The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-24

was hunting for stolen horse, and that he (Jefi
| nao been recommended to him by se:eral person
as sharp man, and one likely to give HIM assist
ancc. he promised assistance, and Bailey was t
return IN lev days. At the next interview, whic
| was III few days (the stolen horse not havin
been recovered), Bailey told him the old story O
his dlfhculty with tho hog thief and asked hin
| TO como down to his house and stick
consented to do), and at the same moment tolt
him that he had all confidence In him; that Hamp
| ton and others had told him how nicely he, Shu
mach and Walker had put Candy out OF the way
| and ii had never been found out. The array o
| names was too strong for Jeff and he made
no denial Bailey then asked him to state thu
particulars, which he did in confidence. tHii
confession will appear when 1 give Bailey's testi
monv before the Court.) Bailey then went imme
diately to Hampton and told him of Jeff's con.
fession. and Hampton, for the first time told
Bailey what he afterward swore to before the
Court
Mr.. John E. Candy, the brother OF Daniel Gan.
dy, was informed of these confessions, and he inn
mediately had JEFF arrested and lodged in Marion
JAIL in March last. He was tried in April last be.
dence was given on the trial. Mack Gibson's tes-
timony has already been stately
Hampton (freodman) stated that he was run
away; that on the morning Of the day on which
Mr.. Candy was murdered he went into Murray 3
Neck (Which is a densey wooded piece of ground
nearly in the middle OF the plantation) for the
purpose of trying to get some provisions from the
plough hands, who were working at this time near
tho edge OF the woods. As he was approaching
the plough hands he saw three men, all well
armed with guns and reyolvers They we're about
three or four hundred yards from tho railroad, in
the same thicket or woods, just little below
where the hands were ploughng in the field. AS
the woods were very thick, he did not see them
until he got within thirty or forty yards of them
At sight of them no professed to have been much
frightened, but they beckoned and called to him,
in a low tone of voice, to come up. He did So
and they then asked him where he was going; he
told them that he was runaway, and was going
to get some provisions from the plough hands,
At this time a small man, whom he heard answer
to the name Of Shumach, stopped and looked
through the bushes, saying, as he did 80, that he
would like to get pop at that ID old rascal.
He (Hampton) then looked and saw Mr.. Candy
said: f'Men, you had hetter not shoot Mr.. Candy
here" They aaked his reason, and he told them
that if they killed Mr.. Candy at that place all the
white people would believe that some of the black
people killed him. After this he left .hem and
walked of in the direction Of the Railroad but had
moi proceeded far before the three men followed,
and when they reached the corner of the fence
(Which is near the railroad), JEFF Gee and Shu-
mach climbed upon the fence and looked as if they
were watching ssome one. Hampton then looked
and saw MI. Candy riding around the head OF the
branch toward the shelter. This accounted for
their falling back to the road. at the disappear
ance of Mr. Candy behind the, branch Shumach
and JEFF jumped off tho fence and said that they
would cut him off below, and asked Hampton it
he thought they could do it. He told them that
they could not that it was too far, and they would
be found out. Shumach again called to jeff to
come on and they would try it. and he and
JEFF ran off down the track of the railroad.
W .lker thsn said TO them sD--n it, don't
yc: hear tho old daddy say it is too far"
They, however, pad no attention, and he
and Walker followed on the track for about
an hundred yards and had stopped, and
were talking when they heard gun fire about
where he supposed JET and shnmach we're; At
they have got pop at him, ,sAnd ran off in the
same direction, saying to Hampton, Come on"
But he stated that he turned back and saw them
no more. He had eeen jeff Gee before, and knew
him at first sight.
Mr.. Erwin Bailey was the next witness. de
stated that JEFF told him that after Mr. Candy rode
oil from the plough hands, and disappeared from
sight behind the branch, that be and Shumach
ran down the track OF the railroad to cut him on
where they thought ho would cross the track, and
that just as they reached the place they saw AIR.
Ganoy coming. He tJeff) then dropped on his
knees and said to Shumach that the hindmost
man must shoot first. Shumach took q rest on his
shoulder, and wnon Mr.. Candy came as near as
they wished, Shunlach fired, and ut the report OF
the gun AIr. Candy fell from his horse and the
horse ran of. They thought he was killed; but in
n moment or two he jumped up and ran of in the
same direction that he had come. JelI also stated
that he saw Mr.. Candy would get away, and, as he
ran faster than Shumach, he took nearer way
and headed Mr. Candy at the fodder stacks and
there sho. and wounded his dog and kept Mr.
CANDY until Shumach and Walker came up. Shu-
mach shot and killed him Immediately after he
came up. They then robbed him OF a watch, some
money, his knife, shoes, socks and coat, and that
he (Jeti) was behind the fodder stacks when Mack
Gibson rode in sight. They then fastened ont OF
sight into the swamp.
Here closed the evidence, and the case went to
the Jury JEFF was defended by three able lawyers,
appointed BY the Court. hs was found guilty. OF
murder and sentenced to be hung the first Friday
III June.
He was informed, while the jury had retired to
make up their yert.i:t, that any statement he
would make would add nothing, and he then openly
confessed, to moro than q dozen mon, that the
evidence of Bailey and Hampton was true; and he
also has confessed his guilt since his conviction,
to minister who has been visiting him in prison.
The whole proceedings of the trial were watched
by an officer of the Freedmen's Bureau, and, as
far as I know, he has not only not protested
against the verdict of the jury, but has acquiesced
in its decision.
I have no doubt that jeff was the leading
and master spirit of the gang. He had been lurk-
ing about the plantation so long that do not
doubt he had seen Mr.. Candy often; yet believe
Mr. Candy had never seen either of his assasslns
until few moments before they murdered him,
ana consequently cOulQ nave given ilo
The question then is What motive had they
for taking his ile2"
Mr.. Candy had the reputation of having large
amount of money. JEFF, no doubt, knew this, and
with his two companions waylaid him until they
killed him. in the belief that they would reap
rich harvest from his pockets.
As to Jetf's anteccdents, they are extremely bad;
and although he hadan indulgent and humane
master, he spent most of his time in the woods.
There were nine or ten men shot recently III TINS
and the adjoining communities during the SIX
months preceding the close of the war, and cir
cumstances have since como to light leading to
the belief that he was concerned in most II not all
of them and certificates to this effect can be fur
nished il necessary.
He confessed to Bailey that he shot at his old
master and Mr. Goddin, and, therefore, as all OF
the crimes were committed within the theatre OF
his exploits it is but reasonable to conclude that
he was engaged in all of them. 1t was repcrte1 4
short time before Candy was killed that Tom
Brown, colOred, who was runaway, had Deen
killed by his companions with whom he mad o
quarrel, and sunk i'll Black Creek. No one believed
thi, at the time, vet Tom has never been seen OF
heard OF since. 1t has been ascertained that jeff
Gee, Walker and Shumach were his companions,
and the last time they were seen together was near
the place where he was said to have been killed.
Toney Dargan, colored. was also killed, and cir
cumstances equally strong attach the crime to the
same gang of men, The said Toney seems to have
been valuable and trusty man: de had complain
ed of some depredations committed on the panta-
ton of the late Chancellor Dargan, and for this
offence he was dragged from his own house at
night ticd taken off and shot his body was after
wards found and identified.
1t is now, perhaps, proper for me to notice more
in detail such parts of the communications refer
red to above as relate to the case OF JEFF Gee.
Frances f. ". Harper says: "But to return to
Marion. While there visited jeff Gee. Do you
know anything of JEFF GeeT. He is young mai
under sentence of death as al accomplice IN mur
der committed by two Union soldiers, escaping
from Florence stockade. This colored man hit
those men several weeks he says that he is moi
guilty that tile man killed would be living to-day
If he had had his way the soldiers escaped, ant
this man is under sentence oIde9th, ana was le
have been executed the third Friday in July, ant
now the aior tells me he Is TO be the secon'
Friday in August.
Frances E. ". Harper seems to have consulted
no ore, or deemed il necessary to consult amy one
r. -