The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-03-04
HOYT & CO., Proprietors

ABOUT IOuf nuHQreQ vi lhCiIi, "i' '"'o.' "
Abbevillc County, and who would have
voted the Republican ticket In far
election the Republican ticket would have
q majority of twelve to fifteen hundred
in A6bevillc County. The official return
made the Democratic majority l9zV.
There was clear understanding that the
Democrats would force the Republicans
from the polls if they undertook to vote,
force them by arms. We were all well
armed and intended, if they rushed in,
we would rush them back. shooting INTO
them. 1t was not safe for Republican
speakers to canvass the county. The
general understanding was that they
were to be shot. killed, stopped. lie
knew of four that were shot; one got
over it; three were killed. Several 9TH
crs were shot and wounded, but he does
not know the persons. They were killed
because of the influence they had IN The
Republican party. The killed were James
Martin, member of the Legislature
from Abbcvillc, B. F. Randolph, and an-
other man at Whitehall on the day OF
election. Randolph was killed at Hodges
Depot on the 10Th of October, about two
o'clock in the afternoon. lie (Iolbert)
was present was known and recognized
by the citizens living at Hodges Depot,
and talked with half dozen of them
Flctch Hodges, Langdon Conner, Jim
Cochran.
Q.-State how you happened to be at
Hodges Depot the day Randolph was
killed
Al heard he was gong TO make a
speech there, and went up TO hear IT,
When | got there, they told me he was
not going to speak there, that he had
gone up to Abbeville Cour House, and
was going to Anderson that night on the
afternoon train. Joshua Logan and j..
W. Tobert came to the depot with me-
Both were well known at lodges Depot
When we arrived there, we found Il
crowd OF men, some eight or ten, besides
our number. We commenced talking
about Randolph that he had threatened
TO Colonel Aiken to burn up the State !;
that he could do it in three words, and
that we must kill him. Langdon Conner
and Fletch. Hodges spoke to us, after we
came up-we all were armed, mean at
Hodges Depot. They put up target,
and we all shot off our pistols at it. We
did it to reload our pistols, so as to be
sure they would fire, being freshly loal-
ed. They put it OIL Logan, Tolbert and
myself, to do the shooting, saying that as
we did not live there, the negroes would
not know us. Ii amy more shooting was
to Lc done, they would do it. That If
Randolph's guard fired on us. they would
fire on them When the train came in,
I,anrcon Conner went To the conductor.
and asked him if Randolph was on board
and he came back aud said he WAS on the
train. The train ran up to the side OF
the platform. Randolph was sitting by
the door of the car. The rest all went
to the upper end Of the platform, and got
on the platform. l went to the lower
end. Just ut this time, the Grccnvlilc
train ran up Randolph Immediately
changed cars, and walked back into the
last passenger car, and took his seat.
James Cochran stepped up 10 me at that
time, and says: "Bill, you fellows ought
to havo been DISCUS scd." said: Jim,
what do you think of it, anyhow Z" lie
says: "He ought to be killed, and now
is the time to do it, right now Fletch.
Hodges came up with roll of money in
his hand and says, Gas soon as you do it,,
we give you this, and we will back You (;
if there is any more shooting we will DO
it." BY this time Randolph had got off
his seat and walked out Oh the platform
of the car. John Brooks came up with
his pistol in his hand, and he says: Now
is your time; here he stands on the plat
form )" and he pointed him out to me-
Logan, Tolbcrt, and myself done the
shooting. We all three shot him, and he
was killed dead. Langdon Conner told
me to 90 on, they wonld do the balance.
He had his pistol in his hand. We got
on our horses and rode of. No person
attempted to arrest us. We went to
Aleck Ellis, about two and half miles
off. He was not at home We wanted
to sec him on business. He was at Cokes-
bury. Logan and Tolbert went to Coies-
bury to see him, and found him there in
Democratic meeting They came back
to Aleck Ellis with him. They told me
that Randolph's name WAS brought up in
the Democratic meeting, as to what they
should do with him. Some said, Cut
him up and feed him to the dogs 9th
ers said, "they would box him Up, and
express him TO Governor Scott as q pres
ent." Ellis knew that he was killed, and
killed by us, and that some of the men,
bcrs of the Democratic Club saw it done;
saw Randolph killed. [Witness was here
warned by the respondents counsel, Jo-
scph D. Pope, Esq, to speak only from
his own knowledge, to which Tolbert
replied: " l speak from my own knowl
edyc."l The members of The Democratic
Club that | remember as being present
wore james Cochran, Langdon Conner
and Fletcher Hodges. They advised me
to shoot Randolph, to kill him, and they