, the answer was made, Cd d--n
you, we have come to throw you in the
river" Shots were then fired, and not
long after the same party Of five men re-
tarned past The terry-house, three Of them
riding the soldiers horses. AS they pass
ed Howell's house, Peter Keys ordered
Howell to 90 back to bed. Both Brown
and Howell were old residents Of the dis
trct, and perfectly familiar with the
voices and faces ol their neighbors. A
the trial Howel swore that he recognized
Crawford Keys, hIstwo sons, Robert and
Peter, Elisha Byron and +. u. Showers.
Brown testified that the moon was two
hours up, aud that he recognized Craw>
ford Keys and Il. q. Showers. Tie next
morning the bodies Of the three victims
were found in the river rod or two
from the shore, by detail Of soldiers
Each had been shot through the head
two with wounds which must have caus.
ed immediate death the third evideut>
ly having been drowned after receiving
ing his wound The hair of each was
scorched showing that the pistols had
been discharged close to their heads -
The defense made no attempt to deny
the quit Of Peter Keys, who was never
arrested, and whose whereabouts at the
time of the trial were unknown. He
was shown howcv er, to have been at his
fathers house several times since the
murder. In behalf of the other four
the defense was in alibi, which the Court
rejec ted as an utter Gailue. The morn
ing after :he murder Showers was proved
tC have told his negro servants that the
solGiers had been killed, that they would
probably all be arrested, and that If ques
toned about HIM they must say that they
had seen him at home at eleven o'clock
the night before, and had got some bran
dy from him. This was proved to be
false; and further, he made no attempt to
show how be could have legitimately OBJ
tanned his information. On the Tuesday
following the murder he went by boat to
Savannah, paying no attention to the call
of the guard standing on the bank, who
shouted to him that he was wanted =
There has never existed the slightest
doubt OF this mans participation in the
murder, nor has there been any ground
for doubt that the other men named above
were equal sharers in this atroclous home
icide. Every circumstance in their ac-
tions during the day, their meeting and
consulting together, their absence from
home at this tIme-this, with other facts
proven on the trial, show that, for the
sake of fifteen bales of cotton and to
crafty rebel hate. they rutblessly mur-
,dered three rnen who were doing their
duty as best they knew how, under the
orders of their superior officers. and who,
of course, had no personal interest in the
matter. The prisoners, as is now known,
were all found guilty by the Commission,
and sentenced to be harged. 1t is also
known that General S,ckles committed the
sentence in the case of Robert Keys and
Elisha Byron, in accordance with the re-
.op,mandatiop of thc Commission made