The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-24
berry. besides their regular pay as oousta-


ious Damocrsta Messrs, Pearson, Smith
Gibbes, West aud Skinner, aifl wealthy
men, ,fand controlling the County. Mr.
West " ho wascsptain of d company OF
mon formed for suppressing disorders,
was particularly obnoxious to the Go
vernon. and he designated them to be
'lost.'
''Mr. Hague, the Governors private
secretary, told all of the twenty-five men
in Roses Hotel, Columbia. s. G., that it
was intended that they ehould clean
out seventy citizens of the County, and
that the Governor would SEQ that they
came out Of any legal trial with flying
colors. At this interview with the men,
Baker, Runkle and Puffor were present,
and acquiesccd in all that Hague said.
Representative Joe Crews, of Laurens,
also wanted s. B. Ford, J. Kyle and A.
MeOurley, of Laurens, robbed and muir
dered. Crews would pay literally, and
if detected, the Governor, he guaranteed,
would pardon any one who was captured.
One of the above three citizens, it was
stated by Crews, had n safe in his resi-
dence, which, it was reported, contained
$15. 900 or $40, 900. This money was to
belong to the men who captured 1t.
These mon were to be killed anyhow.
Crews was so anxious that he grew fran
tic, and he told two of the party who
went from here-Mcssrs. Cochrane and
Barrow-that he would give them any
thing they wished if they would only
murder Ford, Kyle and McCurley. Lar-
kin Lancashire, distiller of Union
County, was also to be put out of the
way.
"Coloncl Kerrigan counselled his men
not to do as Governor Scott, Hague,
Baker and Crews desired, but to hold
their commissions as long as possible, so
as to get all the money possible for their
services. When it was found that Ker-
rigan and his men would not assassinate
or rob, they we've recalled by Captain
Hubbard officially, and paid off by Go
vernon Scott. They have all arrived
here, and are at present in the CITY,"
This communication is 80 circumstan
tial in its statements that we did not feel
at liberty to treat it Us malicious fabri
cation. On the other hand, we are un-
willing to print it without giving Gov.
Scott the opportunity Of making such
explanation or denial as to him might
seem fit. We accordingly forwarded n
copy of the statement of Col. Kerrigan
to Governor Scott. with the request that
he would give tho matter his immediate
received by mail the following letter,
which we now feel at liberty to publish:
s'ExEcUTIvE DrPARTMENT,
"CoLUMBIA, $. c., January IL, 1871.
"MfSSrS. Riorddn. Dd,rson d 60.
"GENTLEMEN: l have to thank you for the
act ot courtesy on your part in Bendiug copy
of tho nero tissue OF falschood, emanating
from Colonel Kerrigan, for publication. The
statements contained therein arc SO erroneous
that they bear upon their fa CO falsehood aud
a oh apt fo hf,
beyond belief Of the most crcduious.
Tho simple facts of tho case arc as fol-
lows: Colonel {. g. Baker, who WAS working
gold mine i'll Union County, had difficulties
With persons i'll that neighborhood, and
allcEc, that they attempted to take Ills life by
shooting at him. Ho accordingly went to
New York city and employed number OF men
under various promises of high wages and
prospective interest in his gold mine, among
whom was this man Kcrrigan. On their ar
rival in this city, Baker, Keriignn and Lind
say called at my residence for the purpose of
securing appointments for some of their party
to act as State constabies for the arrest OF the
mon who were disturbing them with threats,
DC.
81 advised Colonel Baker to get himself or
ono of his men appointed deputy United
States Marshal, which ho agreed to do, at
tho same timo agreeing to appoint somo of
his mcn constables, that they might bo au-
thorized to make legal arrests, as it WAS
alleged that somo Of the offending parties
were from North Carolina. and that if they
could DC lucntlhcd they would DC arrested
and brought to justice, or ncccssitated to
leave the State. This was the only conversa-
tion that ever had with Kcrrigan or any of
his party, and this was in presence OF several
gentlemen whose word is uuimpeachable.
''{n reference to the names of men mentio.
ed or spoken of in this connection as obnoX-
ious, they arc wholly now to mo, and am not
aware that such men 1.-Two in Union County, or
any other County OF the state, having never
before seen or heard their names; hence ]
could havo expressed no desire to have had
them niolcsted.
''kerrigan further states that This party was
armed with Spencer rifles, revolrrrs. &c. The
State does not own a Spencer rifle; hence
these mon could not have been armed witt
them. and, to my certain knowledge, thoy
were not armed with any kind OF gun. AS
an evidence OF the correctness of this statc-
mcnt, Korrigan, on his return to this city from
tho mines, stated to me-, in presence Of other
gentlemen, that Baker had taken them to the
mines, where they were nightly tired upon by
unseen parties, without any means Of sclf- do
fonce savo tho presence of ten United States
sn!hiers. whose services Baker had procured
from The military post at Union Court House
to protect these men, whom Kcrrigan repre-
sciits to have becn brought here to commit
these infamous Outrages.
Il do not believe any porti3n of this state