The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-19
TRAGEDY IN BARNRELL.


xove the blossoms OF the spring.
TRAGEDY IN BARNWELL.
.s'Several Citizens" write to the Barnwell Sent
mel from Allendale, S. c., under Date Of the 12t
instsut, as follows:
"A lamentable tragedy has occurred in an &C
5oining neighborhood, resulting in the KILN
ofa worthy but misguided freedman. We d
not wish 10 trench upon the prerogatlves OF
court of justice, nor to unjustly forestall publ
opinion, but feel that it is due the public t
give succinct history OF the affair.
lit is proper to premise. that the appointment
As magistrate, by Governor Scott, OF Jullu
Mayer, mulatto, and youth scarcely attained
to mans estate. ignorant Of photography as O
hw,. and as deficient In discretion as manly in
dependence, was regarded by our people rs al
unfortunate step Of the Governors toward
that promised "peace." Now to the facts. Ol
the forenoon of Friday, the 9th instant, younI
man (white,l not ia citizen Of this section o
county, suddenly appeared at the residence o
MIR. B. G. Ashe, and began search for ont
Clarence Brown, (mulstto) o cousin OF the
aforesaid magistrate. He found Clarence
locked up in small store house; pistol iI
hand, he compelled negro to force the doc;
shutter, and on entering, found that Clarence
had escaped through loose board o.. the floor,
Hhereupon the desperate young man after some
threats, left the place. Now, certainly, here was
aplaiR violation Of the peace,a as well as glaring
trespass upon another's property. We scorn
his grievance be what it may, it is none Of
ours, OF OF the public, and if he chose to break
the peace in vindication OF private injury,
real or supposed, it was his own affair; clearly
he was liable to arrest, and as clearly deserved
punishment, but we apprehend every con-
ny,n IN
arrest was matter calling for much caution,
both on the part Of the magistrate and con-
stable. Let us see how 1t was conducted.
Clarence Brown, living on the same place,
makes affidavit; julius, at the same place,
issues q warrant to George Ashe (mulatto,)
on the place, and the magistrate, with posse
OF ten or twenty persons, and ha.f as many
guns, all collected from the ssrle plantation,
or OF tnose cieesse adjoining, and within, perhaps,
the violator of the law, who, in company
with two brothers. were found at the house
Of M. John A. Best. Approaching the first
front gate, more than two hundred yards from
the dwelling, halt was called; George Ashe
had either Jagged behind, or his nerves had
become unsteady If there, he declined to face
the music, and o much better man, Elias Flow,
black, with John Ashe tblack) to assist, were
substituted for the falterlng George. These
two men, Elias with gun, John unarmed, ap.
preached about half way to the house, the bal
anie OF the posse eoneeaing themselves in the
,nsnea .aey caned c. bsckonea 49, II ey tney
wanted to speak to some one, and the se Nv.
brothers, who were sitting in the piazza, WALK,
ed out and met them: AS to who aio
NJ did not shoot nr1v We lea!e y
inry to decide, upon testimony somewhat
conflicting it is no business o! QUITE, NO
are dealing with facts. su'uce u 10 ohats say
Elias Flowers received two pistol Shots,
either one Of which would probably nave pro-
duced immediate death-and one OF the broth
ers was seriously wounded by Elias fIowers
with shot gun As soon as the shooting oc-
CURED, the magistrate and posse came up,
some shouting and swearing vengeance, Wnue
the shree young men retreated INTO the mouse,
whera. from the signs seen Afterwards, some
hssty. efforts to staurch blood we're made.
In the meantime the negroes employed them
selves in taking aim at the house, to the great
alarm Of Mrs. Best, who, it is said, swooned
twice, during her efforts to get to nelghbors
house.
Three citizens, not living in the immediate
netghborhood, happening 70 pass near ,,nJar ch1
who. going for assistance. These gentlemen
turned him back, and unarmed went rapidly TO
the scene. There they found the dead BODY,
and two negroes belonging to the place, Wlsn
two neighborlng young men lwMte,l neatlns
whole family was threatened win msssaeie,
came. guns in hand, to the rescue; with tnese
eYeeptions. not q man, woman or child, OF
either color, were to be found. One OF these
eentlemen remained at the place while the
others we 1t in search of the armed posse,
which they soon found, or a part OF u
at least. about three-eighths OF 3 mile
distant, crouching, half concealed, Dy
broom-sedge, with gune Ieveled t them.
oifietly riding up, one of the gentlemen asked,
sif they thought they could scare any one;'
whereupon the negroes assuming pacific attl-
tnle. began converse alton in justification oil
themselves. These same gentlemen then went
in search Of the magistrate, found him at
home, surrounded by noisy gang OF negroes
thing" the valorous George being the most
claInorous. julius was somewhat at loss
what that something should be-a storm hao
been created he could not quell-the leader
Was being led. In his extremity, he issued the
following ukase, which We leave with the puollc
to decide as to its incendiary tendency:
ssWhereas, citizen has been Killed IN tne
lawful discharge Of his duty. Therefore, l, Ju
ius Mayer, by virtue of the power vested IN
me, do hereby order and command all gooa
citizens to be and appear at the residence OF
MIR. R. c. Ashe, within twelve hours: Fail not,
under the heaviest penalties ofthe law,
The above is truthful rendering OF the sub
stance OF the document, mace oy tnose muo
heard it read; much OF 1t Is verbatim, ana the
correctness Of the substance can be packed Dy
the affidavits of several Of as truthful gentle-
men as the country can afford. A negro
mounted upon mule rode from plantation 10
plantation summoning negroes with this man
date. But the efforts Of the three gentlemen,
two in r1ding through the neighborhood and
one remaining at the place, talking to the
armed squads as they arrived, until after
niehtfall, fortunately had the effect ofweaken-
ing the force Cf this authoritative summons
Nothing occurred through the night; small
srathering took place next morning at the resi-
aepce of r. C. Ashe, and the magistrate wen
from there to the scene OF boodshed to hoie
an inoueet with gang OF negroes OF all colort
and sizes. in which eighteen guns were counted
hy an observer. Tho inquest passed quietly
one-balf the Jury representing each race. =.
The writer's of thus do not know what part
cn1ar motive actuated the young men in max
mo This bloody resistance to the warrant o
ihe newly made magistrate; whether mace wit
view TO avoid legal punishment, or to kee
ont of the clutches OF clan VINO coulo nc,
they feared, be controlled or preventea noI
violence, after arrest, we cannot say; many s,l
omr best citizens, we think, will incline 10 ID
onlnIon that the latter was the SAFEST morn
the dilemma. oErEhAh 01iiA--'0'
TT Right Reverend James Duggsn. Gatl
ol;c Bishop of Chicago, is afflicted Wlth
mental arrangement, or, In other WoIus, ns u
hac,me insane. He labors under the deiuslo
tbat everything he does is wrong. On ordlnar
SN,. o,t;relv rational. but the m(