The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-09
THEUP-COUNTRY TROUBLES
FOUR SUSPECTED n URDERE e r S
LYYCHED BIZ n MOB.
Murders by Negroes In spartanburg-
Indignation Meeting ofthe White Cit
izens,

The Columbia Union (2adical) gives another
version of the outrages In Union County. This
account shows that the murder of Mr.. Stevens
(said to have been the work Of negro militia)
was cold-bnoded and deliberate; also that the
Ellis brothers, suspected Of the murder, were
killed while resisting arrest. The Union says:
We have learned another version of the
Union outrages, and we give 1t to our readers
as Il comes to tls. The parties giving us the
Information are responsible men, holding high
positious in the community at Unionville, and
express themselves as decidedly opposed to
these bloody forays, and anxious to take what
ever steps may be necessary and practicable
TO put q stop to this hellish business. The
murder of Stevens appears to. have been a
cold-blooded, deliberate transaction, Judging
from all the different versions that have
reached us. They all seem to agree upon this
point, however materially they may differ on
Others. He was met 10 the road, tahen
ever his crime Was-if he had committed any
no man, or set OF men, had the right
TO take the law into his, or their hand,
and punish him. 1t Is said that he refused to
rive the whiskey which he had In his wagon
10 those demanding It, and for this refusal he
was killed. The people of Union, hearing Of this
murder, become very much excited, and s'ls-
plcl0n lalllhS lpOu luS Ciiio ofopheAo 20 Dsiae'
engaged in the murder. warrants were pro-.
cured for their arrest. The officer detailed for
this purpose, approached the house to arrest
the EllIses and was told by them that they
would not surrender, and Immediately dis
charged their guns, one OF the balls, IL ls SAID,
passing through the clothing of one Of The
parties who accompanied the olncer. Upon
this, the officer, and those accompanying hlm,
set ND an indscriminate firing on the house,
the former in the meantime being wounded 30
badly that he has since died. Finally, the
Mayor OF the town, Mr.. Goss, and Colonel
McKIsstck arrived upon the spot, and volun-
teered 10 go and arrest the Ellis brothers,
which they did, and conducted them TO jail
II Is immaterial who fired the first shot In
this last transaction. fthe officer had war
rant for the arrest OF the Ellis brothers they
should have surrendered at once. After this
affair of Sunday, everything was quiet up 10
Wednesday night. About one o'clock In the
morning OF Thursday, q company OF disguised
men appeared at the JUL and demanded OF the
keeper or sheriff the keys. These he refused
to surrender, but the attacking party entered
the Iail. broke the locks of the doors. took six
men from the Jail tO'a distance therefrom, and
shot two OF them to death, left two more badly
wounded, while the other two have not been
seen since.
One of the murdered men vas Elliott Walk
er. the captain Of the militia company IN
Union, the one who was arrested on the rail-
road train on Monday last. and the other was
Charncr Gordon. The two wounded men were
Joe Ellis and Andy Thompson.
No one, 1t Is said, knows who any of this
band OF ruifians were, but it Is quite evident
to every thinking man that they are people
fully, posted in regard to everything that IS
going on in that vicinity. We have no doubt
county, and some Of them, probably, OF the
village. large number of the citizens are
here to ask assistance In the matter, and all
parties seem anxious that garrison should be
sent there at once. We can see no way out OF
this terrible state of affairs but for the people
of the country to rise In their might and de-
termne to shoot down, on sight, the first dis
guised man who is seen prowling about. 1t
IS an awful state of uncertainty tor people
10 live iu. No one knows how soon he may
be dragged from his bed, at the dead OF night,
and cruelty murdered in cold blood. Every
day these matters seem to grow worse Instead
OF better. The people Of that county owe 1t
to themselves to the credit OF the State that
everything should be done that can be done to
put a stop to these inhuman barbarities. HUI
manity shudders at the mere mention OF such
hendish crueltles. They must organize vigil
lance committees whose duty 1t shall be to ar
rest all persons seen prowng about the coun-
try and bring them at once to justice. Every
outrage like This puts the county back at least
O quarter of century In the scale OF pro-
gress. Will the people rise to the necessity OF
this occasion
ANOTHER MURDER.
The Carolina Spartan Conservative gives
the following account of the murder oil color
ed trial justice, named Johnston, in Spartan
burg County. There was no Ku-Klux about
this Johnston was very unpopular with the
no,rrooo Tho gnartan SAYS.
We are informed that Anthony Johnston.
the colored trial Justice of this county, snd
candidate for the Legislature OF the late elec-
ton, was shot aud killed by parties unknown,
at or near his house, In the nelghborhooa OF
Paeolett Depot, on the night Of the 29th ult.
We have learned nothing of the particulars of
this outrageous act that eXcites even sus.
plcion as to whom were Its perpetrators. Bit
accounts we have heard satisfy us that It was
a brutal and outrageous murder, and no doubt
the good citizens in that section will exert
themselves in attempts to bring to Justice the
guilty parties. We will give the report we
have had of the affair, which is briefly this:
That three persons went to the house of
Johnston and made demonstrations of kind
that caused him to quit his house to find pro.
lection In the woods, and when he had reached
the distance of few hundred yards he was
shot by parties unknown, and his body fell In
branch where 1t was found. Johnston's
mother was in the house and saw the party
who is supposed to have committed the muir
der, bnt did not recognize any one OF them.
We have not learned that they were In dis
guise. and we have not heard Ku-Klux men-
toned in connection with the affair. We learned
from our informant that Johnston had rem
dered himself very unpopular with several
colored persons In his nelghborhood by acts
of tyranny and fraud towards them while act
ing as trial justice, by taking the little prop
erty which they had exempt by law, in pay
ment of his costs In cases which he had In