The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-07-31
Political Riot in Barnweii County


tinel We get the following account of
riot that took place at township in
Barnwell known as "Upper Three
Runs, about twenty-five miles from Au-
gusta
In this township an election for off,
GERS was ordered to be held on last
Thursday, the 18th inst, the day on
which the difficulty occurred.
TIE ELECTION.
The township was, of course, in
habited by two parties, Radicals and
Democrats, and each faction had its can
didates in the field. The principal off,
Ger to be elected was Township Clerk,
and for this position the Democrats were
running very respectable gentleman
named John S. Green while the candi-
date of the negroes was a ihau named
Pickens Woodward, the son of we'll
to-do merchant, who, we understand.
has always stood welfsin the county, but
who, being very popular with the ne
groes, suffered his name to be used on
the Radical ticket The election took
place on Thursday morning, and was
held at Nat. Greene's store OF course.
as the negroes had large numerical
majority, they carried the township and
elected their candidate, while Greene
was defeated. There were present at
the election, besides other white men,
the Democratic candidate, John Greene,
his son, Frank Greene, his son-in-law,
John Holland, james Tyler, Wyatt Ty-
Ter, and three or four others of the same
name, Pickens Woodward, the Radical
candidate, n. =. Woodward, his broth
er, and w. j. Woodward, his father.
| HOW THE RIOT COMMENCED
After the election was over, and it
was known what party had been SUCCESS
tul, crowd of the white men were
standing around the store discussing it
in which crowd were the parties above
mentioned. At length one of the Ty-
lers, an ardent Democrat, remarked, that
while he hated very badly his party being
defeated by the negroes, still he attached
no blame to the latter for what they had
DONE but the men he did blame were the
Odd white scalawags who ran on
the negro ticket" AT this remark q.
p. Woodward stepped up to the speaker
and said his brothers. name was on that
ticket; that lie WAS no scalaway, and
Tyler must withdraw the offensive epi-
thct The latter declined to make the
required rctraction and an alteration
between the parties onsucd, while their
respective friends gathered around.
THE MELEE COMMENCES.
While the quarrel was progressing be-
tween Tyler and A. p. Woodward, but
before blows had passed, the Radical
candidate stepped into the crowd with a
drawn revolver in his hand to take his
brothers part. AS soon us this was OBJ
served, John Greene, the Democratic
candidate, fell upon Woodward and
Knocked the pistol from his hand. AT
the same instant A. p Woodward
turned from Tyler, drew his revolver and
shot John Greene, killing him almost in
stantly. Here John Holland drew his
pistol to defend his father-in law, but
before he could fire, Woodward shot
him inhinctng mortal wound.
a SCENE OF CARNAGE.
The melee here became general, and
of it it is impossible to give any detailed
description. The negroes retreated from
the precinct as soon AS the firing com
mchccl and the field was left to the
Tylers, Hollands, Grecncs and Wnod
wards. AS fast as the combatants EN-,
tied their pistols the useless weapons
were thrown aside and the knife was
drawn and freely used by both parties.
We learn that as John Holland lay dy-
ing on the ground, with the balls whist
ling around him, and the parties dealing
murdcrous stabs over him, he managed
to cock and aim his revolver and shot A.
p. Woodward twice, one of the balls
penetrating his back, the other taking
effect in his kidneys-the latter wound,
1t is believed, being mortal. Frank
Greene was also shot aud severely
wounded and stabbed with knife. JAS
| Tvlnr Muntt rrlnr nnd tmn on 4h.a1