Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-29
The Loyal Lsaguers at Work.

One of the most brutal and savage
murders ever recorded occurred on We'd
nesday last in Barnwell district, South
Carolina, which shows that the seed Of
Radicalism, so thickly sown in that State,
is bearing fruit with vengeance. We
are indebted to a gentleman from that
locality for the particulars of the horrible
tragedy.
1t appears that on the day mentioned,
the overseer on the plantation of William
j. Lawtou, ESQ.,, Ia cousin of Gen. Law
ton, of this city, near Allandale, Barn
we'll District, South Carolina, told one Of
the field hands to 20 to work and COM
mence plowing. To this the negro OBJ
jected, and difficulty ensued, and the
wife of the negro came up, and by her
violent language further increased bis
ire, and he raised heavy hoe that he
had in his hand, and attempted to strike
the ovorseer on the head, but he managed
to evade the blow. The negro then at
tempted to strike second blow, but the
overseer drew pistol and shot him in
the face, inflicting slight wound. He
then retired to his house, and for about
half an hour all remained quiet.
The negro, meanwhile, had been among
his fellows, melting them TO violence,
and soon a crowd of them assembled
around the overseer's house. Nearly
all the negroes on the plantation were in
the assembly, and the overseer seeing
that his life was in danger, jumped out
of a window and ran. Shots were fired
after him, ene of which wounded him.
He still continued to run, however, thus
wounded and bleeding, and pursued by
the savage crowd of brutes, now inflamed
to perfect fury. After chase of about
mile, the overseer reached the house
of Mrs. Mallon, whose husband was
absent at the time. He implored her to
take him in and shelter him from the
yelling pursuers, who were seeking his
life, which she did most willingly. Then
she took her stand outside the door, and
for more than an hour held the murderers
at bay, resisting all their efforts to effect
an entrance, and refusing to accede to
their demand to give up their victim,
They strove to get her away, but she
struggled nobly, heroically maintaining
her position, and receiving many bruises
at their hands. HTa bT
Finding that they could not intimidate
this courageous lady, the foremost of
them broke in the window of the house,
and they were quickly followed by others,
and the wounded man inside soon fell q
victim to their savage fury. Shots we're
fred at him, and eleven buckshot en-
tered his breast. While he lay upon the
floor in the agonies of death, negro
women came up and beat him with
sticks, and some of the worst among
them declared that they would not leave
without a piece of his flesh to carry
home with them.
A more brutal or diabolical murder has
perhaps never been committed, and those
who perpetrated the bloody deed, while
in the act of executing their horrid pur
pose, acted more like demons let loose
from Pandemonium than anything in
the semblance of humanity. While en-
gagged in their rmurderous work they were
frequently heard to cry out that the
Radicals would protect them-thus show
ing that the responsibility for the terrible
death of this poor man rests with those
who have scattered broadcast throughout
Tue oOuLn tne seeus Vi oioousheV anu
disorder. eE a Hft eo4"
We clip the following details of this
brutal murder Of worthy young gentle
man we'll known in Mcnroe county from
the last Forsyth Advertiser
We regret to learn that our former
townsnsp, Mr. James Martin, was
brutaliy murdered by negroes near AL
leudale, South Carolina, last Wednesday.
He had an alteration with negroywho
attempted to kill him with hoe, when
Mr.. Martin shot him in the face. A mob
Of negroes collected around his house,
from which he fed to neighbor's, the
negroes following and firing upon him.
They broke into the house, shot him
down, and mangled his body in a most
shocking manner with axes and clubs"