The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-16

IL. Jc5Hsoc-M:y e pleasA your
Honore, you have ruled that unless we
can show that there were Ku Klux ct the
election, it is not competent for us to
bring it in as evidence. How are we to
know who were Ku Klux? The prosecu-
tion have continually rung In the Brat
tons in the course Of their testimony.
They make it appear that DR.. Brattou
was leader. and claim to show, from
alleged declarations of DR.. Brattop, the
nature OF this conspiracy with which the
prisoner is charged. Now, in the name
OF common sense, il the declarations OF
DR.. Bratton. as an alleged co.conspira-
tor. is admitted against the prisoner,
why may not the actions of Dr.. Bratton
be given in evidence in his defence?
Tho court ruled the question to be
competent.
Witness-I did see DR.. Bratton in
town that day, and I never saw or heard
OF any disturbance or interference at the
polls. There was great state Of alarm
in the country from the time Scott
armed the militia; there was general
feeling OF uneasiness and anxiety. I
saw subscription paper being handed
aronnd In town to buy guns to defend
the place. There were some burninRs
IN the country, but Mrs. Rainey's gin.
house was the only instance that knew
OF toward Chester. The first fire that
heard OF was DR.. Ellison's mill; Hiram
Thomas and Mrs. Thomas. Hugh War
rem and DR.. Lowrey had their gin-houses
burned. 1 know that the people were
alarmed by the threats Of inoendiarism
by the oolored people. knew Jim Will
iiams sixteen or seventeen years; he had
very good character up 20 the time he
got the guns; he was idle, didn't work
much. 1 saw him just after Mrs. Raj
neys Clubhouse was burned, and asked
him il he wouldn't send his guns back.
He said he would ask the company. I
advised him that he had better 90 out of
the County for while; for from his
threats thought he was in danger. He
didn't deny making the threats, but he
said needn't be uneasy. He regarded
me as one OF his old masters family.
be said he had been in Sherman's army
and that he had as much right to arrest
man as any OF Sherman's officers; he
was referring to his arrest OF Mr.. Men
denhall. 1 saw him in York on the
ihursday, or Thursday week, before he
was hung. There had not been any
raldlng IN his section OF country before
ne was hung; there were III other parts.
be told me he was alarmed, for that he
mad found what told him to be true,
and that he would give up the guns; but
ne didn't. The colored people on my
plantation we're very mnch alarmed
about the Ku Klux in February. I
don't know whether the raids or the
Durnlngs commenced first. It is said
that white Republicans burned Ellison's
mill. think the cause OF the disturb.
ances was the antagonism between the
Ku Klux and the Union League. Miles
Johnson told me that he had saved York
from being burned twice; the converse
tlon occurred in December. The peo
pie were guarding the town every night.
! met Miles johnson in the road; had
heard that he was sleeping out from fear
OF the Ku Kinx; 1 told him if he was, he
might cone to my house. He pulled
some scraps OF paper out of his pocket
snd showed them to me; they we're
signed or had marked on them K. K. K.
badly written. That was oil that I saw.
be appeared cool, but seemed under
some apprehensions. thought, as q
mater OF course, that they had been
talking OF burning the town; as he said
he had saved it twice. Jim Williams
was not what L would consider danger
Gus, but he was ignorant and foolish and
could be influenced to do most any thing.
1 wouldn't have been afraid of him alone.
but II he had started his company,
don't know where the matter would have
stopped. l don't know that Jim object.
cd to giving up the guns because OF fear
OF the Ku Klux.
Mr.. Lowrey then came down from the
yPI OF t~-k
called by the defence. He said-I told
Jim Williams, in that first conversation
L had with him, that it was said lie
threatened to kill from the cradle to the
grave. He gave me an evasive answer. In
tha second conversation with him, I told
him again. He said he had said so. and
that ii Crawford and Mendenhall didn't
let him alone. they would find some
morning before the sun rose that there
was no country here. He said he could
carry on war as we'll as any officer in
Sherman's army, and that he had a Do.
per from Gov. Scott authorizing him to
do it.
The next witness was David Thomas
son. He said-I lived about six miles
from Jim Williams. had talk with
him at grog shop, near my house, not
long before he was hung. He and I
were Joking about his arrest OF Menden-
ball. He said he intended to sweep
from the cradle to the grave.
Cross-e1amined-I voted the Demo-
cratic ticket. I didn't lay out from fear
of the Ku Klux. know Hector Love. 7
never asked him to change his politics.
so that the Ku Klux wouldn't trouble
him. [ was arrested and carried to
Yorkville by the military. The ONLY
charge I heard against me, was when
Major Merrill asked mo if I didn't hold
night meetings to get colored people to
change their politics, and told them that
Ku Kiux wouldn't hurt Democrats. /
told him [ did not.