Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-24
WASHINGTON.
A RLARsTED LIE

/ bl4AEso4EB LAAas
WASHINGTON, February 23.-7The
IEi5tgle's special says a delegation Of
! three members from the South Caro-
! lima Legislature arrived here Monday
evening, and asked the President TO
order troops in the counties OF
Laurens, Union, Spartanburg, York
and Abbeville, where, they say,
| the Ku-Klux Outrages have be-
come so frequent, and perpetra-
tors SO bold and defiant, that
it is no longer safe for order
loving men Of any party to remain
| there. These gentlemen were sent
here for the purpose Of making
/ political capital. Their State is
/ Republican by more than thirty
i thousand majority They need no
more Republican votes, and I'M
| less Union men are driven out
Of the infested section, or frightened
out OF all participation in political af-
! fairs, any action of the Executive will
| in no way change the result of future
| elections. They report that the
| troubles of which they complain be.
| gan the day before the October eleC-
ton, with whipping of a negro, one Of
/ the Judges of the election, in order to
! prevent him being at his post at the
polling place. There was, however,
no interference with the voting in
| Laurens county, as a detachment of
United States troops were stationed
! there on that day. After the election
| the soldiers were withdrawn, and be-
fore they were out of hearing, the
Ku-KluX showed themselves, The
| Constable, who had a warrant for the
/ arrest of two men, was attacked near
| the courthouse. A gun was fired,
and as this was the signal, a line
of men, armed with rifles, appeared
on the square and commenced firing;
then separating into squads Of two or
| three, they secured the country
around and shot down in cold blood
| eleven prominent leaders of the Re
publicans, most of whom were as
sassinated without warning. Among
the victims of this outrage were
the Probate Judge for the county,
aud member of the State Legisla-
ture. The troops were Immediately
sent back, and while they remained
the county was comparatively safe.
Since their withdrawal many persons
have been whipped and otherwise
I HLlaLAGElullN
rested several men, five of whom are
known to have been engaged in the
Laurens affair, who were taken from
Columbia and released on writ of
HabedS corpus by Judge Irwin, who
has since been impeached by the
Legislature, but resigned before the
trial The most recent outrage took
place in Union county six weeks ago.
While the cOlOred militia were on
parade, they demanded whisky OF an
Illicit distiller, who gave some, but
refused more on the plea that it was
not his property. He was taken into
the woods and shot. The Republi-
can as well as Democratic journals
Immediately demanded that the
guilty men should be arrested and
punished. Five members of the regi- !
ment were thrown in Jail, two of
whom were probably able tOprOve an
alibi. These men were taken from
Jail during the night by mob of dis
gUised men, and shot. Two were
killed outright, and the mob, suppOs-
ing the others dead, left them. Three
who escaped badly wounded were re-
placed in Jail. These informed the
authorities that they knew who the
parties were who engaged in the for
mer outrage, and, if their safety were
guaranteed, they would tell. Judge
Thomas, of Columbia, issued a writ
removing the three men to that city,
to be placed in the hands of the sheriff.
After some delay it was reported that
complete arrangements had been
made for their safe removal on
February 10. On Sunday night,
band of about eight hundred men,
armed and masked, rode into the /
town, picketing all the roads, and |
went to the jail and tied the keeper, !
hitChing him to a post. They got !
the key from his wife by threats of |
instant death, and, taking ten prison !
ers a little out of town, shot six, hung |
two, and took two away. The latter |
have not since been found. This out |
rage was seen by the Mayor Of the |
town, many citizens, and by the edi- |
tor OF the Democratic newspaper, who |
unite in asking for troops. They say |
that the men committing these out |
RACES are eX-COnfederate soldiers who |
never disbanded, and neither militia |
nor civil authorities are able to stop |
them.
BIGAAIIST BOWEN.
In the Police Court to-day, before |
District Attorney Harrington, c. c. |
Bowen, charged by Mrs. Frances
Hicks with bigamy, waived prelim- |
mary examination. This is his second !
case Of bigamy. The accused is held |
in bail for $1,000.