The Portland daily press., 1871-08-01


roof that there is an organization in the South
the most fendish outrages
The Associated Press dispatches from Wash
ngton say that the sub Klu- Klux Committee,
consisting of Senator Scott and Repre- senta-
ives Stenson and Van Trump reached that
;ity Saturday, returning from sujouru of four
weess in various parts of South Carolina
" here they have been investigating the Ku-
klux ontrages on the spots where they occur
red. They fist visited The capital Columbia.
More than "a buLdred refugees, who had fed |
from violence in various counties. where there, |
but, alter examining the witnesses Tor two days,
the committee determined TO approach more |
closely to the scenes Of alleged violence, and |
went 10 Spai tansburg They expected to re.
main there three or four days, bnt eoutiuued |
eleven. When the ews of the ir pieseIce got |
abroal through Spa.tspsbuIg county, The
white and coored victims Of violence came in
by scores every day and from all dire ctions
Murders and cruel whippiDgs by KuKlux
bands had so terrified them in many neishbor
hoods that ueary every negro and Republican
white man had slept at night in the woods for
months. They showed scarified backs, gun
shot wounds, MANNED ears, and other proofs of
cruelties which they had suffered In Lime.
stone Spring township 6ne hundred and eight
ten cases of whipping were proved. The COM
mlttee awoke every morning to ind in the yard
OF the hotel new crowd of victims of the Ku
Klux, some of them being white men " no had
endured wrongs which cannot be described
with decency. After being whipped the VIC
TINS, II well known persons. were often ordered,
under penalty of death, to publish card re-
nounciDg the Republican party. In file of
the Spartan, South Carolina, Democratic news
paper, forty-twO such cards were found recent.
ly published.
AT Uniousville the committee remained two
days. Not an avOwed white Republican was
found IN The place, though members of the com
mittee were privately assured by few that
they would acknowledge themselves such il
protected: The terror of the negro was uni
versal. The last election was carried by Re-
publican majority, but the Republican county
officers received Ku Klux notices, and all re-
signed or ned. The movement there has been
more toward murder and toward whipping
The killing OF ten negroes taken from iail by
several hundred Ku Klux, acting under a
military organization, was investigated. A
prominent lawyer OF the place, Mr.. Shard,
Democrat, on crOss-exa miDation startled the
committee by stating that he believed that al
most every respectable unmarried man in the
community belonged to the Ku-Klux, and he
believed that Thousand Ku Klux were within
days march of that village.
,, "A negro methodist preacher named Louis
thompson, who had an appointment, June IL.
at Goshen Hill Church, in Union county, re-
caived hu-k lux notice, in the usual form,
not to preach. He preached, Notwithstanding,
to very few most OF the con gre cation fleeing
when they saw the notice. In the evening a
M WI inf Tod II
tied and whipped him, and led him off several
miles, dragging him part of the wav tied to
horses, and whipped him again until he died.
de was mutilated IN way that cannot with
Proprlety be described. They hung him and
threw his body in the Tiger river leaving notice
tarbidding any one to bury him. Before the
committee returned Senator Scott sent Thomp-
son DrOther, now refugee from Columbia TO
U MON county, with a letter to him, giving him
strong guard of United States cavalry, to go
to be still lying half decOmpOsed at the waters
edge. Two more days were spent in examining
witnesses in Columbia. On returning from
Spartansburg one day was occupied in hearing
statements and general views of Gen. Wade
Hampton and Gen. Butler, the Democratic
candidate for Governor last fall
The committee then visited York county,
where they remained nearly week. Thew
discovered at Yorkvile bitter spirit among
the white citizens. At supper at the hotel on
eAo S'ShioS VI ehCiI arrival, Md1Or zones Bar
~ threw pitcher of milk over A. II. Wallace,
Representative OF the district, and j. E. Stew
enson. OF the committee. They had lust seat
ed themselves at the table, and not word had
been spoken. Wallace jerked out revolver
ana raised 1t to shoot Barry The ladies pres.
emit screamed, but the landlord threw himself
before Barry, and Stevenson coolly caught
Wallace's hand, ordering the landlord to stake
that man out of the rOOm.'' Half dozen of
friends gathered around Barry, and be went
out. In the course of an hour several citizens
OF prominence called to apologize in the am
pest manner on the behalf of Barry. who was
wlliDg to go on his knees if required, for what
ne allie ges was an unintentiOnal aftront to Stew
enson. 1t was subsequently ascertained that
Ine business was discussed by Barry and his
friends during the afternoon, and was to be
carried out, and Barry proposed to use hot cot
fee, but finally concluded on milk A colored
band serenaded the committee later in the eye-
ming. A crowd of young white men filled the
porch OF the hotel and about the band of the
negroes, frequently cursin9 the negroes and
Yankees in an insulting manner. AS the band
went away crowd followed and nearly filled
the sidewalk.
The band and those with the negroes were
Kept by two village policemen, from the side
man, who says that the negro resisted and
and struck him, but the negro and two men
who were close by say that the negro struggled
TO get away from the grip of the policeman,
who seized, cursed and struck him, but that
the negro did not strike. As he pulled away
the policeman, fred at the negro, and contin.
ued firing until he had inflicted five wounds
The man was still living when the committee
lett testimony showed that the policeman
and the Mayor were members of the Ku-Klux.
No one was arrested. The community in
York county was found to be in an almost ut
ter social and political state Of Decentralization.
the civil authorities being a useless force and
mockery. Colonel Merrill, in command of the
small detachment of military stationed these.
an officer of high character and great energy.
laid before the committee details of sixty-eg6t
cases OF outrages which he had investigated,
some of them being most horrible and revolt
ing. 1t was found impossible for the commit
tee to examine more than small part of the
crowd OF whipped, MANNED and terror stricken
wretches who fiocked in upon hearing of their
coming.
The usual course pursued on arriving at
place was to divide the time that they expect
ed to remain between the majority and mi
nority of the committee. Judge Van Trump
usually called two or three of the most promi-
nent lawyers, who each occupied several hours
IN setting forth tine Democratic view of the af-
fairs, giving their opinions on the relations of
the two races in efficiency and the corruptions
OF the STATE Government and the feeling of
the people toward the General Government,
Ihey always said that they had heard of the
hu AUX, but never saw one. Generally thew
seemed to regard them sort of vigilance
committee or irregular local police. They did
not consider them under a general organiza-
ZION, out SIMPLY to repress outbreaks. The ma
lority called Tor were those who had seen and
felt the Ku Klux. Oaths and forms of pro-
ceedings in the Khan councils, and their modes
OF operation when riding on their raids were
fuiy developed. Scores of men. whom proof
showed to be Ku klux, were examined all Of
whom, except few whose disclosures were
full and important, denied any knowledge
whatever of the Ku Klux. One, who was
SHOWN to have been in several outrages. swore
that he had never heard of the existence of
hu hinX IN his life. Judge Van Trump sub
lected all the witnesses called by the majority
TO most searching cross. examination.
Inc hu klux committee adopted resolu-
ton for the appointment of a subcommittee of
three to hear the testimony of few witnesses
now on the1r way to Washington, when an ad-
lpurnment will take place until the Goth of
September.
SEVERE ACCIDENT.-An accident happened
On July 18th at Ophir Placer county. to j. S.
Spring, former resident of Grass Valley, of
which we get the following PARTICULARS
Mr. S. and man named John Bowen, for |
nerly residing here, was engaged in sinking a |
we'll. They had reached the depth of 80 feet,
using giant powder for blasting. On Saturday
Afternoon, after firing blast and allowing, as |
hey supposed sufficient time to elapse to clear
he well from the effects of the powder, Mr.. &.
vas lowered and commenced filling the tub |
With the debris. when he suddenly sprang into
he tub and called TO Bowen to hoist. When
'0out ten feet from the surface Mr.. s. fell from
he tub to the bottom of the we'll, striking on
he back part of his head. On being brought
% the surface he was unconscious from con.
,usSiOu of the brain On ey niat;on tbo Of.