Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-03-02
SOUTH CAROLINA.
State at the Mercy of Marauders.
KUKLUX MURDERS.
Blue Coats, Bayonets Wanted.
CHEERFUL REBEL COMPANIONS.
New YoRK, February 23
SOUTH CAROLINA KU. KIUX.

SOUTH CAROLINA KU.KJUX.
The Tribune's Washington spec
ial says: A delegation, consisting
of three members Of the South Car
olina Legislature, arrived here Mon
day evening, and have asked the
President to order troops in the
counties of Laurens, Union, Spar
tanburg, York and Abbeville, where
they say Ku-klux outrages have be-
come so frequent, and the perpetra
tors Of them so bold and defiant
that it is no longer safe for order
loving men of any party to remain
there.
NOT FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
These gentlemen deny that they
have been sent here for the purpose
of making political capital; that
their State is Republican by more
than thirty thousand majority; that
they need no more Republican vo-
ters, and unless the Union men are
driven out of the infested section,
or frightened out of all participa-
ton in political affairs, any action
of the Executive can in no way
change the result Of future elec-
tions.
BEGINNING OF TROUBLE.
They report that the troubles of
which they complain began ON the
day before the election, in October
last, with the whipping of negro
judge of the election in order to
prevent him from being present at
the polling place to which he was
assigned. There was, however, no
interference with voting in Lau-
rens county, as a detachment of
United States troops was stationed
there. On the day after the elec-
ton the soldiers were withdrawn,
and before they were out of hearing
the Ku- klux showed themselves.
MILD HAMMERED MASKS.
A constable who had the warrant
for the arrest of two men was at
tackled near the Court house, and
fired, and as this was the signal
agreed upon, line of men armed
with rifles appeared on the square
and commenced firing, then sepa-
rating into squads of two or three
they secured the country around /
and shot down in cold blood eleven
Of the prominent Republican lead
ers, most of whom were assassinat-
ed without any warning. Among
the victims of this outrage were
the Judge of the Probate Court for
the county and a member Of the
State Legislature.
cOWARDLY OUTRAdES.
The troops were Immediately sent
back, and while they remained, the
county was comparatively safe.
Since their withdrawal many per-
sons have been whipped and other
wise shamcfully abused.
VIRTUE or THE HABEAs CORPUS.
The troops arrested several men
known to have been engaged in the
Laurens affair, and they were taken
to Columbia. They were immedl-
ately released on writs of habeas
corpus issued by Judge Vernon,
who has since been impeached by /
the Legislature, but he resigned be-
fore his trial began.
LATEST MURDERS.
The most recent Outrage reported
by this delegation took place in
Macon about SIX weeks ago, while
the colored militia were on parade.
They demanded whisky of an illicit
distiller, who gave them some, but
refused more on a plea that it was
not bis property, He was taken
into the woods and shot. The Re
as well as the Democratic
journals, Immediately demanded {
that the guilty men should be ar s
rested and punished for the crime
Five members Of the regiment were
placed in jail, two of whom, how
ever, were PROBABLY able to prove
that they were not on parade when
the murder was committed These
men were taken from the Jail dur
ing the night, by mob Of disguis- +
ed men, and shot. Two were killed Z
outright, md the mob, supposing |
The others were dead, left them I
PERPETRATORS KNOWN.
The three who escaped, we're r
badly wounded but replaced in Jail. {
When partially recovered, they in t
formed the authorities that they a
Knew some men who were engaged 9
ii the former outrage, and that If
heir safety could be guaranteed, \
hey would tell who we're the guilty =
men. Judge Thomas, Of Colum- : :
oia, issued a writ, ordering the re- !,
noval Of the three men to that "
,lty, and placed it in the hands of
he Sheriff, with orders to execute {
I, After some delay, it was re- i
ported that he had completed ar 1
'angements for their secret remov- c
Il, on February 10th, il
TEN PRISONERS MURDERED. y
On Sunday night, a band OF about !
800 men, armed and masked, rode
nto town picketed all the roads