The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-22
MORE DEEDS OF BLOOD.
TIE MURDERoUsa ER1YI Igot.is. goF THATg "a. A4Iig..t
"CONFIDENTLAL cLRGUL4R.,,iJrom
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ti,.... .-3IE7G,;;r1:5
THE RADICAL POLICY IN BARNWELLss =
COUNTY. '.'f -
Two Colored Men Assassinated by the
League

On Tuesday aftern0on~a GenuemRu tlIoW,
Barnwell County arrived in Augusta, bringing
intelligence of two horrible murders which
had been committed fl that county during the
night previous. 1t appears that on last Non,
day night, about halt-past seven o'clock, two
colored :desperadoes named Lewis 4cCreery
and Juba Johnson, and armed to the teeth,
visited the house of-a negro man living
near Windsor, q station on the South Caro-
lima Railroad, in Barnwen County, and
distant about twenty-five miles from Augusta
city. Stopping short distance from the
cabin they called the inmate by name, and
asked him to come out as they wished to see
him on business. Upon his appearance, they
asked him to supply them with a chew Of to- {
bacco, which he furnished. They then asked
him II he did not have good. gun, to which
he responded in the affirmative, and at their
instance produced the weapon. AS soon as he
came to where McCreery and John IN were
standing, they engaged him In conversation
and one Of them asked permission to examine 7"
the frearm. Without waiting for reply, he
snatched the gun away, and the two assassins .
commenced firing upon the victim with their
revolvers He must have, been mortany
wounded OF killed by the frat two or three :
shots, but the rufians continued firing until
no less than fourteen shots had pierced mis-
body. 'r.iy,2.t,
With their appetite for blood seemingly only
whetted by this inhuman outrage, they rode,
of in quest of other victims of their hellish
vengeance. Proceeding about mile and
half, the fends arrived,at the residence Of Mr..
Josiah Keadle, an aged white man, whom they
called out. Keadle went to his door, torch In
hand, when the negroes fred volley OF four
or five shots, one of which took effect In one
of his legs. he, too, in all probability, would
have been murdered but for the valor Of saw
age dog, which compelled the murderers to
move on. -
From this point the negroes rode to the
farm of Mr.. John Redd, about five miles dis
tant, and called out colored man named
July Owens, asking him for chew of tobacco.
Receiving the tobacco, they proceeded to In
terrogate Owens as To whether Mr.. Redd was
at home, and how many others resided on the
place. They also desired to know whether
times were peaceable, aud received assurance
that everything was quiet; they replied that
'times should no longer be peaceable," upon
which they simultaneously drew their pistols
and fred, shooting Owens down in his tracks,
and continued firing until four or FIVE shots
were expended, only one Of which took effect.
At this house the rufians seem to have be-
come surfelted with blood, and determlnedto
suspend their murderous operations. Owens :
was shot through and through the breast, and
survived through the night, but no hopeswere
entertained OF his life at daylight yesterday
morning, the hour at which our informant
saw him.
In the meantime information Of the first
murder was circulated among the people OF
the settlement In which it. had been commit
ted, and strong and well-armed party of
white men and negroes organized and started :
In pursuit Of the assassins. Guided by torch
lights, they succeeded in tracking the villains
from the house where the negro was killed :
until they came to the residence Of the white
man whom they had wounded. They found
the white man still entrenched In his house,
with his arms by his side, ready for use If =
another attack upon him should be threatened.
When he saw the posse approaching his house
he thought that his former assailants had re-
turned, and came near firing upon one OF the
party-a Mr.. Burnett-before he could be
convinced that he was mistaken. From this
place the murderers were traced to the house
OF the second negro who had been killed, and
from there the trail was followed until the
Edisto River was reached. At this point 1t
was discovered that the assassins had gone up
the river In the direction Of the Charlotte, Co
lumbia and Augusta Railroad While the main
body of the pursuers followed up the trail
through the country, one OF their number
Mr.. John A. Burnetl-got on the cars at the
nearest station and came to this city that he
might post the Augusta police and have the
negroes arrested If they came to that city BY
Lewis McCreery is described as
large, heavy-built and Very black negro; Juoa
Johnson Is rather short and stout.
The negroes killed are said to have been
quiet and harmless, and no cause for their
death can be assigned, unless It be the fulfil
ment Of the plan proposed by the confidential
circular picked up at Uulon Courthouse, pro-
posing that the Leagues, In order to establish
the supremacy OF the Radicals In the ensuing
State election, should, on the 10th instant,
commence the slaughter Of colored men,
charging their crimes to the Reform party.
1t is to be hoped that speedy Justice will over
take these fiendish murderers.