The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-03-03
[For tho Herald |

MR. tEDlTon,--Ih have just received from
my sister IN Dyer Co., Tennessee, tito fol-
lowing account Of an horrible affair, ut
Dycrsb"rg, ahicT may DO Of iptorost to
some, Of: your readers: b# az
About the fret Of tho month three of1ur
citizens, James Exams, Bud Evans and Giles
Moody, were bcipg triod ut Dyersbnrg,
charged with horso.slcaIing. 1t was cup.
posed that they belonged to regularly or
ganized bnnd of horse thieves aud out laws,
that have for some timo been q terror to
this section. Up to Friday night tho. trial
had not been concluded, and tho prisoners
were rcn'andcd to jul! under the caro- OF
Sheriff Shaw ad a guard Of seven men.
About one O'Clock o1'Saturday morning tho
Jail was quietly surrounded by body Of
Que hundred md fifty armed men, disguised
aud commanded BY three officers. One
horseback, the others on foot, all uui-
formed in blck, trimmed with white, each
man having broad white bnnd around his
Imt. Their appearance ut the Jail was sud.
den, and the Sheriff saw at glance that it
would be folly to resist. lie and his guard
surrendered, were politely relieved Of their
arms, "nd they and the Jail keeper were
pluccd under guard in front Of the mid
night cavalcadc. The prisoners were taken
from the jail, one at time, with their ur,ns
tied at their back with n long white rope
which troifcd on the ground. They were
pl"ccd beside the Sheriff nnd his guurd, md
all were marched in front Of the men, who
hnd taken upon themselves tho fearful ro
sponsibiliIy Of booming three unfortunatcs
TO an awful and violent death. The whole
band moved with death like silence through
the streets, until they reached the bridge
which spnns the Forkrd.dcer river ut the
foot Of the street. On tho bridge they
halted, aud Cnve the prisoners time TO offer
up prrl'ups their first and lust prayer.
Here the poor wrctchcs prayed, we hope as
pcnitcnts, looked for the lust time upon
the familiar scenes ol that beautiful spot,
and upon the full orbcd moon, sand star
jcwcled heavens. Their prayers were brief
Fight men to cuch prisoner we're detailed
from tho company, MS scxccutiorrrs. Moody
WAS taken to the little raviue near l'c
saw mill, james Evans Al tho mouth Of
the bridge, and Bud Evans ut the foot Of
the street. Death like silence prevailed
until the signal WIS quietly given, the de-
tnrhmrnts fired, and two OF the prisoners
fell dead, the other wns wounded and ran
nltcring most hrnrtrcnding shricks. He
wns pursued mud shot in front Of Alfred
Slrphch's residence. Tie Sheriff and his
guards were now released, and the masked
horsrmcn who had performed their dread.
lul work with such remarkable GOODNESS,
marched of with the utmost regularity an,i
military precision, not one Of them icing
recognized.
Brownlow, our Governor, hns promised Il
commission, our County sent to Nashville to
give The authorities asst rance tllut we did
not approve nor sanction such disorder, thul
he will send no militia into our County, pro-
vitlrd we can take chre Of ourselves, and
will behave ourselves. The commission as
snred him tlInt We nre fully nile to take
c"'c Of ourselves, aud u 1T We viii ">u cur
best endcavors TO keep good order, witch
he said was all he asked.
F. G. 7.