Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-08-27
Spirit of the South.

ku hluX OutraSeS III Tue o0uth
are becoming SO common as to be re-
ported in almost every paper, that
reaches us. The old barbarism,
that, in the days of slavery, upheld
the duel, made street fights common,
and ostracised all, who. attempted
free thought and speech is, by ne
means, dead. Not even the terrible
lessons of the war have destroyed
this spirit. The Ku Klux Khan is
the legitimate offspring of it, and is
attempting by organized effort to re-
establish the old reign of terror in
the South. This secret organization
is in existence throughout the South
ern States. Its fiendish outrages
aud murders are becoming bolder
and more frequent every day. A
few instances of their work within q
month, will show the estate into which
Southern society is plunging. 1
From July 1st to August 4th in
Louisiana nineteen murders were
committed by Its members without
provocation, and under circun-
stances of peculiar barbsrity. Six
of the victims were white, aud the
rest colored, their only crime being
their loyalty. Eleven more were
shot, but escaped with their lives.
In Franklin Parish in the same State,
the negroes are fleeing from their
homes to escape persecution. In
none of these instances have the
murderers been punished. In Ten
nessee, the chapter of horrors for
one week include the brutal whipping
of an aged clergyman, the murder of
a freedman, and the shooting down
in cold blood of woman. Within
the past week the. country has been
shocked by the terrible murder of
Bierfeld, and his negro clerk. at
Franklin, Tenn, the only offence
being the employment of the muir
dered negro as a clerk. This out
rage was one of such peculiar hor-
ror, that we give the following &C
count OF it from the Cincinnati Ga
gette. ! 5.. g.. ..q -a.g..ft
Some twenty five or thirty of the
murderers came into the town, while
the main body, variously reported at
from 200 to 400 strong, is said to
have remained within supporting dis
tance outside. The name of the
white man killed was S. A. Bierfield. |
He was q young man, and kept
store in the town. Although an ear
nest Union man, he was quite an in
offensive gentleman. or all the per
sons who knew him, / have not as
yet heard one say aught against him.
He was quietly sleeping in his store
on Saturday night. His clerk, who
was colored man named Lawrence
Bowman, sleeping also in the store.
Rokinson's Circus was at Franklin
that day. The evening performances
had been for some time ever. A
number of people were still in town
when the masked horsemen came
dashing in. They fired number of
shots, indiscriminately driving every
body in doors. They then went to
Bierields store and knocked at the
back door. He asked who was there.
They replied, friends" He told
them to go to the front door and went
to it himself and opened it. They
Immediately rushed in, and secured
Bowman, while Bierfield ran of, fred
at and wounded ss he ran. By the
blood they tracked him to an adjoin-
ing stable, dragged him ont, placed a
rope round him, and put him on
horseback. He, however, struggled
10 the ground, and piteously begged
to be permitted to see his mother be-
fore they killed HIM. The reply was:
'sDamn your mother. You shall die
now.''a Several shots were then fired
into his body, which, as those who
iafterward saw it say, was literally
shot to pieces, He died at once,
Bowman was then brought, out and
shot, and the assassins took their
departure, Bowman. was ,mortaIly
wounded, but dragged himself to
graveyard, and died during the
nightT "irsf1r4sTa;j ;;,,,
Both murdered men called loudly
for assistance before they were shot,
but no one came to their aid.
But, besides the long list of hor-
rors with which the papers are teem-
ing, We have seen private letter to
one of our citizens, which shows the
lawless state of affairs that exists
even in portions of West Virginia.
1t was written by a firm Union man,
OF Fayette county, W. Va, who lived
in this vicinity for some time during
the war. Previous letters from him
have stated that Union men, would
probably be driven from their homes
We publish the following extract
from the letter - sF sa3ss ;as.s..ll
y.12e1 s59% August 1 9th, 1868. y 1
:" 80 "a 90 4a@ The rebels sayd
that thew will vote this fail or die at i
the ballot box, think there is
smother hight on hand, and a big one, II
unless there is something done soon. +,
The Ku Klttx broke up Northern 4
Methodist meeting in Montgomery Z
county, West Va, and wounded two ,
ministers in doing so. The rebels
are going to carry the election, as ,
they constitute two thirds of the peo- (
pie. We have the Ku Kluxhere too
Some of the Union mems stock is II
dying off very suddenly, and suspi- |