The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-16
An OUTRAGE.
sushwhaelsing a revenue omcer.

Mr.. A. P. Turner, one ofthe revenue officers
for the Third District, is in Columbia claiming
protection against band Of armed men who
bushvhacked him and drove him from his home.
II his statements are true he has been shanc!ully
treated, and should have Gil the redress that the
law can give him. The following is Mr.. Turner's
report to Governor Scott:
TO hts ErcelIencv, Governor Scott:
SIR desire to make the following repor: IN
relation TO outrages committed upon me and nv
family at my house 10 Spartsnburg County, 8. c.:
On Tuesday night, the 7th instant, acting untlef
authority given by A. S. Wallace, conect0r oI III.
ternal revenue for the Third District seized and
carried to my house two Stills, whlcn hau Deeii
used in violation OF Internal revenue laws. One
was said TO be the property OF Jonas ScruEgs and
being used by Daniel Scruggs. The other was
said to be the property Of George burnett anu was
being used by him. On Wednesday morning. the
Sth instant, was preparing to take the Stills on
wagon, to the courthouse, when neighbor and
friend came to me and advised nae not TO attempt
TO 90, and told me that posse OF men mad camp
ed near nv house the night previous and were
then living on the road in wait for me, and had
threatened in hi5 presence 10 XIII me. tnen TOOK
the stills or my wagon ana put thein In my
dwelling house. waited about TWO hours, When
observed q crowd OF about ten or twelve men,
as well as could see through the trees They
were about fifty yards from the house, and
were stepping into the road frequently anu look
ing toward the house. In about an hour young
man. Jack Burke, came to the gate armed with
double barreiled shot gun. met him at the gate
with a pistol, five-shooter, III my hanu. ne
fBurke) asked me why had :! pistol drawn. l IN,
| formed him that had been told that party ol
men were near ut hand who had threatened to
sifIme, he replied that he would not hurt me-
that he was going to Mr.. Potters lie then pass Ell
on; the balance Of the crowd approached grain,
| ally nearer the house TO within one hundred
Yards. ] saw them loading tlietr guns and pre-
pairing to fire. ! stepped TO my open door anu
called to them and said / was Only one man alone
and had done nothing contrary to tile laws VI my
country, but had only acted as an 0nlcer OF tIit
Jnited States aud If you intend 10 kill me for doing
my duty, come on and do II like brave men and
give me fair showing; bat FOR God's SAKE
don't busnwhack me. They came up 70 muh
IN about thirty yards OF me when halted them
and told them they could not come any nearer
They then drew their guns TO fire upon me and
fired at them. They then ran and got behind
trees AMI fired on me. thinR tncy Hreu wv
rounds each. / stood in my door and nreu loll
times, and stepped in the back rorm 10 reioad. A.
Iwent picked up my little infant daughter, WIG
could hardly walk, and handed her out into tR(
back yard to my wife and children. and told then
TO leave The crowd retreated 10 ABOUT one nun
dred and fifty yards from the housc and reloaded
Others came to them atthat time. had broker
the rammer to my pistol In attempting 10 reload
and found could not further delena myseii:
had nv horse Saddled, and rode OH, keeping lhe
house between them and me, and arrived at tht
courthouse without further trouble. / know al
the men who came up near the house. Andrew
McHelyey seemed to DO the leader OF tile party
He gave the order TO flre. and, think, fired nrS
| himself. Afford Burke Matthew Burke, who hnt
retained George Burnett, - Burnett. ant
Thomas Llnder, were their names. think Fran
els Lamb, Abraham Potter and Calvin Parrl:
were in the crowd, but did not come up 20 tnt
house. A great many shots were fired tiG
struck the house. ] counted sixteen shothoIcs
In my cupboard door; great many SHOTS Wer,
| In the check OF the door near wflan STOOD. hy
little daughter, six years old, was cut acros:
| the point OF her left shoulder by rifle ball
and seven children were In the house wbel
| the firing commenced, but they ran into th'
| the back yard and made their escape. Wh'r
| halted the party near my house the,
never replied to me, but prepared to fire. After
| hal gone am informed by my family that An
| drew McKelvey came and pushed open the doo'
| OF my dwelling, and said To nv wife they hit
| come after the two stills TINT had taken th
| night before; and thGt hnd tnKen iair shot u
him, aud he intended To have one at me. Th
| stills were then in my smokchousc and locked up
| In q short time about thirty men came armed
with guus and looked into the house ami de
mauded the stills. McKclvey then took an AK
| and broke open the door Of the snokehousc. Gnt
| took out the stills and carried them away. | go
| warrants at the courthouse against the men "
were in the party The sheriff, assisted ny con
stable, the county auditor, Fleming, and reVenu
assessor Baukhart, arrested three OF the pafi.
and carried them to Jail. Some OF them wer
armed. NsKelvey, Peter and Under were IN
parties arrested. The balance are still in arm
| and are guarding the stills.
iSi0ned) A. P. TURNER.