New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-02
THE SUB KU-KLUX COMMITTEE
Return To Washington
AN INTERESTING REPORT
SHOCKING KU.KLUX OUTRAGES

Speclal 10 Ine o. LOUIS hepnotcuH VI Suu-
day:
The sub Ku-Klux committee, consisting
of Senator Scott and Representatives Steven
son and Van Trump, visited Washington
to-day, returning from sOjourn of four
weeks in various parts of South Carolina,
where they have been investigating Ku-
Klux outrages on the spots where they
occurred. They first visited the capital,
Columbia.
More than one hundred refugees, who had
fled from violence in various counties, were
there, but after examining witnesses for
two days, the committee determined to 60
to the scenes of alleged violence, and went
to Spartansburg. ...
They expected to remain there three or
four days, but stayed eleven. When word
got out through Spartansburg county that
they were there, the whites and negroes,
victims of violence, came in by scores
every day from all directions. Murders
and cruel whippings by Ku-Klux bands
had so terrified them that in many neigh
borboods nearly every negro man and Re
publican white man had slept in the woods
for months every night. They showed
scarifed backs, gunshOt wounds, MANNED
ears, and other proofs of violence they had
suffered.
In Limestone Spring township one hun
dred and eighteen cases of whipping were
proved. The committee awoke every morn
ing to find in the yard by the hotel a new
crowd of victims of Ku-Klux, some includ-
ing whites, who had suffered outrages which
cannot be described with decency. After
being whipped, victims who are well known
persons were often commanded, under pain
of death, to publish card renOuncing the
Republican party. In a file of the South
Carolina Spartan Democratic newspaper,
forty-two such cards were found. The COM
mittee remained two days.
Not an avowed white Republican was
found in the place, though member of the
committee was privately assured by few
that they would avow themselves If pro-
tected. The terror of the negroes here is
complete. The last election was carried by
a Republican majority but the Republican
county officers received Ku-Klux notices,
and all resigned or fled. The policy there
has been more toward murder and less
toward whipping. The killing of ten negroes,
taken from Jail by several hundred ku-
Klux acting under military organization,
was investigated.
prominent lawyer of the place, Mr..
Shand, Democrat, on cross-examination,
startled the committee by stating that he
believed almost every respectable unmar-
ried man in the community belonged to the
Ku-Klux, and he believed thousand Ku
Klux were within a days march OF the
village. A negro Methodist preacher
named Louis Thompson, who had an ap-
pointment june IL at Goshen Hill church,
Union county, received Ku-klux notice
in the usual form not to preach. lie
preached notwithstanding to a few, most
of the congregation fleeing when they saw
the notice. In the evening clan of twenty
mounted Ku-Klux came, tied him and
whipped him. led him off several miles,
dragging him part of the way tied to
horses, whipped him again until dead, and
mutiiated him in a way that can not, with
propriety, be described, hung him aud then
threw his body into the Tiger river. leav-
ing a notice forbidding any one to bury him.
Before the committee returned, Senator
Scott sent Thompson's brother, now refu-
gee, from Columbia to Union county, with
letter to insure him a strong guard OF
United States cavalry, to go bury the body
which was reported to be still lying half
decompOsed on the waters edge. Two
more days were spent in examining wit
nesses in Columbia. On returning from
Spartansburg, one day was occupied in
hearing statements and general views of
General Wade Hampton and General But
ler, Democratic candidate for Governor last
fall.
The committee then visited York county
where they remained nearly a week. They
discovered at Yorkville bitter spirit among
the white citizens. At supper at the hotel,
on the evening of their arrival, Major James
Berry threw pitcher of milk over the Hon.
A. S. Wallace. They were just seating
themselves at the table, and not a word was
spoken. Mr. Wallace jerked out a revolver,
and raised it to shoot Berry. The ladies
were screaming, but the landlord threw
himself before Berry, and Mr.. Stevenson
coolly caught Wallaces hand, and ordered
the landlord to take that man out of the
room.
Half a dozen friends gathered around
Berry, and he went out. In the course OF
half an hour several citizens of prominence
called to apologize, in the amplest manner,
on behalf of Berry who was willing to go
on his knees for what he alleged was an
unintentional affront to Mr.. Stevenson. 1t
was subsequently ascertained that the busi-
ness had been discussed by Berry and his
friends during the afternoon, and it was to
be carried out. Berry had proposed the
use of coffee, but finally concluded on milk.
A colored band serenaded the committee
in the evening. A crowd of young white
men filled the porch of the hotel and were
about the band, frequently cursing the
negroes and Yankees in an insulting man.
ner. AS the band went away the crowd
followed and nearly filed the sidewalk.
One negro was thrown off by policeman
| who says he resisted and struck him. Two
men close by say the negro tried to get
away from the grip of the policeman who
seized, cursed and struck him. The police
man fired at the negro and continued firing
until he had inflicted five wounds. The
man was still living when the committee
| left.
The testimony taken showed that both
| policemen and mayor were members of the
| Ku-Klux. No one was arrested.
The community in York county was found
! in an almost utter social and political de-
moralization, the civil authorities being a
useless farce and mockery. Colonel Mer:
| rill, in command of small force stationed
there, an officer of high character and great
| energy, laid before the committee details OF
seventy-eight cases of outrages which he
had investigated. Some of them were
most revolving and horrible. 1t was found
impossible for the committee to examine
| more than small part of the crowds OF
| whipped, MANNED or terror stricken
| wretches who had hocked in upon hearing
| of their coming.
| When the committee adjourned the build
ing in which they had sat was filed, stairs,
halls and porches, with those waiting to be
heard. The usual course pursued on arriv'
| ing at place was to divide the time they
expected to remain between majority and
minority of the committee. Judge Van
| Trump usually called two or three promi
nent lawyers, who each occupied several
hours setting forth Democratic view o1
affairs, giving their opinion on the relations
of the two races, on the efficiency and cor
ruption of the State government, and feel
ing of the white people toward the genera
government. They always said they hao
heard of Ku-Klux, but never saw one. Gen
orally they seemed to regard them as kind
of vigilance committee, or irregular lOca
police. They did not consider then
under general organization, but simply t.
| repress outbreaks.