Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-08-04
rRRRORIs.u I.v sOUTH C.sR0-
LI.v.f.
INVESTIGATIONS ny THE sUB-KU-KLUx
COMMITTEE.

The Sub Ku-Klux Committee, consist
ing of Senator Scott and Representatives
Stevenson and Van Trump, reached Wash
ineton on Saturday morning from so
journ of four weeks in various parts Of
South Carolina, where they have been in
vcstigating the Ku-Klux outrages on the
spots where they occurred. They first Wis
tied the capital, Columbia. More than a
hundred refugees, who had fled from vio-
lence in various counties, were there, but
after examining the witnesses for two days
the committee determined to approach
more closely to the scenes of alleged vio-
lence, and went to Spartansburg. They
expected to remain there three or four
days, but continued eleven. When
the news of their presence got abroad
through Spartansburg county the white
and cOlored victims of violence came in by
ores every day and from all directions.
Murders and cruel whippings by ku-kluX
bands had so terrified them in many neigh
borhoods that nearly every negro and Re-
publican white man had slept in the woods
at night for months. They showed scariti-
cd backs, gun-shot wounds, MANNED ears
/ and other proofs Of cruelties which they
had suffered. In Limestone Spring town
ship lis cases of whipping were proved.
| The committee awoke every morning TO
find in the yard Of the hotel n new crowd
of victims of the Ku-Klux, some of them
being white men who had endured wrongs
which cannot be described with decency.
After being whipped the victims, If well
known persons, were often ordered under
penalty of death, TO publish acard renounc-
ing the Republican party. In ME OF the
Spartan. South Carolina, Democratic news
paper, AZ such cards were found recently
published.
At Unionsyille the committee remained
two days. Not an avowed white Republican
was found in the place, though members OF
the committee were privately assured by a
few that they would acknowledge them
selves as such if protected. The terror Of
the negroes was universal. The last eec-
ton was carried by Republican majority,
but the Republican county officers recelV-
ed Ku-KluX notices, and all resigned or
fled The movement there has been more
toward murder and less toward whipping.
The killing of ten negroes taken from Jail
bv several hundred Ku-KluX, acting un-
der n military organization, was Investigate
ed. prominent lawyer Of the place, Mr..
Shard, a Democrat, on cross examination,
startled the committee by stating that he
believed almost ever respectable unmar-
ried man in the community belonged to
the Ku- Klux, and he believed that Il thous-
and Ku-KluX were within days march
of that village.
A negro Methodist preacher named Lou
Is Thompson, who had an appointment
June IL at Goshen Hill Church, in Union
county, received ku-klux notice in the
usual form not to preach. He preached,
Notwithstanding, to n very few, most of the
congregation fleeing when they saw the no.
tice. In the evening crowd of twenty
mounted Ku-KluN came and tied and
whipped him, and led him OFF several miles,
dragging him part of the way tied to horses,
and whipped him again until he died. He
was mutilated in way that cannot with
propriety be described. They hung him
an threw his body into the Tiger river,
leaving notice forbidding any one to bury
him. Before tho committee returned Sen
ator Scott sent Thompson's brother, now a
refugee from Columbia, to Union county,
with letter to him, giving him strong
| guard of United States cavalry, TO go and
| bury his brother, whose body was reported
to be lying half decomposed at the water
edge. Two more days were spent in ex-
| aiming witnesses in Colombia. On re-
turning from Spartansburg one day was
occupied in hearing statements and general
| views of Gen. Wade Hampton and Gen
Butler, the Democrat candidate for GOV
ernor last fall.
The committee then visited York county
where they remained nearly week. Tn,
community was found to he in an almos
utter social and political state of demorali
Zation, the civil authority being useless
force and mOckcrv. Colonel Merrill, il
command of the small detachment of mill
tarv stationed there, an officer of higl
character and great energy, laid before thu
committee the details of sixty-eght out
RACES which he had Investigated, some o
them being most horrible and revolving
| 1t was found impossible for the committe,
to examine more than small part of the
crowd of whipped, manned aud terror
| stricken wretchcs who tlOckcd in upon
| ,f
mittee adjourned the building in which
| they had sat was filled even to the stairs
halls and porchcs with those waiting to he
heard.
The usual course pursued on arriving Il
place was to divide the time that they ex
pccted to remain between the majority an'
a minority of the committee. Judge Nal
Trump usually called two or three Of thu
most prominent lawyers, who each occu
pied several hours in setting forth the Dem
ocratc view of the affairs, giving thei
opinions on the relations of the two race
in efficiency and the corruptions of tn
State government and the feeling of tn
people toward the General Government
They always said that they had heard q
the ku-KluX, but never saw one. General
~ they seemed TO regard them ~ sort q
vigilance committee or irregular local pc
lice. They did not consider them under
general organization, but simply to repres
outbreaks. The majority called for wer
these who had seen and felt the ku-KluS
Oaths and forms of proceedings in the kla
councils, and their modes OF operatlOn whe
riding ON their raids were fully developed
Scores of men, whom proof showed to b
Ku-KluX, were examined all of whom
except n few whose disclosures were FIJI
and important, denied any knowledg
whatever of the Ku-KluN. One, who wa
shown to have been in several outrage,
swore that he had never heard of the exist
encc of Ku-Klux in his life. Judge Va
: Trump subjected all the witnesses callc
, by the majority to a most searching cross
examination.
The Ku-KluX Committee adopted res1
. luton for the appointment of a sub-com
+ mittee Of three 10 hear the testimony of
few witnesses now on their way to Wasl
ngton, when an adjournment will tax
place until the 10th of September.