The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-04-26
rHE CLARRND0N DTsTURR3N6E.

Assassination Of Peter Lemon-Asse4-
bling of armed negroes at and ne,r
Manmag-7 They Threaten to AuraY
and Fre-7hs wAites assemble ia.
Pfa lion and Detence--Ru1g AMI
Finas Di4persi0ni !;
ten.on~aO. Knled BY the kdd,klut.
f. /
Since Sunday morning last, excited
and exciting fumOrs have presailed il
our midst, concerning the disturbance
in the adjoining county of 0Arendoa,
producing more or less agitatan of the
public mind.
We bave,been at some paiuto get'as
near as possible to tho truth ilregard to
what occurred, in order ID quiet'or
satisfy the public mind in regard there
to. -" s~
On Wednesday afternoonhst, before
nigh, Peter LEMON. . black mar, and a
County Commissioner Of Clsendou, was
assassinated In his buggy, d the public
road, about 23 miles from Manning:
The assassination took place at or near
branch or swamp thicket. Buck shot
entered the legs, stomach breast and
head OF the unfortunate ma ], which, it
is believed produced infant death.
Nothing satisfactory has gone to light
in regard to the assassins, but neither
the whites or negroes believe that any
such order as the Ku Kux had any.
thing to do githit. Lemon was turbu-
lent and offensive negrq-nOtOriously
so-aud had been once ortWice shot at
once by e colored man. whose sister,
it is alleged, be had raEished. And
some of these parties, (irobably white
and colored) moved eutiqly by feelings
of personal revenge, .tsiieved' to have
taken bis life. Lemon was returning
from Manhiug, where, tits reported, he
had made some distufbapce and had
some difficulty, on the diy of his death.
He is said to have bsen in state of
iutOzication, and to haze driven back
into Manning once OF twice, before
foally taking his leave.
On Satuday, the negrees, armed, to
the number of three or four hundred,
rendezvouscd at Fellowship Church,
(uear the place of ths killing and
about enc hundred of hem proceeded
to Manning, threatening to. take the
lives of ten white men Ad to burn the
town. There we're butfew white men
in town, but messengersiwore dispatch,
ed, and tie handful was speedily
augmented, until, probably, some two
or three hundred, at different times,
we're present.
The Sheriff aud Intcpdaus, We learn
requested Col. II. L. BESBow to act.
A parley ensued-the character or par
ticulars OF which We have not learned
and both sides fually dispersed, after
TWO days. The leading! whites acted
with promptness, but #iA calmness and
prudence, and but for 4is there must
have been bloody collaiou.
At one time the negroes seized a
cOlored man, named EeeERT NELSON,
whom they saspieioned, intending to
put him to death. lIeSas rescued by
the whites, who declared that he should
not die without fair 8al.
The negroes seem tOHavc been great
ly- ezcitco, and greailsfn confusion as
to their suspicious or Information and
couuscls. They retire. with threats
against certain parties SsuspiciOned BY
them, aud the end OF DE difficulty is
probably not yet. The thifcs are calm
and determined, aud Shilst they will
neither seek or cncouagc a difficulty
with them, will n% hesitate to
strike telling blows in ikfence, if coll
lision cannot be avoided
The Columbia CMies "a paper that
frequently asscvcrates s purpose to
deal fairly and publish y tru'h) in the
issue of Monday last, ha.glaring sensa-
ton capital lines, ia ressd to this mat
ter. headed "Ku Kid Outrage in
Clarendon County" W( regret to see
this; in as much as nisleads the
public mind abroad, ara tends to dis
.ract and fsrncrt and vsk up to deeds
of blood the elemeuts at eome--wc leaf
for political effect.
~s-SsS-
TIE COUNTY CO1EMIs4ONERs ANn
THE sUPERuNTENDIECY OF THE
COUNTY POOH HOUA.
Orr attention has hSh more thar