Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-30

ed. In Limestone Spring township 118
cases of whipping were proved, The
| Committee awoke every morning to find
in the yard, by the hotel, new crowd
| of victims of the Ku-Klux, some
| including whites who had suf
fered outrages which cannot be described
with decency, after being whipped. The
| victims, well known persons, were often
commanded, under pain of death, to pub
| lish card renouncing the Republican
party. In file of the S7uth Carolina
| Spartan, Democratic newspaper, forty
| two such cards were found, recently pub
| lished. At Lunionsville the committee
remained two days. Not an avowed
white Republican was found in the place,
though q member of the committee was
privately assured by q few that they
would avow themselves if protected. The
terror of the negroes here is complete.
The last election was carried by Re-
publican majority, but the Republican
county officers received Ku Kiux no.
tees and all resigned or fed. The poll
cy there has been more towards murder
and less towards whipping. The killing
of ten negroes, taken from jail by
several hundred Ku -Klux acting under a
military organization was investigated.
A prominent lawyer of the place, Mr..
Shard, a Democrat on CROSS examination
stated to the committee that he believed
almost every respectable unmarried man
in the county belonged to the Ku Klux,
and he believed q thousand Ku-Klux
were within day march of the village.
A negro Methodist preacher named L.
Thompson, who had an appointment
June IL, at Goshen Hill Church, Union
county, received Ku-Klux notice in the
usual form, MOTTO preach. He preached
notwithstanding, to very few, most of
the congregation fleeing when they saw
the notice. In the evening khan of
twenty mounted Ku-Kiux came, tied
him and whipped him, led him off
several miles, dragging him part of the
way tied to the horses, and whipped him
again until his death, mutilated him in
way that cannot, with propriety, be de-
scribed, hung him and threw the body
into the Tiger river, leaving a notice for
bidding any one to bury him. Before
the Committee returned, Senator Scott |
sent Thompson's brother, now q refugee,
from Columbia to Union county with a
letter, to insure him strong guard |
of United States cavalry, to go to bury the |
body which is reported to be still lying |
half decomposed on the waters edge. |
Two more days were spent IN examining !
witnesses in Columbia on returning from |
Spartansburg. One day was occupied in |
hearing the statements and general views |
of Gen. Wade Hampton and Gen. But
Ter, the Democratic candidate for Governor |
Lass fall. The committee then visited |
York county where they remained nearly |
week. They discovered at Yorkville a |
bitter spirit among the association after |
supper at the hotel The evening of |
their arrival, Maj. Jas. Berry threw a
pitcher of milk over Hon. A. s. Wal |
lace, the Representative of the district, |
and Hon. T. Stevenson. The commit |
tee were just seating themselves at the
table and not word had been spoken. |
Mr.. Wallace jerked out revolver and |
raised 1t to shoot Berry, the ladies |
screaming, but the Landlord threw him |
self before Berry, and Mr.. Stevenson |
cooIy caught Wallace's hand |
anu ordered the landlord to take |
that man out of the room. Half |
a dozen friends gathered around Berry |
and he went out. In the course of half |
an hour several citizens of prominence |
called to apologize in ample manner in
behalf of Berry, who was willing to go !
on his knees for what he alleged was an
unintentional sffront to MIR. Stevenson,
1t was subsequently ascertained that the
bufiness had been discussed by Berry and
his friends, during the afternoon it was
to be carried out and that Berry had pro
posed to use hot coffee, but finally con-
cluded on milk. A cclored band
serenaded the committee later in
the evening. A crowd of young
white men filled the porch OF
the hotel and were about the band, fire.
quently cursing the negroes and Yankees
in an insulting manner. AS the band
went away, the crowd followed and near
ly filed the sidewalk. The band and
those with it, negroes, were kept by two
village policemen from the sidewalk. One
negro was thrust off by policemen, who
says the negro resisted and struck him.
A negro and two men close by,
say the negro struggled to get away
from the grip of the policeman, who
seized, cursed and struck him. The
policeman fired at the negro and con-
tinued firing until he had inflicted five
wounds. The man was still living when
the committee left. The testimony
showed that the policeman and the Mayor
were members of the Ku-Klux as no one
was arrested. The community in York
county were found in almost utter social
and political decentralization, the civil
authorities being q helpless farce and
mookery. Col. Graymen, in command
of small force stationed there, an Off
Ger of high character and great energy,
laid before the committee details of
sixty-eight cases of outrsges which
he had investigated, some of them
most revolving and horrible. 1t was
found impossible for the committee to
examine more than small part of the
crowds of whipped, manned or terror
stricken wretches who had f1ocked in
upon hearing of their coming. When
the committee adjourned, the building in
which they sat was filled, stairs, halls and
porches, with those waiting to be
heard. The usual course pursued on
arriving at q place was to di-
vide the time they expected to remain
between the majority and minority of the
committee. Judge VanTrump usually
called two or three of the most prominent
lawyers, who each occupied several
hours, setting forth the Democratic view
of affairs, giving their opinions on the
two races, the inefficlency and corruption
of the State government, and the feeling
of the white people toward the general
government. They always said they had
| heard of Ku- Klux, but never saw one.
Generally they seemed to regard them as
| a vigilance committee or irregular local
police, and did not consider them
under any general organization, but sim
| ply to repress outbreaks. The majority
then called for those who had seen and
felt the Ku Klux. The oaths and forms
| of proceeding in the Khan councils, and
modes of operation when on raids, were
fully developed. Scores of men, whom
the proof showed to be Ku Klux, were
examined, all of whom, except few,
whose disclosures were full and important,
denied any knowledge whatever of Ku-
Klux. One who was shown to have been
| at several outrages, sWore he had never