The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-07
TIE RAID ON 1AURENsVILzE.
FIVE HUNDRED SOLDIERS TO ARREST
UNARMED CITIZENS.
This is the Way the Money Goes.

The Laurensville Herald, Of Friday, gives the
following account Of the circumstances attending
the arrest of certain citizens by large body o!
Federal soldiers:
Cp to Friday night last two companies Of United
States troops were posted at this place. On that
night, one jackson, n deputy United States mar
shall ACCOMPANIED by = squad OF about fifteen
mounted United States infantry. arrived In town.
On Friday, infantry and artillery, numbering
about five hundred men, deoarEed ut Newoerry
and took up the massh 1o%aras Saso Of 0pe[e
tlOns and occurring various strategic points
along the line to this place. The OBJECT OF this
great military campaign was the arrest or cfti-
zens OF this county, who were charged win nav,
October last. The great display Of force was In.
tended to meet the mighty hosts OF Laurens
rebels reported by Crews tpoor Joe) and possibly
ground fully % armed to defy the standards Of King
Grant and his army. The strategy OF the cam
pagn began early on Saturday morning. A
dence OF Mr. s. D. darlington, invited him to the
town to show a room which the lieutenant de.
sired to rent decoyed him to the rear OF the room
soldiers who took charge OF Mr.. c., and marched
him to the railroad depot, the guardhouse, where
he was held under the oayonet. The dep.
utS, with q mounted SQUAD. spent ent the
rounding country, sbut made no arrests. Late
in the afternoon, Colonel B. S. Jones, the sheriff
OF the county, was arrested as ne was driving out
of town towards his home Colonel G. F. Nose.
lev an eX.sheriI or the county, and proprietor OF
the Simmons Ho,el, lat which house the officers
OF the entire military aud Deputy jackson were
stayiug,) went in the course OF Saturday night TO
visit Colonel Jones, when he was suddenly de.
tained as prisoner. Sunday morning was
Initiated by squads OF soldiers, and fierce mar
shal ut their head furlousy dashng In every dl.
rection In search of aw-breakers During the
10 ovid TurlPr
Richardson Captain Hayhe Williams anu Colonel
r. p Todd were gobbled up and sent to the de-
pot. On this day. Also the marshal, with
mounted escort, made gallant sorlle into the
country, but made water hall.
General Carlin las we heard the name) arrived
on Saturday evening aud established his head
quarters at the Simmons Hotel.
They refused to allow counsel to see prisoners
On Saturday, but the privilege was accorded at
night OF that dav About sunset Sunday evening
the prisoners, under heavy escort, were sent 70.
wards Newberry. The escort halted at Miam's
Branch, four miles from town, and spent the
night. On Monday, as the great military posse
retired towards 'Newberry, they arrested Mr..
George Copeland James c9peanu ms ms son.
Henry Suber, Of Martins Depot.
The meaning Of this extraordinary proceeding
Is evidently 10 annoy our citlzens. .Tne united
States courts have no jurisdiction IN tne premises
The proceeding is pretended to be founded on an
act of Congress, giving Jurisdiction IN cases
where citizens Of the United States are obstructed
In the exercise OF certain lights at Congressional
elections. The course pur.ued N this instance Is
an Infamous and damnable outrage. Even had
the United States courts the jurisdiction claimed,
we have United States commissioner here IN our
town, who could have issued the warrants on
affidavit and eur citizens need not have been
dragged from their homes. 1t Is base and das-
tardly ruse to remove the venue, and to nave
them tried by strangers VINO are not tnelr legal
peers. The proceeding was martial; the arrest
was by the army Of the nation, hurled against
citizens who were quietly pursuing their aVoca.
tlons, and had no thought OF resistance. The ar.
rest Of the sheriff was shadoWy ruse. to cover
thepretext that no county official would be left to
h axe arrests.
The afidavt on which the warrants were found
ed was made by Howerton, who will be remem-
bered as a tool or "the Hon." Jos. Crews, anu tne
fellow who was whipped by sentence OF court
martial. for stealing watch while In the Conled.
erat service. Tue warrant was Issued by one
Boozer, U. S. commissioner OF Columbia. The
citizens arrested are of the highest respectaollty
all prominent and substantial. we trust and
believe that the infamous proceeding by wnlch
they are dragged from their homes, Will lall 10
the ground, and that they will all soon return to
their homes.
that on Sunday afternoon writ Of habeaS corpus
was granted by A. ". Kruse. United States COM
missioner, and served on Captain Aaron Mills,
the military officer In charge OF the prisoners, TO
which that officer made the following return:
"HEAD OF POST, LAURENS, s. e., November q.
..Respectfully returned.
~ am directed by the comm inding offcer OF
United States forces In South Carolina, present,
to state that Mr.. A. W. Kruse is unknown to me,
and that none but q United State States District
Judge is authorized to issue such writ under the
circumstances. therefore decline to obey said
writ. AARON MILLS,
"Captain 18th Infantry, Commanding Post.'
A proposition was made in writing by counsel,
to this Ofllcer lin charge Of the prsoners and the
United States marshal, to carry the prisoners be.
fore Mr.. Kruse with the view to have the question
OF bail made, and on refusal, writ was sued out
and served. These officials also stated, In an
swer to the above written proposition, that the
orders were to carry the prisoners to Columbia.
Was not Commissioner Kruse as well known 10
the captain as Boozer? Could not one commls-
sioner commit as well as another? Why not COM
init TO one Jail just as well as another? The pris
oners were all arrested at their homes, and there
was no sign Of resistance or shadow OF pretext 10
anticipate rescue.
or course Captain NJ and the marshal were mere
tools uf orders, and the real oppressor anu tyrant
is the President, who lends the sword Of the na-
ton to Governor Scott or Joe Crews, as the case
may be.