The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-06
The Bloody Assizes.

| The Bloody AsstZes.
The United States Marshals have made a
number Of arrests in Spartanburg County,
and it is evident that the sanguinary threats
OF Governor Scott and Speaker Moses are
producing the expected effect upon the Fed
eral officials. These will not submit to Off
cial decapitation while they can save them
selves by harrying defenceless citizens, and,
if Governor Scott can sufficiently overawe
judges and juries, we may look forward to a
bloody assizes in November.
One man who is imprisoned as supposed
Ku-Klux, was arrested, as the Spartan
says, without warrant, or an affidavit that
he had been guilty of violation OF law.
Neither President Grant, nor Governor
Scott, nor their myrmidons, care for the
solemn declaration OF the Constitution Of the
United States, that no person "shall be de-
'prived OF life, liberty or property, without
sdue process, OF law" They are, indeed,
working outside OF the constitution, and
there is worse to come. Mr.. Stoball Scruggs,
eighty-one years Of age, was rudey dragged
to jail. Mr.. Elijah Garnett, Captain Jack
Henderson and Mr.. James Fl. Ezsll, all OF
them far advanced in years, are also held in
durance upon the charge that they are
guilty of acts which could only be perform
ed by young and active men. The other
Spartanburg prisoners are, Wm. Humpbrles.
Green Humpbries, Alfred Burke, Canty Grif-
fin, Sirah Bagwell, John Bagwell, Richard
Millwood and Columbus Mitchell. These per-
sons have been arrested upon affllavits
(where affidavits have been made OF ally
made by the most trifling characters in the
county.
These citizens are arrested that they may
be tried by juries manipulated by Governor
Scott and Speaker Moses, and may be SEN
fenced by Judge Bond to years in North
ern dungeon. Their innocence, or their guilt,
is not an element in the calculation. A batch
OF convictions is required to justify the Ku-
Klux bill in the North, and to justify inter-
ference with the freedom OF elections in the
South. What manner Of "outrages" are
the paltry excuse for the arrests in South
Carolina can be shown from the columns OF
the Columbia Union-Governor Scotts organ
which for months has enlivened its columns
with accounts OF Ku-Klux whippings and
murders. All the important stories Of Ku-
Klux violence which The Union has printed
have beer shown to be untrue. We take the
most prominent examples:
l. 1t was charged that colored preacher
named Ben Hare was diabolically murdered
in Newberry by the Ku Klux, his only crime
being his Republican principles and the color
OF his skin.
The murderers OF Hare have been arrested.
They are three Radical negroes named
Gaines, Whittemore and Kinard.
2. 1t was charged that man named
Mcclure was murdered by Ku.Klux in Ches-
ter County.
The father of McClure's wife, who had had
incestuous intercourse with her, followed
Mcclure for days, threatening to kill him,
| and now lies in Jail awaiting trial.
8. 1t was charged that the Ku-Klux muir
dered Lewis Thompson, a colored preacher,
whose body was seen in Broad River.
Upon investigation it was found that the
colored people forbade Thompson to preach,
and, as they could not otherwise silence him,
put him out ofthe way.
4. 1t was charged that the Ku-Klux were
on the war-path in Fairfield County, and that
they had murdered and burned colored
woman named Coleman.
This murder is shown by the Winnsboro'
Ne,cs to have been committed by negroes,
and the rest Of the charge is fatty denied
and cannot be proved to be true.
5. 1t was charged that party of Ku-Klux
attacked an Old colored man in Edgefed
County, but were driven of by his soss, who
wounded and arrested one OF the ku. Klux
whom, out OF mercy, they set free.
About twenty citizens of the county, white
and colored, have published card in the
local paper declaring that no such outrage
| Wdo COuimlklSu3 obo SOiOlSu "hO
was said to have been attacked makes affi-
davit, together with his sons, that no such
attack was made, and that they have not
heard Of single lawless act, or Of any or
ganized band of lawless persons.
6. 1t was charged that on Friday last q
man named Rytenburger, living in Sumter
County, was terribly whipped by Ku-Klux
because be is Republican.
We have the authority OF the Sumter NearS
and the Sumter Watchnaara for saying that
Rytenburger was not whipped, was not threat
ened, and was in Sumterville on Monday last
il perfect health. The truth is that he keeps
country store, and was called on by some
parties, who demonstrated with him in re-
gard to the purchase OF cotton in the seed.
This was done in quiet and gentlemanly
way. And here the matter terminated sat-
isfactorily, we learn, to both parties.
| We might enumerate more instances Of
the deliberate deception in which the Co.
Inmhia TT,;o,, ia nlpased TO induloo hut mo