The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-13

| NoW that uuulOer OIL DOubueru Oetl
ocratic papers have pronounced as reliabl,
the former letters of the Iribune's CORES
pondent, who is making tour of th'
Southern States, for the purpose of inquir
ing into the actual existence of Ku-Kluy
bands, we presume they will not deny the
statements he makes in his last letters
from which we copy the following. He
writes from 6partanburg, S. c., May 9th,
1871, and among other interesting things,
says:
/ am told that three men have since
been killed in the county, from 80 to 40
have been wounded by ball, and hundreds
have been whipped. No arrests have been
made save in one instance; then the Grand
Jury found no bill, and the Justice, white
man, who caused the arrests to be made,
was driven away from his home, ten miles
from town, and has not ventured to return.
Many white men have been whipped and
forced publicly to renounce the Republican
party, by cards in the Democratic paper,
or declarations made from the Court-House
steps. | have the names of several of
these, but have been entreated not to pub
lish them for fear it would provoke more
violence against them. Their variations
are so much alike that an account of one
case will suffice.
About the middle of March an old man
OF SO years, a mem Der of the church, and
In all respects worthy citizen, was drag
ged from his bed by masked men. who
broke into his house. A meal sack was
pulled over his head and he was taken into
the yard and whipped until he promised
to go on the courthouse steps next "Sales
Day" and publicly declare that he would
never again vote the Republican ticket.
If he did not do this they said they would
kill him. He kept the secret until the |
day approached, and then in great agony |
of mind, came to town and told the officer |
commanding the troops of the occurrence,
who promised to station guard at his
house.
The old man said that, sooner or later,
the guard must be removed, and then
be would be in greater danger than
before. IT it were not for his family, he
said, the Ku-Klux might kill him before
1e would abandon his principles, but duty
% them compelled him to seek safety. So
vhen the day came he went up the steps
If the Courthouse, and, in the sight of
he officers of the civil law, to whom he
lnew it would be vain to appeal for JUS
ice, even in her very temple, he declared
q trembling voice his adherence to the
Democratic party, and his regret that he
lad ever acted with the Radicals.
After hearing accounts from the Repub-
leans living in Spartanburg of the many
utrages like this perpetrated throughout
he county, was anxious to see and talk
With some of the victims themselves; and
earning that number of negroes who
ad been recently whipped had come into
oe town for protection, | managed to get
'ord out among the negroes that wanted
, see these men last night at the house of
certain white Republican little way out
town. | think the negroes took me for
,me agent of the government who had ,
)me down to investigate their wrongs, for
hen | went to the place of meeting, after
ark, found group of twenty or more
Isembled in the backyard. / told them
lat l wanted to know how the colored
eople were getting along, and wished c
'ery man who had been disturbed by the t
u-Klux to tell me just what had been
one to him. t
% came upon the back piazza, where a
eble oil-lamp gave a glimmer of light so u
int that the group of black faces below L
uld scarcely be distinguished from the
composing darkness of the night. The /,
an commenced in slow and solemn Il
amer to tell how dozen men with
asks and white gowns had come to his
,use and demanded admittance but G.
hen he proceeded in his narrative to the te
lint where they took him into the yard
ID broke down his peach trees to get ct
hips to beat him with, he become more 81
d more excited, until he sprang from his
air, and in a highly dramatic manner s,
itated by gestures the severe blows they ii
d given him, and the kicks with which
ey had finally released him. in
"What did they say TO you ~ asked. to
)ey asked me if Is gwine to turn" he
ID. "But what did they mean by turn?" k,
los to vote no more Republican ticket" a,
md did you promise ?" "Yes, sab; if | :
dn't a-done promised, dey killed me .,
ad, shuahl' He went on to say that he y,
d left his little farm afterwards, aban. r
niaig "sech fine crap of corn and po-
oei, and losing all his years work. p
is he told in mournful tone, and then ID
a more excited manner than before, he
d, "But I'll never turnl No, fore God, "
never turn, not if dey cuts my head di
lar off," and suiting the action to the
rd, he bent his head down and passed flC
hand across his neck, repeating again O(
again, "Fore God, dcy can't make me
nj" "Ths happened last Fall you say; fo
W is there any one here who has been W
tipped lately?" l asked. "Plenty of
/, sab. Here, you, Glen /" III
A tall man, with bushy hair and of 81
'wn complexion stepped out of the "
'up and came upon the piazza. He was
ipped two weeks ago, be said, by about 1n
mon. Heknew the horses they rode and on
$ sure he had plowed with ono of them
It very day. After they had beaten te'
n, they went to another house near by OF
/ whipped man and his wife so hard
It the blows sounded '1ike pounding on to
og with a club" In the township in cv
ich he lived every colored man had been
ipped except two who were Democrats,
IL L 4