The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-08-30
CRIME IN THE STATE.
A Murder Near Georgetown.


The Georgetown Times OF August "a says /:
ION Thursday, a fortnight ago, Abram Aston
and Henry Fenick left Smlthville, plantation
on Santee, belonging to the estate OF the late
W. q. Mayrant, for the purpose Of taking a
hunt-each taking his gun with him. After
| being gone some Time, Aston returned with
out bis companion. On being interrogated as
they had parted just as they had got out of the
plantation, one taking one direction and the
other different one. A week wore on, and
no tfdings having been had OF Fenick, his
friends suspected that he had been foully dealt
with, and had Alston arrested. Upon being
had become Of the missing man; but on last
Sunday. while In jail, he confessed to Trial
Justice W. b. Jones, Jr., that he had killed
Fenick, but 1t was by accident, and that, In
his alarm, he had dug hole and buried him.
Coroner Munnerlyn, on Monday, summoned
jury Of inquest, and took the .prlsoner.
where he had buried his victim. The
dead body was found In secluded part
of the woods, near swamp, buried about two
feet deep, and covered by TWO logs. The prl.
soner, on being asked by the corner If he had
anything to say, said, that on Thursday, the
10th of this month, at o'clock, and Henry
Fenick started hunting; after being In the
woods about one hour, Henry Fenick was In
the act of shooting a crane, and not being
over twenty feet from him, my gun was dis
charged by q bush catching the trlgger-the
load taking effect In the side of Fenick's neck,
which killed him instantly. After Fenick fell
road-seeing no one, went back to the dead
man and buried him In hole where a tree
had been blown up some time before This
statement was reduced by the coroner to
writing, and sworn to by the prisoner. The
verdict of the coroners jury was: That Henry
Fenick came to his death by gun la the
hands of Abram Aston. The prisoner was re-
manded to Jail to await his trial at the next
term of the court The deceased was colored
man, and 1t is sad to relate that his slayer
bears the same complexion. They both were
regroes, working on the same plantation.
Had this killing been done by white man
what terrible and hideous howl would have
been raised about the Ku.Klux being at work
again."
Sham Ku-Klux.
The Clarendon Press says: "Mr. /. 1. Davis
informs us that on Thursday night last party
of some five persons In disguise waited upon
him late at night at his residence, representing
themselves to be Ku.Klux. It seems that
some fifteen days previous to the raid, that
negro and white man-both, we believe, living
on Mr.. Davis's lal-had an alteration in his
yard. The white man struck the negro several
times, was indicted therefor and lodged In
Jail. The raidlng party seemed to regard Mr..
Davis as aiding and abet.ing the negro in the
prosecution of the white man, and he was in-
formed that such would not be tolerated. He
told them that he had nothing to do with
the prosecution; on the contrary, had tried
to make 1t up between the parties; could
have induced the negro to compromise, but
the white man was averse to any concession,
anu informed them that he thought the negro
had done nothing more than he ought to have
done, and did not regard In the least their
threats. Finding that they had failed 10 intlmi-
date, the valorous five left, but not before
leaving many warnings for the future. Mr.
Davis says he has no idea that they were gen.
uine Ku.Klux, but regards it weak attempt
on the part of q few irresponsible sympathizers
of the Jailed white man to frighten him on ac-
count OF his supposed completely with the
prosecution. He thinks thef genuine order
ought to get hold of these spurious fellows
thus practIcing upon their name and offices,
and give 1t to them soundly for attempting to
encourage violations OF the law"