The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-02-17
Affray.,at Lowndesyill, }, s. j.

The Abbcville Bannc ,, Of Wcdncs
d.v last gives the following particulars
Of an affray which occurred at LownJes
vile in that district, on Thursday, the
23lh ul,.:
On Friday, 29th nlt., a Tcnncssccan.
by the name of Wrlch, who had beef.
residing for some time near Calhoun's
Mills, called on Matthew Mcdonald,
Esq, Clerk of,hc Conr, in Abbeville.
and made The following statement, to.
wit: That on the previous day at
Lowndesvlllc, as he was about to leave
II store. in which he had been buying
goods, he saw sitting upon his hose. a
Tennesseean by the name Of Briscoe
that without waiting to hear Briscoe
speak. or to see him act, he drew his
revolver, and leveling 1t at Briscoc, said
to him: by C. You are mlnr," 4"
AID shot linn through The body that, as
Briscoc attempted to ride of, he shot
him trough the arm, and that, pulling
the trigger the third time, he shot the
horse in the head aud brought him and
his rider to the ground that he would
have fired again but that his pistol would
not 60 off. He further states that while
he was shooting. Briscoe and man
named Curtis discharged four shots at
HIM (Welch) without effect. The reas-
on which he alleged for his attack on
Briscoe was that he had a warrant for
the arrest Of Briscoc for horse.seaing !;
that he had been upon his ,rack and
that he had been told that Briscoe had
said that lc intended to kill him at
sight He further stated that he be-
leved he had mortally wounded Brscoe
as he had been informed that the sur
gcons in attendance did not thnk he
could live.
In consequence of this information,
given bv himself. Squire Mcdonald fell,
it TO be h 5 duty, as a civil officer, to
Issue n warrant for the arrest Of Weich
on charge Of murder. TIL. warrant
was placed in the hands Of Sheriff Cason,
whose oath OF Office bound him to exc
cute it. The same evening, the Sheriff
accompanied by Guflin ole of the State
Constabies, undertook the arrest
Wrlch resisted, knocked the Sheriff in
Que direction: Gullin in another, and
made his escape. 1t is believed that he
vas harborcd here during The night by
n party that would be called "loyal" al
headquarters. At any rate Wclch had
said 10 Ex.Sheriff Jones that nothing
would he done with him, as he had the
Radical party to back him. He had
had warrant for the arrest Of BriScop,
but he had turned it over to the Guffins.
He was only the prosecutor IN the case.
He was not known to any civil officer
in this place as q Constable. He did
not pretend to show any authority. The
Clerk and the Sheriff attempted to dis
charge their duties as civil officers Had
they failed to make the attempt, n hue
and cry would have been again raised
at Gov SCOTS Office against the people
Of tins district, and against the officers
of the district. But what have we here :?
Read the following:
STATE OF SoUTn CAROLINA,
OFFICE OF CHIEF CoNsrADLE,
COLUMBIA, Jan. 81, 1869.
10 the mer,Vof AbdeviWe County:
SIR :--From information received at
this office. You have arrested one TWclch,
an officer who Was attempting to arrest
Brlscoe, an outlaw in your county, and
was compelled to shoot him in self
defence. will inform you hat you
| shall be hello strictly responsible for this
arrest, and I would also say II yon
would make it more practical point to
try and arrest some Of the outlaws aud
desr"radoes IN Abbcville, instead of
State officers, it would add to your
small amount of credit as SheriHof Ab.
beville County.
Respectfully,
JERRY HOLLNSHEAD.