The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-10

Lacoste, foreman, also a.gold pen and pencil
to Mr.. s. Webb, treasurer, for faithful dis
charge of duty. The flagstaff is four feet in
length, eag3a-astfe top, the flag made of blue
silk, and white silk border; the words 'Our
JIM are worked with white floss, with two
streamers attached, with the motto, 'sWe are
Ready" in gilt letters. The pencil has the
letters 'so. q. and L. No. q, to 8. Webb" Tho
testimonial was quite surprise to both thu
recipients. Brief remarks we're delivered suit
able to the occasion. 80 10
TIE MURDER OF j. FRASER MATTHEwEsS JR,,
NEAR BEAUFoRT-A FULL AND AUTHENTIC Ao-
oouNr.-We have been enabled to obtain the
following additional particulars regarding the
atrocious murder Of Mr.. J. Fraser Matthewef,
r.:
The plantation owned by Mr.. Desauesure
has not been planted since the war, and hiss
been the harboring place Of all the vsgabond
negroes in the neighborhood. Several mules u
and other stock have been recently stolen from
the adjoining plantations, and in nearly every
instance the theft has been traced to the ne
eroes on the DeSaussure place. Some weelis
since, Captain Matthewes, the brother Of the
deceased, lost some stock, and found them in
the possession Of Peter Holmes, one Of the
leaders of the same gang. The mules of the
place on which Captain Matthewes was plant
ing had been missing again for some days, and
complaint was made to Mr.. John A Porte,s,
the magistrate Of that section. MIR. Porteus
gave MIR. Mstthewes warrant to search for
his property, and also. authorized his brother,
T. Fraser Matthewes, Mr.. Harmon Van Ness,
and four negroes, to act as special oonstablss,
and to bring in the delinquents "dead or alive"
On the morning Of the 4th, about daylight,
Mr.. Fraser Matthewes, Mr.. Van Ness and the
four colored men went to the DeSaussure place
and knocked at the door OF Peter Holmes
cabin. They heard a movement inside, and
also heard the cooking of gun. MIR. Van
Ness called out that they were officers OF che
law, and summoned the inmates to surrender.
In the meantime, the negroes on the pla1ta--
tion, some sixty in number, commenced to as
senible, headed by Scipio Singleton, an old
driver, who was their acknowledged leader.
The negroes were all armed with axes, clubs,
hoes, and other weapons, and Scipio declared
that no white man should come on that place
20 make an arrest and leave it alive. Scipio
and Peter Holmes had frequently urged upon
the negroes the necessity Of preserving their
"so-called" rights, and it had been agreed
upon to resist all attempts made to arrest any
Of the gang. Peter Holmes had just peen re-
leased from confinement, under sentence OF
the Provost Court. and he was extremely nm
dictiye against the white men who had caused
his arrest.
When Mr.. Matthewes and the posse saw the
gathering they fell back and called on them to
keep the peace, but three Of the .colored con-
stables rim, and while some Of the plantation
hands pursued, the party became scattered.
Mr.. Matthewes seeing Peter Holmes pursuing
one of the posse named Smart Polite, called on
him to stop. This was not needed and as Pc
ter was armed with club MIR. Matthewes fired
in the ground to intimidate him. The shot
erazed the leg Of Peter and rendered hira in
furiate; he turned upon Mr.. Matthewes and with
the assistance OF two other negroes who came
up wrested the gun from his hand, Mr.. Matth-
ewes retrented few steps saying 81 am unarm-
ed. don't shoot" "but the incarnste fiend took
deliberate aim and lodged the entire load in
Mr.. Matthewes' head behind the ear. He in
stantly fell, and the gang somewhat alarm % at
the result separated. Billy Middleton, the only
colored man on the posse who stood his ground,
was present and saw the murder, but Mr. V1n
Ness vas at some distance looking for thu sto-
len mules, and did not know OF Mr.. Matthewes'
death until his return. He then (being very
near sighted) stumbled over the body and said
"we must not let this man lie here" thinking it
was one of the gang Who had been shot. To his
horror he found that it was Fraser Mattlewes
who had barely strength to look at him before
he expired. While Mr. Van Ness was supp orting
the dead body, Peter Holmes came up tVlrlng
the gun which he had taken, and with savage
plee said, 'I shot him apd would as soon shoot
damned rebel as dog" BE also Threatened
to shoot Mr. Van Ness if he did not leave the
place. Peter Holmes was noticed both BY Mr..
Van Ness and Billy Middleton, the latter (as
an eye witness) swearing to the unprovoked
murder.
MIR. Van Ness sent to the next plantation for
cart and supported the body until it arrived,
at which time it was taken to his brothers
place and subsequently buried in Beaufort.
The murder has created an intense excite
ment not only among the whites but the
colored employees on neighboring plantations
who are urgent in their desire to bring the
murderers to justice. The gang on the De
Ssussure place has long beeh terrca to the
neighboring planters, many of whom have sub
mitted to their depredations, because 1t wai
feared that if tried in the Provost Court only
few weeks imprisonment would be inflicted OF
the offenders, and who, when released, woule
renew their depredations with tenfold force
Scipio Singleton and Peter Holmes were tn
leaders Of the gang. They had frequently threat
enod the life Of any white man who should com
on the place, and had 80 trained the otne
negroes that they were ready to engage IN an
outrage their leaders might direct.
After the murder the occurrence was re
ported to MIR. Porteus, magistrate, and war
rant issued for the arrest of the guilty parties