The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-07
AKU-KLUX FIASC0 IN YORK
PRESEN OF THE COUNTY
GRIND JURY.

PRES OF THE COUNTY
GRIND JURY.
The Result OF Eight Days work
Congressman Wallace and Colonel
Merrill Utterly Break Down-No PROOF
of Ku-KIuxism-Energet Action OF
the Jury.
The grand Jury of York County have thor
oughly investigated the circumstances con-
nected with the alleged Ku-Klux oatrages,
and devoted eight days Of their time to the
subject. Upon the testimony ELECTED some
few persons have been presented for indict'
ment, in pursuance of which, on motion Of
Solicitor Brawley, the following order was
made:
is ordered that the clerk Of the court do
issue bench warrants for the arrest OF all par.
ties charged therein with the commission OF
crime and misdemeanors, and also for toe al
rest of oil witnesses named therein, aud that
said clerk do bind over said witnesses to ap-
nsar at the next term Of this court; that the
sheriff of York County do proceed TO execute
said warrants, and If the parties therein named
have fed from or reside beyond the limits OF
This county, that the bench warrants for them
or any OF them be forwarded to the sherlffs of
any and every county in this State where sucn
persons reside or may be found.
The presentment as published in the York
vile ENQUIRER, so far as it relates to the Ru-
Klux, is as follows:
In reference to the special charge of your
Honor. relating TO information furnished Hon.
SJohn Scott, chairman of Congressional lnVes,
Dbgatinn committee, relative to outrages SAID
to have been recently committed In TINS coans
ty by organized bands of men, we report tnas
we have given the matters therein mentioned
nm investigation, occupying over weeks
time of our present session. The charges Of
violence emanated, 1t Is said, from Hon. a. :.
Wallace and Colonel Lewis Merrill, command
mandant of this post. Your grand jury had
these persons summoned befors them, ana
found, upon examination, that neither Of them
acre able to state any facts from lndacadual
kaotoledge.
The Hon. A. s. Wallace stated that he had
reDor,ed school-house burned IN Fairfield
County, but gaze no Information as 10 Schoot-
house having been burned IN YORK C0unty;
and if such crime has been committe1 any
where in the county we have falled 10 ootain
the slightest evidence OF the fact, even py
hearsay or otherwise, from large number OF
witnesses examined, representing all sections
OF the county.
Colonel Merrill furnished your grand jury
with the names OF large number OF witness
es, whom, it was stated, could give us the
requisite information as to the outraSes ana
violence asserted in the communication OF
Senator Scott to the President to have been
.cs,nmitted In this county. The witnesses
named were summoned, and all whom the
sheriff was able to serve attended and gave
their evidence. From tnat evidence we nave
been able to gather the following facts:
l. A school.house In Bethel township was
pulled down about year since, by parties un-
known to any OF the witnesses. IL has been
plled or thrown down twice since mat lime,
tby parties unknown to the witnesses. from
the testimony taken, we arrive at the concu-
sion that Tie misdemeanor toas the result Of ~
cnIrg bet,oeen FACTIONS of t,oo ritual teachers,
who had solicited the occupancy OF the build
ing from the school trustees.
3. In B,llock's Creek township, on the ninth
of September, instant. three men passed oy the
house of one W. j. Wilson aud 1red on pls-
tol. and used boisterous and profane language.
:. Ihev ,pere not disguised; and Mr.. wilson rec0g-
kaized, By the sound OF their voices, two OCT ot
the three person3-Mack Sandlin and Sherrod
-Childers. We herewith present the said Mack
Sandlln and Sherrod Chllders for riot, and sug.
gest that proper proceedings oe commenced
against them by the solicitor OF the circuit.
8 Two colored persons-Wash Coulter ana
Abram ChoaI-state that q short time since
several persons came to their house In disguise
and chunked them. No other testimony could
be furnished by them as to this affair. and
JfeU COutU 1tOL ukStGyutoS Weo Po oNfOV " N'sS
ofihe party alleged to haze assaulted hen:
4. Some time in August last, one Neal
Glenn (co!ored) was assaulted at his house oy
Giles Crawford and George Leslie, (colored)
who called him out of his residence and COM
mtted battery upon him and cut him twice
with knife. warrant OF arrest was suea
out against the offenders, but they had fed
into North Carolina before 1t could be ex.
.ecuted. This affair ,oas reported to us as q
Ku.Klur outrage Of aggravated utotence:
These are the only acts of the utolation Of
the peace of,ohich zoe haUe been dbleto obtain
aRs evidence, as hautng occurred since the first
of .Tuty last
Several acts of violence, accompanied by
crime, are reported as having occurred In the
early cart of the year. Among these there
was q raid made upon the office OF the county
treasurer, one E. NJ. Rose. on the 26th OF Feb
ruary last. One James B. Porter, who was
present, represents that there were number
OF persons in disguise engaged in the raid;
that whipping was administered to him, and
that he recognized BY their voices aud man
ners Lawson Armstrong and Pinckney Cald.
well, clizens OF this county, as members OF
the party We herewith present the same
for the action Of the law officer Of the court.
None others of the party have been recog-
nized. Some damage to the building occurred;
quantity OF liquor belonging to ID. s. Russell
& Co. was destroyed; but so far as we can
ascertain, the funds OF the office were not In
terlereu Will.
One Henry Latham (colored) represents that
he was whipped at some period Of the present
year by q number OF persons of whom ne re-
ccgnized three, viz: X. A. Black, James Sher-
rer and Dock Sherrer. He recognized Black,
because ne is left handed, and the man who
whipped nim was left-handed man. He knew
Sherrer by the first finger OF the right hand
being of. We present the said persons for in
ciclment upon the testimony Of the Witness
above named.
= We call the attention Of the solicitor to evil
cence herewith appended, relative to the muir
der of one Anderson Brown, IN January last
NE do not regard the eu,dence Of Wesley Thonl-
.asson-lhe only important witness-ds sa.tici.
ently definite to 1odrrdnt us in presenting at
present, for prosecution, the names OF any
parties.
Your grand jury have also inquired into the
murder of one Jim Williams (colored,) occur
ring In March last. Such evidence as we have
been able to discover In this case is herewith
apyended, for the information of the civil OH.
GERS of the Slate. We do not regard it as suf'
fciently definite TO authorize any special pre-
sentiment from us.
We have also examined such witnesses as
we could obtain, or whose names were report
ed. in reference to homicide committed
upon The body of Thomas Roundtree, COLOR
.ed. ! In the fall of 1870. Three witnesses sum-
moned in this case are reported absent, ana
were not served with summons. Such evil
- horo hoon ah1p t0 obtain Is here