The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-10-26
THE OUTBREAK NLAURENS
FULL ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN AND
EXTENT OF THE DISTURBANCE.
The Whole Affair the Fault OF the
Teachings and Example Of the Incen-
diary Crews.

Teachings and Example Of the Incen.
diary Crews.
An extra of the Laurensville Herald, issued
on Monday, brings us full account Of the recent
| events in that place which have caused so much
excitement, together with statement Of the
causes and circumstances which led to the cut
break We give the article entire
From the Laurensvllle Herald-Extra.l
The disturbance In Laure1s occurred at the
| The dsy before, at the general election. and for
| months previous the white people had been sub
jected TO an organized system OF disparagement,
abuse and threats of violence to person and pro.
perty, which had produced that feverish stste OF
feeling incident to deep sense OF outrage and In.
| Justice For weeks whole families had not un.
dressed for bed, 30 great was the apprehension
cries. While the United states troops were
here, the sound Of their revIlle aud tattoo
| was considered rs the proclamation Of pro
less women and children The CHIEF
| actor. and agent in all this was one
| notorious Joe Crews, naive citizen OF
| the county who has always been man OF
doubtful character, but who, after the emancIpa-
ton Of the slaves attached himself as renegade
| 10 the negroes, and by deceiving and misleading
| them, and abusing his own race, had hmseu
elected to the convention and then TO the Legls!a
ture Of 1858, and was candidate again for re.
| election. Knowing that he was entitled 10 no
| consideration without offlcs he resolved 20 iiaVe
| himself elected at all hazards; and knowing tnat
| by fair election In Laurens he would be beaten
/ BY the Conservatives, who are clearly 10 the ma
jority the said Crews, with two or three subordl-
nate understrappers, assisted hy the co8staDular5
! force degraded here from officers to keep the
peace to legal;zed instlgators OF dI.cord
riot and strife, one Of whom was a Candidate
| for probate Judge, had worked the poor ne
groes into frenzy OF excitement about the
| election and intense hatred TO the white man. IL
can be proved by hundreds IF good men, that In
his speeches to them in every hole and Corner OF
| the county. he made the most sincendiary appeals
marching from !oue point to another, by night and
day. with armed companies Of negroes, insuti9g,
\ outragIng and putting In terrur the peaceaoie
white citizens OF the country He t9ld tnem, 10
his speeches, that they had the State government
aid they must keep it or die; that was necessary
| for their liberty and safety that he should ne
elected; that he had put arms In their hands aud
thev must use them; that they had the torch, ana
'matches were cheap," and they must ourn anu
destroy; that all over fifteen years o. age Gouid
vte, for he had passed the law himself. &C., &c.
] At Lauyens he occupied an old, dilapldated
building, opposite the courthouse, ,familiarly known
| ia the building, he had his office OF trial Justice
| also OF census taker, also deputy United state!
marshal without cry commtssion) and also OF
commissioner OF election, and mere ne aaa per, ;
| feet armury Of guns, believed to be q thousand
stand, with accoutrements and ammunition Oh tne
most improved pattern. These were the arms OF
the State left under his absolute control Besides
this armory In .Tfn-Pot, - he had qui u number
| of guns at his house, which was some distance up
the street. and his barn within the curtllage ol ms
\ house and commanding the main street,
was regularly fortified and .loophoied anu
also stored with ,sS arms arm, nqS and 'ls fortacs
| tions In the very heart OF the town OF
Laurens He constantly hal armed oands OF
negroes, at the ex ense OF the county, 10 guaru
these headquarters. The guard, or drunken ,a ne ne.
/ gro militia, were often turbulent, anu, VIII Ins
| constabulary, broke the peace OF the toWn, and
made night hideous by the discharge o. nrearns
and their savage yels. 8. - q
The said Crews, Notwithstanding he was 8 can
/ didate himself was, among the many otoer ON,
| ces commissioner or election, and had the controi
| not only ofthe arrangement for election. 'pus OF
emf precincts OF the county, as had been done In
| former times, but established Jour at the court.
/ house under the guns OF his fortacations. and
one OF them actually In his lower arsenal OF "Tin'
Pot.u
he expressly and Indignantly refused although
applied to by mixed committee OF whites and
biaoks, to allow two men nf she tketorm party 70
be present Of the polls to frauds as agreed
upon BY the leaders Of the two parties. Thus
equipped and prepared for all sorts OF frauds, the
poor deluded negroes were summoned perempto-
/ rily by him from the remosest corners OF the
county to vote st Laurens. a & Tney aid iaa come n
frauds were enacted in the face OF day as is be-
| lieved were never committed on this continent
before Crews had before exhorted the negroes TO
dress their women In mems clothes, and vote
| them. II they did go on this occasion, It has
not yet been discovered; but 1t is as certain
as anything can be, that many boys under
times. This can be abundanlly proved and
many names have already been returned, to
/ be indicted for perjury. We have heard no
one estimate the number Of negroes present
| at more than q thousand or twelve hundred at
| the outside, and yet they claim to have voted
| that day at the courthouse nineteen hundred
| votes a more bold and infamous fraud, we
| so!emuly believe, was never committe1 IN the
history of elections. The people were constantly
apprehensive that the armories would be opened
and every white man would be obliged to fight or
fall in defence OF his own freslde: Once during
the election day the negroes 1u wsa0ut RfoV9sa Sa
been made to them, seeing their numbers and
feeling probably the pride OF power, commenced
arming, and the white people to form In q small
but compact mass to resist attack. bloody
prevented by the prudent and judtctous course or
Colonel Smith, OF the United States garrison here
| who went IN person to where the negroes were
arntng at Crews's home arsena and ordered
| them to put dow n their arms that they were the
weaker race, and that If they provoked COLL
sion they would go un'lcr.
This Il but feeble outtc OF the condition OF ar.
| fairs and the state OF pEhl feeling produced
| thereby on lie morning at.r the election, when
| the disturbance commenced. The armei negroes
| and corstabultry about the lower arsenal as "Tin-
| POt' HeemeU To Oe eSultuuI, duu BULLS muLe uleu
were standing about In the square opposite, when
one OF the constabulary and q citizen were seen
to be engaged In light near "Iln.Pot.n The
crowd began to gather around, when some m ans
pistol In his breast coat pocket, went or acclden.
| tally, and Immediately there was received vol.
ley from the doors and windows OF the headqnar-
tiers at "TinPot.n The cry ran like lightning that
the negroes had begun the war. Seeing the crowd
In the arsenal, both at the lower and upper win.
dows, opening a fire upon the people In the public
square, the citizens who happened to be near
the pace at the instant returned the fire with
pistols and rushed upon -Potn-broke down
the door, routed the armed negroes and took pos
session OF the arms there deposited The armed
negroes delivered several yoleys, shooting
through the weather-boardlng asthey retrested.
The occupants OF the place, however, made or as
rapidly as possible through the back yards and
streets This Is all that ls certainly known. The
court was then In session-Judge Vernon presId.
ing. all this occurred n full view OF the court.
room. Some Of The balls fired from 'Tin. .Pot''
struck the courthouse. Judge Vernon instantly
orderel Sheriff Jones 10 raise posse and COM