The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-05-20
Murder Will Out"


Is saying of unknown antiquity, but
proves as true at the present day us in
the dim corridors of the past. "Thou
shalt not kill" is decree Of immutable
power, and it's violation subjects man to
tortures of violated conscience and to
the constant terrors Of retri5utve justice.
In every look he sees suspicion, in every
sound ho hears the tread of pursuit, and
in the lone night watches, his dreams are
of murder, gibbets, and death "blood for
blood" pursues him to the ends OF the
carth-he has the mark Of Cain upon him,
and, like that poor out-cast, he feels that
every mans hand is against him and
ready to slay hlm. But even if, like him,
he escape summary execution or detec-
ton, he feels, till his last hour, the unsup-
portable weight of that "mark" which
will not let the ''man Of blood" 80 down
to his grave in peace; and even tae grave
sometimes discloses the dread secrets
which the guilty wretch has, for time,
tried to hide.
We were led into these reflections by
the relation, by a legal gifted friend of
this town, of u heartless murder and its
final revelation, that took place in our
State many years ago. A man by the
name of j., of Wayne county, N.
c., sold free negro (whom ho had cheat
cd into the bcliefthat he was hiring) to q
gentleman whom we will call Brown, in
one of the adjacent districts of South
Carolina. Sometime afterwards Brown
discovered the fraud, and, Immediately
wrote to j., from whom he had
purchased him in Wayne county, that if
he paid back the money he had paid him
for the free negro he would not prosecute
him, and besides kecpit ta profound secret.
To this Mr.. j replied he would glad
Iy do so, and urged Mr.. Brown to come
for it Immediately, and closcdby assuring
him of his gratitute that hc had spared
his family the humiliation OF public dis
closure. Mr.. Brown, therefore, left his
home on horseback for Wayne county,
and, upon reaching the residence Of Mr..
-, he was kindly received and
sumptuously entertained. The money
was paid over to him, and he was prevail
ed on to spend several days with his fam
lily and enjoy the sports of the country.
After very pleasant sojourn OF week
he started for his home, in South Carolina,
with the best wishes of his host and fam
lily that he might have safe journey, and
return often to enjoy their hospitalities
Several weeks after his departure letters
were received from Mr. Browns family
making enquiry for him, and stating that
he had not returned to his homo. Search
and enquiry, however, proved fruitless; /;
Mr.. Brown never returned. Mr.. v
who had sold the free negro never appear
ed at his case afterwards; but it was
thought TO be owing to the unaccountable
and mysterious disappearance of Mr.,
Brown, who had been his guest. Years
afterwards, and otlong ago, Mr.. v,
on his death bed, urged his family and
friends not to bury him in the family
grave yard. Ho was very vehement in
this request but it was presumed to be
but vagury of his diseased brain, and
his dying wishes wcrc therefore disregar-
dcd. His remains were carried to the
family burying ground and the grave dig
ger commenced his work; but, when he
had reached certain depth, his spade
struck q solid objcct-obstructions which,
upon their removal, proved to be the
skeletons oil a man and horse, with irons
of q saddle, the iron buttons, too, upon
the skeleton were found to be the same
that Mr. Brown had worn.
Thus, even at the grave, before the
clods of the valley had shut him out for
ever from the light OF day, surrounded
by those who had met TO do honor to his
memory, without Judge or jury, these ST.
lent witnesses, his own dread of the spot.
the CHASTITY skeleton, with grinning teeth
and siyhtless eyes, the buttons, the saddle
irons. pronounced him to the judgment
of all present, hcartless fendish mur-
derer There was no appeal from this de-
cson. The cause of the murdered vic
tim. whose blood had so long "cried from
the ground" was urged in silence, but sur
passing in point and pungcncy, the thnn-
ders of convincing cloquence. No Judge
gave Il charge, but the jury-every eye,
and hcart-pronounced his doom, and
consigned his body, unhonorcd, to the
crave he had once dug, while his soul
stood trembling at the bar OF Him who
said 'vcngcancc is mine"
Ola truth, "murder will out !'-1Vades
borO' Argus.
WHITTIER DRIFTING The New York
Journal of Commerce is thoughtful and
fearful of the changes through which the