The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-11-22

Il
suspicion very naturally fell on
DR.. Kennedy, though he had not
been seen in the neighborhood at
the time. A gun was found where
the blind had been made and the
tracks Of two horses were seen i'm
the woods, and traced some dis.
tance in the direction OF Georgia.
! The friends Of the deceased we e
determined to have DR.. Kennedy
arrested. They knew that he was
very popular where he resided.
and was an intimate friend of Gen.
eral Easley, of Georgia. 1t woul d
be IN vain to think Of arresting by
any legal process. They therefore
employed General Blair who was
famous as a detective in those
times, and Ben. Starrett, a huge
man OF gigantic strength, to 90 tu
The village Gilbert or Washington
think and arrest Dr.. Kennedy
and bring him to Grecnville for
trial. Blair and Starrett stopped
one night at i.otel in the village.
and Blair was taken very sudden.
ly i'll us he pretended. and enqnir.
ed for doctor. Kennedy was
sent for. In the meantime their
horses were saddled. Blair cover
cd up in bed with boots, spur, and
great coat. S;arre:t stood behind
the door with ropes, gags, &C.
Kennedy came into the room and
as he approached the bed of his
patient lie was pinioned by Star.
rett and quietly secured. They
mounted him on a horse, and in
stead of making directly for South
Carolina, they went in an opposite
direction. Very soon the village
was aroused, and Kenuedv's
friends started in pursuit. But
they travelled rapidly in one dircc.
tion, whilst Blair with h prisoner
*as going different course. Their
s.rategem was successful, and they
lodged their prisoner in Old Cam.
bridge Jail. They had, however,
beaten and abused him very much
on the road to cxtort confession
and succeeded. On the trial his law.
yers had his coat aad shirt taken
off to expose to tic jury his bruises
and wounds. They proved an
ati6a by several persons who saw
him at home the morning of the
murder. He was acquitted, and
his wife who had been present dur
Ing all the trial, rushed to the doc.
tor and embraced him with tears
and screams. There was quite a
scene in court which was very
graphically described to me under
oath by General Garrison, who
witnessed the trial at Pickens
vile.
After the trial was over DR..
Kennedy spoke of returning home
through the nei i.hborlood where
he formerly lived, and where the
murder had been committed
Major Thomas Benson advised him
not do so as he would be in dan
ger. Enocl B. Benson. then lit.
tie boy, the son of Maj- Benson,
was present and heard the conver-
sation between Kennedy and his
father. lie told me that he had a
vivid remembrance of the strik-
ing appearance of Dr.. Kennedy
at the time and his expression. He
was dressed in a heat suit of black
cloth, with beautiful small sword
belt aronnd his waist. He straigh.
tened himself mp and said. &" Major
Benson, | am not afraid to 60
where / please"
Sallie Presley, the mother of
Cynthia, was then living in Green.
vile, and never pretended to have
been married to DR.. Kennedy
She was beautiful, though IA very
bad woman, and humble in cir
cun's,ancce. Her daughter grew
up to be as bad as her mother, and
in the course of my examination
of Witnesses, came across
daughter Of this Cynthia, living in
Oconec County, who disclosed to Inc
the. whole conspiracy of her moth.
er and others to prove that her
grandmother was married to Dr..
Kennedy. This information |
communicated to Judge Camp
bell and Col. Hamilton, and The
suit was abandoned by the oppo.
site lawyers.
The wife of DR.. Kennedy died
in Georgia without children, and
he moved to Mobile where lie mar.
ricd again as has been already
stated, and had three daughters,
one Of whom married Col. Carter,
Il gentleman Of high standing, who
conducted tie defence for the heirs
Of DIR. Kennedy. General Garri.
son, of Grcenville, Mr.. Benson and
MIR. James Harrison, of Anderson,
Mr.. Pickens, of Abbcville, and
many others whom examined,
spoke in high terms of DR.. Kcnne.
dy as % gentleman of talents. cour.