The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-10-28
The Difficulty in Laurers.

| CTS. .a s.s. .s-.
The Difficulty in LaureEs.
| We make the following extractfron
an editorial in the Laurensville Herald
| in reference to the disturbaucein Lau
rens on Thursday last:
The armed negroes and constabu
| larry utthe lower, arsenal at "Ilr
Pot seemed osbe exultant, and some
white men were standing about in the
square opposite, when one ofethe con
stabulary and a citizen were seen tt
be engaged in fight near s'Tin Pot.
The crowd began to gather around
when some mans pistol in his breast
coat pocket went off accidcntally,and
Immediately there was received a vol.
|ley from the. doors and windows yo'
the headquarters at ':Tin Pot" The
cry ran like lightning that the ne.
groes had begun the war. Seeing the
Crowd G in the arsenal, both at.the low
err and upper windows opening o fire
upon the people in the public square
the citizens who happened to be neal
the place ct the instant returped the
fire with pistols, andsrushednponS"Ti
Pot" broke down the door, routec
the armed negroes, and took posses
sion Of the ar rs there deposited
The armed ne, TO delivered severa
yolleys, shooting through the weather M
boarding as they retroated. TheS oc
cupants of the place, however, made
loft as rapidly as possible t throngh ths "
back yards aud streets, This ls al
that is certsiniy known. The Cour
was then in session, Judge Vernon
presiding. All this occurred lin 1fal
view of the Court ROOM. Some of the
balls fred from "Tin Pot" struck the
Court House. Judge Vernon instant
|Iy ordered Sheriff Jones to raise :
posse and command the peace, to take
the. public arms and deposit them II
the Sheriff's office for safe keeping
and to appoint a, hundred or. more
special constaDles to keep tho peace
This was done, the arms taken pos
session of and quiet restored. '',., .
In the affair at Tin Pot two white
men and a little boy Of the citizens
were wounded; and of the armed ne
proes. one was Killed instantly ane
two wounded-one mortally.
We have not heard full particulars
| but it is stated that some miles below
on the railroad, the hodies Of Bill III
lev, colored, and Of Volney Powell,
white man, a member Of the constab
lulary force and candidate for Probat
Judge, who was in the .atfray, wa
1 found with their arms some time a1
ter. We have also heard that.two 0
three other negroes were killed at oil
fcrcnt points. The people OF tn
I County. hearing Of the affair Gat tn
Court House, and doubtless hearini
exaggerated accounts of it, came il
grcat Numbers, probably 2,ooe or 2
1900, to the scene of the conflict, bn
ithe Sheriff, under the orders of Jndg
Vernon, sent them to their homes
The grand jury, then in session, tas mad 1,,Ul
! q lp,resentment as to the affair in Ell
Pot,y. and urged the authorities to re re
,novo from The County tho publ
arms-tbo presence of which has !! n
doubt done great deal of harm il
suggesting violence on one side, an
creating anxiety and apprehension o.
the other, The grand jury, in tn
most earnest terms, deprecated tn
consequences Of arming one race II
the community and leaving the othe
dofenceless, ard urged upon.all per
sons. white and black, to abstal'
| from violence apd return aui5tIpy%.t t
their homes. rar aG na#.}gs ger.a
| The following is from. a Columns
correspondent Of the Charleston lie
publican. 31r. Powell, one sof tn
Managers of. Election, ..and also tn
newly elected Judge sof Probate, wa
killed about four miles from Iaurens
while attempting to make his way.t!
Newberry. Wade Perrin, q meIn?ye g 7 3
elect of the Legislature, MAS iklilet q e
near NJ artin's Depot. johnson drli drrl
| 1dh, ID caIored man, apd galso Yohpsgn
another member elect Of the ,Heglsla
ture, arc knowntobe-killed.-