The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-28
ExCIrEMENT IN CL4RENDoN.
Killing of n Negro County Commission
er-one Hundred Ar,ne Negroes Enter
the Town Of Manning and Threaten
to Kill Ten White Men and Burn the
Town.They are met with Boldness
and Decision, nnd Retire.
1Ero,n the sumrer Ma:chman.l

Since Sunday morning Inst, excited and eX-
citing rumors have prevailed In our midst,
concerning the disturbance In the adjoining
County of Clarendon, producing more or less
agitation of the public mind. On Wednesday
afternoon last, Peter Lemon, a black man. and
a county commissioner OF Clarendon, was as.
sasslnated in hts buggy, on the public road,
about two and u half miles from Manning.
The assassination took place at or near q
branch or swamp thlcket. Buck-shot entered
the legs, stomach, breast and head Of the unfor-
tunate man, which, 1t Is believed, produced
instant death. Nothing satisfactory has come
to light in regard to the assasslns, but neither
the whites or negroes believe that any such
order as the Kn:kluX had anything 10 do with
il. Lemon was q turbulent and offensive me-
gro-notoriously so-and hal been once. or
twice shot at-once by q colored man, whose
sister, 1t Is alleged, he had rlvisll,,h Aud
some of these parties (~probnbly white and COL
orud,) moved entirely by feelings Of personal
revenge, are believed to hare taken his life.
He was returning from Manning, where, IL Is
reported, he had made some disturbance and
had some difficulty on the day OF his death. He
Is said 10 have been In O state OF intoXicatiOn,
and TO have been driven back into Manning
once or twice before finally taking Ills leave.
On Saturday, the negroes, armed, to the
number Of 300 or 400, rendeZvoused ut Fellow
ship Church (near tho place OF the killing and
about 100 of them proceeded to Manning.
threatening to take the lives OF ten white men
and to burn the town. There were but few
white men In town, but messengers were dis.
patched, and the handful was speedily aug
ineIted, until probably some 200 or 800, at dill
ferent times. were present.
The sheriff and intendant, we learn, request
ed'Colonel II. L. Benbow to act. A parley en-
sued-the character or particulars of which we
have not learned-and both sides finally dis
persed after W. days. The leading whites
acted with promptness, but with Guinness and
prudence, and but for this there must have
been q bloody collision.
Atone time tiie negroes seized q colored
man named Egbert Nelson, whom They suspi-
ciOned, Intending to put him To death. He
was rescued by the whites, who declared that
he should not die without Il fair TRIAL.
The negroes seem To have been greatly eH-
cited, and greatly lu confusion as 10 their Sis.
picions or Information and cOunsels.' They re-
Tired with threats against certain parties sns-
pIcloned by them. und the end oil tile difficulty
is probably not get. The whites ur. calnl and
determined, and whilst they will neither seek
or encourage II difficulty with Them, will not
hesitate to strike telling blows In defence II q
collision cannot DC avoided.
From the Sumter News.l
Both parties remained under nrms until
Monday morning, when the negroes dlsbanled
md went home, quite badly frightened. The
negroes alleged tlll the cause of their assem-
bling was TO nvengr the death OF Peter Lem.
on, who was killed on Wednesday OF, last
week by parties unknown. The negroes
cluimed u new inquest upon the body OF
Lemon, which was granted, with the
same result MS that oil the previous in
quest. The facts ELECTED at the investlga-
ton led the negroes to suspect that a negro
named Egbert Nelson was the murderer.
whom they seized and were going TO hang,
when he was rescued by the white people,
who claimed for him an impartial trial. Fur
Lher investigation convinced the negroes that
Egbert wa not guilty. Though defeated in
their designs, they left on Monday morning,
threatening vengeance Hereafter. Each ofthe
persons suS pected and threatened by them can
prove an aliba by a number OF uniin-
pcachablc Witnesses. Lemon was killed IN
Inc daytime. and there Is no evidence what
ever to Indicate that The ku-kluS had any
TO do with the murder.