The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-19
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, January IL, ISL.

SOLONplAi oauuoiS IL, bo't'
MeSsrs. Riortlan, DapSoa q Co.:
GEHTLEMES-I have to thank you for the act
Of courtesy on your part In sending copy of
the mere tissue of falsehood, emanatlng from
Colonel Kerrigan, for publication. The state
ments contained therein are so erroneous that
they bear upon their lace falsehood and malg-
nifty of such positive character as to be beyond
belief of the most credulous.
The simple facts OF the case are as follows:
Colonel c. C. Baker, who was working gold
mine in Union County, had difficulties with
persons In that neighborhood and alleges that
they attempted to take MS life By shooting at
him. He accordingly went to New York City
and employed number Of men under various
promises of high wages and prospective Inter-
est In his gold mine, among whom was this
man Kerrigan. On their arrival in this city,
Baker, Kerrlgan and Lindsay called at my
residence for the purpose Of securing ap-
poinlments for some Of their party to act as
State constablcs for the arrest Of the men who
were disturbing them with threats, &c.
I advised Colonel Baker to get himself or
one Q! his men appointed deputy United States
Marshal, which he agreed to do, I at the same
time agreeing TO appoint some of his men con-
stables, that they might be authorized to
make legal arrests, as 1t was alleged that some
OF the offending parties were from North Caro-
lima, aud that If they could be Identified they
would be arrested and brought to Justice, or
necessilated to leave the State. This was the
only conversation that ever had with Kerri-
gan or any of his party, and this was In pres
ence of several gentlemen whose word is un-
impeachable.
In reference to the names Of men mentioned
or spoken Of In this connection as obnoxious,
they are wholly new to me, and am not
aware that such men live in Union County, or
any other County of the State, having never
before seen or heard their names; hence I
could have expressed no desire to have had
them molested.
Kerrigan further states that This party was
STATE docs not own Spencer rifle; hence these
men could not have been armed with them,
and to my certain knowledge they were not
armed with any kind of a gun. AS an evil
dence of the correctness of this statement,
Kerrlgan, on his return to this city from the
mines, stated 10 me, in presence of other gen.
tlemen, that Baker had taken them to the
mines, where they were nightly fired upon by
unseen parties, without any means of self
defence save the presence Of ten United States
soldiers. whose services Baker had procured
from the military post at Union Courthouse to
protect these men, whom Kerrgan represents
to have been brought here to commit these in
famous outrages.
do not believe any portion of this state
ment in reference 10 other parties mentioned
in this communication, from the fact that he
(Kerrgan) made threats, both here and in
New York City, that he would make damaging
statements through the press against indlvid-
,lals In this State il not paid his demand upon
Baker, claiming that Baker had deceived him
in not giving him an interest in this gold mine,
rs promised before coming here.
I refer you TO letter enclosed of Colonel c.
C. Puffer, one Of the gentlemen present when
Baker, Kerrigan aud Lindsay called upon me.
I can scarcely conceive Of any man being so
lost to every sense of decency as to make
statements 30 gIaringly false as these under
consideration. AS further evidence OF the i'm
probability Of these statements, I refer you to
letter enclosed from General c. L. Anderson,
who was present when Kerrlgan called on me
on his return from the gold mine. can only
express the hope that you will not publish this
article, so full of malignant falsehood, as no
good results can come from 1t.
Very respectfully,
R. K. SCOTT Governor.
Accompanying this letter were the follow