The weekly standard., 1869-10-06

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guarantee Of good faith. EDIToR or
| STANDARD. '5 '''i =
| ni For the Standard.
Affairs in Rockingham County.
Mr.. EDITOR: In the Raleigh Sentinel o.
September 22d, there was an article, written
/ by its editor from Reidsvyille, which contain
ed so many Misrepresentation not to say
knowingly false statments, that justice calls
for true statement of facts. At,
+ will notice first the. recent trial of Mr.
Zach Groom, Chairman Of the Board o1
: COMMISSIONER for attempting to incite
three negroes to- burn several houses and
commit depredations on stock. s,s4,
I On Sunday, the 18th of this month, Dr. j,
H. Simpson met, as he was going to church
negro by the name of Lewis Watt, who
stopped the Doctor, and told him that Zach
Groom had been trying to hire his Oewis's)
boys to burn the houses of Gen. Simpson
DR.. Simpson, and ]. w. Thompson, and XII
their horses Upon this information, cor;
roborated by Alex and Julius, sons of Lewis
Watt, Richard Ray issued warrant, and
Mr.. Groom was arrested the same day al
church. N4A ~. L-s 7'9f o.
The trial was to have taken place at Reids
vile, before. Mr., Ray, at 8 O'clock on Tues
day after the arrest When the prosecutors
made their appearance, Mr.. j. w. Thomp
son, who appeared to be highly delightedai
the prospect of bringing a Republican office
the case tried before Mr.. Ray, and put OF
airs sufficient to have been committed fol
contempt, because Mr.. Ray said, when hi
issued the warrant, unless the testimony wa!
stronger than what he had heard, he woulf
not bind Mr.. Groom to court WheFeupon
Mr.. Ray consented for Mr. James Starritt to
to hear the case. .t-., .,sg --r
The trial ended Thursday at one o'clock
The prosecutors put forth every effort to es
tablish the guilt of Mr.. Groom, and hav,
him bound to court. When put upon tn,
stand, Lewis Watt and his two sons testified
that Mr.. Groom had not attempted to hir,
or incite them to burn the houses of til,
gentlemen aforesaid; neither had he told
them to kill their horses. d, ......-,. a.
These three witnesses were expected tt
fasten guilt upon Mr.. Groom beyond 1
doubt, and their testimony being in his (AIr
Grooms favor, threw such bomb shell intt
the camp of the prosecutors, that they dis
missed the case each party paying his owl
cost. The following paper was given II
Mr.. Groom, signed by all the prosecutions ant
witnessed by Mr.. Starritt: ..,r .s.,-. %.
"We, the prosecutors, do hereby certify
that we withdraw all censure from Mr. q
Groom; and from the testimony, all tn,
charges" .--..e. ma ,f,.,- .-.I
Thus was Mr.. Groom completely yindica
ted. DR.. Simpson, Gen. Simpson and ]. W
Thompson were put upon thestand, and the,
testified that Lewis Watt and his two som
did give them the information upon which
the warrant was issued, and that they hat
no other reason to give for their action il
the matter. "'..' 1it l' td2'sl
On motion of j. w. Thompson, Lewi
| Watt and his two sons were arrested, and il
default of bond, were committed to Jail, tt
await trial for perjury
Such are the facts connected with thi
case. IKNow whereof / write. 1t is be
lieved that there is something behind tn,
curtain as to the origin of this ease that tn,
public is not acquainted with. What tina
something is, l know not. 1t must be re
membered that all this excitement, arres
and trial took place in what is known as
the Ku Klux portion of this county. Their,
is good reason to believe that several of tn
prosecutors belong to the Ku Klux Klan
and that the raids, depredations and muir
ders committed in this county can be truth
fully laid at their door. d. -..,,..i ,,-,,i-,
The Sentinel says Judge Settle and Rag
land, the clerk, and many of the scalawa.
family were on hand to testify as to Chi
character of Groom. The gentlemen men
toned were on hand to aid an honest mai
and Republican county officer as far as the
could, compatible with justice and publi
safety. -. 1- ~ 10
The Sentinel endeavors to create the i'm
preston that Mr.. Groom said if it was no
for his religion, that he (Groom) woull
head party of men and burn every hous
ON the North side of Dan River. Mr. Groom
said no such thing. Mr.. Groom did say
Tom Settle was Ku Kluxed, that he woul,
be one of hundred men to burn the house
of every Ku Klux on the North side of Dal
River. Other men, as good citizens as tn,
county contains, have said the same thing
The Republicans of this county have sub
mitted to the depredations of the Ku- Klu,
until forbearance has ceased to be virtue
Conscious that they, the Republicans, hav
done nothing to be taken up or whipped
as the case may be, they are prepared TO
any demonstrations the Ku Klux may here
after make
A great deal of fuss has been made owe
the building of the bridge across Dan Rive
The Commissioners advertised and gave a
much publicity to the matter as possibl,
and on the day set for the letting of the col
tract, large crowd assembled at the plac
where the bridge is being built, and the COZ
tract was let to Mr.. Traver, for ten thot
sand dollars. There was nothing :, sal
against the bridge until one A. M. Scales, {
Brigadier General notoriety in the Confed
rate army, commenced to agitate the que:
ton of putting stop to the erection of I'll
bridge This was after the contract ha
been signed, sealed and delivere /, and Il
work on the bridge commenced. M
Scales, thinking the bridge good horse I
ride to Congress next year, spread himsel
He told the people that he would be the
Moses; that if they would raise fifty dolla
in each township, that he would take Il
money and see that the bridge was n,
built. The result has been, that the peopl
acting according to the advice given the
by their would-be Moses, in the clumsy, ia
; overgrown parsonage of A. M. Scales, di
not pay their taxes as readily as they woul
have done; and in this manner, accordin
to the programme and advice of Mr.. r.iScale
the agreement to pay Mr.. Trayer twenty-f'
hundred dollars on the 18th of August Ia
, has not been complied with; and there is
fair prospect that the County will be cor
PEELED to pay two thousand dollars more f
damages incurred by Mr.. Trayer in not &c
ting the money according to agreement,
such should be the case, Mr.. Scales shou
pay the money himself He is to blame
thewhole matter Hf4nrfi ciii;iaiH
There is no safe way of crossing D,
River between Madison and Leaksyille,
J distance of sixteen miles, The bridge
half way between both places. 1t viii be
great convenience to the whole county; al
l there would have been nothing said again
the building of the bridge, but for the ho'
: raised by men who had nothing to lose, al
who wished to lay the ground works for
: sale for Congress next year, Oh n r9Iie3'
A great deal of fuss has been made or
the tax to be raised in this county,, It,
about the same this year that it has be,
heretofore The people throughout Z
whole State would have paid their tax
more cheerfully but for the drouthg9fT
people of this county would have paid thei
cheerfully and willingly, but for the agit
: ton gotten up by demagogues who pay
: taxes, and who expect to fbamboozlc I
g people by a great amount of CAB fer i
!. purpose of procuring the nomination
c Congress for A. M Scales. a5'irii3I i iiq
! The best reason why there has been
e mueh devilment going on in this county.
| A.. 4. al Al