The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-09-20

In the Columbia Union of the 10th
instant, we find the following lettor {:
WlNNsDono, Sept. is, 1871.
To Mc Editor of the Daily Union:
This will inform you thut the Ku
klux arc still on tho war path in this
county. On Monday night, the 4th
instant, tho house of George Pickcns,
IN honest and industrious oolorcd
maa, who lives on the place of DR.. jeff.
lyles, about sixteen miles northwest
Of this place, was visited by band
of disguised men, between the hours
of 10 and | O'Clock. The band dis.
mounted and fred about twenty shots,
tho most of which went throug gh the
house.
Pickcns has a fine growing crop, and
will bo compelled to abandon it. lie
is now in this place making efforts to
remove his family here. lie con give
no cause fer this visit of night riders,
except that he is Republican.
There was also n band of Ku Klux
out near Ridgoway ono night last,
week, but they committed no extra.
ordinary excesses. X.
Our attention has been called to
this remarkable letter, not only on &C.
count Of the falschoods and inaccu.
racies contained in it, but also, as dis.
playing deliberate attempt to will
fully misrepresent tho condition of
affairs in this County. In regard to
tho contents of the letter, We have
this much to say in reply: According
to the statement of George Pickens
himself, party of not moro than
three or four men did visit his house,
but whether or not they were disguis-
cd, he, himself, does not know. They
did not dismount, nor were twenty
shots fired into his house.
We make this statement upon the
faith of what he reported to q gentle
man of this town.
We know not from what source the
Union correspondent derived his in.
formation, but this we do know, that,
from the character Of the person We
believe to DO tho Union corrospon.
dent, it we'll suits his low, vile pur-
poses, to color his statements far be-
yond the limits of truth.
Tho report of tho appearance Of
ku Klux at Ridgcway, wo pronounce
UNANIMOUSLY false, and un'css the Union
correspondent can furnish good
grounds for his statement, ho stands
guilty of baso lie in the estimation
of all right-mindcd people.
Lcttors Of o similar character to
tho above have, at different times been
Published in the Union, attempting
to cast slanderous imputations upon
tho character of the white people Of
this County. Wo denounoe all such
as cowardly attacks upon brave but
unfortunate people. They omauate
from source scarcely worthy of no.
tice, except that Of dontncation, and
1t is for this reason that we have givon
tho above place in our editorial col.
ums.
Why is not the Union correspon-
dent prompt in reporting all outrages
in this County, such as barn-burning,
cattle'steoling, houso-broaking, mur.
dors, md host of other crimes that
are of daily occurrence in our midst :
lie does not, because the perpetrators
are his friends and political allies,
and sit with him in socret conolave,
plotting injury and harm to his own
race. But let ono Of tho "cullerd
brethren" be visited by somo private
enemy and have few pistol shots
fired at his house, and straightway We
500 in tho "Munohauscu Organ" of
modern times lettor from "Our
Winnsboro Correspondent" detailing
a horrible Ku Klux outrage in Fair
field County. Every affair in which
the "poor" negro is the victim, is
forthwith reported as tho work Of tho
bloody ku Klnx. '....
We intend to expose and denounco
every attempt that is made, calculat.
cd to convey false impression of the