The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-12-21
The Case of the LaurenS Prisoners.


which heads this article, are Of such n
character as TO put every mind upon
serious reflection. The question in
vo!ved is no PARTY ques ion it l.; ~
question of personal liber y. 7 he
grcat principles OF Magma Chartu :,
principles which our ancestors made
every sacrifice to maintain and Is.
tabli>h-are being tampercd with 10
til" most reckless manner, aud it be-
horvcs every citizen, whatov~r may
be hla color or condition, or POLITICAL
opinions, to use his influence to arrest
the course Of action which seems TO
be determined upon in relation to
these prisoners. What are the ia is }
y number Of gentleman Of tue high
est responsibility - bearing characters
without stain or blcmish--werc ar
rested on the 26,h and 9th Novem-
bcr last, in Laurens County, by Il
Deputy United States Marshal, sus-
tained BY tho United States military
authorities. No effort hid been
made toarrcst these gcu'lemen hy the
civil authorities Of the United States
or the State, and no little surprise
w,s excited by the appearance Of
General Carlan in that part OF the
country, surrounded by all "thc pomp
and circumstance Of glorious war;
It is said that Joe Crews went to
Washington and procured the Presi-
dent to turn over to him a part of the
land forces of tho United States to
enforce these arrests. BE this as it
may, the forces came i'll martial array
and made bloodlcss conquest. 1t
is we'll known in Iaurens that every
man who was arrested, had he been in
formed that a war; ant had been issued
against him, and his presence was DC
sired by the Deputy Marshal, would
have gone forward and surrendered
himself as q prisoner. There was,
therefore, no necessity for this great
display of force to secure these rris.
oncrs. The officers in command did
not know this, perhaps, but tie aua
thoritics of the State knew the fact :.
They knew that the persons charged
with the violation Of the laws in the dis
| turbancc of goth October had no intcn~
| tion to offer any resistance whatever
to civil officers acting under legal pro-
cess. The arrests having beou ,hadc,
the prisoners were hurried away from
their homes, and, reaching Ncwbcrry
by forced marches, were placed upon
a special train after midnight,
brought to Columbia, and locked up
in Jail without a commitment. The
following day, they were let to bail by
the United States Commissioner, who,
by the admission of the prosecuting
attorney, had the right to grant the
order of bail-the charge in the war;
rant being bailablo offence. let it.,
| however, be borno in mind, too, that
there is United States Commissioner
resident in Laurens that the offer was
made to the Deputy who made the ar
rests to take them before this Com
missioner for bail, and that he rcfus-
ed to do so. saying his orders were to
tako the prisoners to Columbia. Or
| ders from whom, VIC would like to
| know2 let it also be remembered
that the prisoners, when they reached
Newberry, and ascertained that they
wero about to be taken to Columbia,
asked the privilege of sending for
their counsel, who were known TO be
in Newbcrry, on their way to Colum-
bia. Their object was to get their
counsel to accompany them. This
sacred privilege was denied them
| They had the bayoncts at their breasts.
What, then, followed the discharge Of
these prisoners before the United
States Commissioner! Before they
left the Court Room, Chief Constable
Hubbard had gone to Trial Justice,
made IN affidavit upon "i'lformation
and belief," and had his deputies pre-
sent, with warrants to arrest four of
tho parties for murder. These we're
then again locked up. The next
morning, all those but one, were re-
leascd--two on bail, and one on the
ground that he had been arrested by
the wrong name; but, before the ink
was dry on the bonds of these gentle
Mon, they were again arrested and
locked UP, under warrants for murder,
issued upon the affidavit of Hubbard.
What next The District Attorney
handed out sundry bills of ipdict.
ment against these parties, and
others who had not been arrested, 70
the Grand Jury of the United Stat os
District Court, then in session in CO.
lumbia. The Grand Jury took up
ono of tho cases considered it, and
returned "no bill"-thercapon, the
District Attorney Withdrew tho other
bills and when this became known,
tho other parties who were out on
bail in the case before tho United
States District Courts werc rearrested d
under warrants for murder, upon the
Information and belief" Of Hubbard
The game was now being developed.
The great object Of these arrests,
under United Sc4tcs warrants, was to