The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-24
Senator orews. end choir partIonIar ffiends

sonator Crews. and their PARTICULAR friends
were tp some fear for their safety. They
aiEsetly and BY daylight to some other good
lnizsd oity, since they kneWS that8He Ku klu1
watehe ed their movements cpnete ns1y and could
bring them down. with rife bullets. il they
anos SeRsher sSud tR ssssha Ka kinx d
leaders into theft grasp. although theySknew
well who they wore, and whore they wore to
competent men in tho State who were willing
to silence the rebel MAJ auders. One Senator
was afraid to so home unless with a strong
body guard. This state OF affairs will explain
the proposal which MAS made to some OF us in
| Columbia.
"Our party was staying at kosc's Hotel.
| and State Senator, accompanied by another
| well-known gentleman, visited us. He had
several conversations with John Barret and
| John Corcoran. He said that tho Ku Klux
carried things with such a high hand in Lau-
rens County, as to prevent his entering it.
trouble. 1t had been determined to wipe out
| tho whole gang. Tho Senator said this with
o pleasant smile; and after this introduction
particulars. John Barret, John Corcoran,
John O'Drion and myself, wore to proceed to
| Lnurens. and were thero to be furnished with
| horses Of speed and endurance, for fear that
were to watch for the opportunity, and whom
ready, were to attack the ku Klux and shoot
Mr.. Todd, Mr.. Clurc and Mr.. McCurley, their
leaders. For this, We were promised s30. 900
| and State protection, besides $40, 900 which
was said to bo deposited in q safe belonging
| to Mr.. Todd. If we accomplished our pnr-
| pose, we were told that Colonel kerr..a an
would receive one of the best Offices in the
State. In the meantime, tho other party was
| to attack David Gest, Captain Of tho Ku
Klux, Jasper Gibbs, ex-Shcriff Smith, j. Rice
ltogers, the present Sheriff, - Sumner and
Hciiry west, all Of Union, town some twenty
mica from Columbia Tho rl f0r t.ac \,
| missing Ku Klux leader was to be so, 600. In
case of any trouble arising from our work, the
protection of tho State wac promised.
1--WE had accepted Bakers proposal expect
| ing that the positions he offered us were Il
| sort OF political sinccurc, and that in return
we were to protect somebody somewhere
against the Ku klux; but we had not expected
| anything of this kind. We dared not, how
| ever, openly reject the proposals which had
been made to us, and we therefore assented.
though without any intention OF doing the
required work. We accordingly, started for
Union by rnil. were there armed with Win
| chester repeating rifles, and then journeycd
| by wagon to the Union gold mines, which are
some seventeen miles dstant from Union pro.
United States regulars, under Lieutenant
| Paul. On reaching tho mines, i'll which, as
| understood, Scott and others arc interested,
| but which tho Ku Klu1 will not allow to be
worked, we looked about US for the negro
miners, whom we were to protect; but not n
solitary soul, black or white, was to DO seen
in the neiShborhood. Under tho circum-
stances, We did the best could. The
wagons which had conveyed us to the spot
had returned, and we would have to tramp the
| listancc back. rather than do that, we con-
clu,icd to remain where we We're and await de-
| vclopmcnts. Our party took up quarters III
| two deserted log cabins. and the regulars put
| up their tents. We remained at the mines ten
days, and during that time were thrice at
| tackled at night by the ku kluX, who, fasten-
| ing their horses ut distance, crcpt in and
! fired ut onr pickcts. On the fourth day, Co.
| lionel Baker, who had accompanied lis to the
| minos, left us and went to Columbia. a few
days after Bakers departure, we sent mes
snhgcr to Scott, for We had grown impatient,
| and wanted to know what We were to do. On
| tho tenth day he rcturnei, accompanied by
United States Marshal Wilson, who had
orders to convey us back to Columbia. On
! our return to Columbia. We were paid, but in i
, stead of receiving three dollars per day for
| our services as promised, wo received only
two dollars, and were, moreover, ordered
| to leave tho State at once, under penalty of
| arrest. Of conrse did 80. We had seen
| enough OF Scott tu know that. having tho
power, lie would use it. Our party cost him, 3,
or perhaps South Carolina. about Sc 900.
Senator Crews visited New York. Crews
| lodged at the st. Nicholas, and Scott at the
metropolitan. They stood ono evening in the
| entrance to Niblo's Garden, and were there
into a conversation, which presently culm-
mated i'll quarrel. Colonel Kcrrig gan was
very angry, and loudly denounced Crews.
No little confusion ensued, and Crews, hear,
begged to know what wus wanted to settle til G
trouble, and prevent Its reaching the news pa
pers. The next day, he hastily left the city
for his stronghold i'll South Carolina. Here,
now, you have my story, and 1 have made il
az straig ighttorward rs possible.
s.SAMUEL HOGGETT.'
IA Sun reporter. after receiving tho above
statement from Mr. Hoggett, visited tho St
Nicholns and metropolitan Hotels, and learned
that Senator Crews and Governor Scott left
the city week ago last Saturday. The
above statement is backed by the sworn
ailidavits of i've members OF Hogget's party
all Of Which arc in The pos sessn OF tho editor
Of the san. The aflidavits are explicit. and
assert much more than Mr.. Hoggett's letter I
Eutaw Encampment. No. 2, I. O. o. F.