The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-06-16
TIE So CALLED Ku K1ux PRISONERS.

TEE So CALLED KU K1ux PRISONERS.
The Baltimore Sun publishes the follow
ing account of the arrival of the South
Carolina Ku Klux prisoners in New York:
The ship Champion, from Charleston,
arrived at Pier 20, North River, last
night, having on board twenty-three Ku
Klux prisoners. Among them were gray
haired men and beardless boys; strong
men and cripples. They were under u
guard Of United States soldiers, and on
their way to the Albany penitentiary to
serve out O term OF imprisonment. All
of them professed to be farmers or farm
workmon, and their sun burned faces
and hardened hands gave proof of it.
All of these men lived in York County,
South Carolina, one Of the nine Counties
in which martial law was declared last
October. Some of them have already
beenimprisoned for months.
A Sun reporter went on board the
Champion. and found the prisoners
slowed away between decks, in the fore
part of the ship. No air circulated
through the place, and the thermometer
indicated ninety eight degrees. They
are rough-looking men, haggard and tat
reporters questions were promptly an
swered. and by many of the men with
much intelligence. They said they had
been arrested "for belonging TO the
order" A gray-haircd man told the fol-
lowing story:
'hen martial law was declared last
October, no outrages had been commit
ted for year. and none since, in our
County at least. But the military au-
thoritios have been making arrests for
the past eight months. The prisoners
are taken before Judge Bond, in the
United States Circuit Court, and the
charges are alike in all cases. They are
accused of being, or having been, mem
bers of the Ku Klux, and are told that
this can be proven by members OF the
band who are witnesses for the prosecu-
ton, and advised to plead guilty to miti-
gate their punishment. Knowing how
useless resistance is, the poor wretches
plead guilty. to avoid severer penalty.
Thus, twenty-five of these men are suf-
ferlDg the penalties of convicts through
fear, and not from any evidence of their
crime. One man of fifty years ap-
preached the reporter and said vehe.
mently:
~ did not plead guilty. T am not
guilty, and I would not make such a
confession for the world. They tried
me on two charges, but no evidence was
adduced to convict me. Yet it was
meant that l should be punished, and
they gave me two years. Two years for
being an American citizen, unfortunate
enough to live in South Cardinal am
not nor never was Ku whatever
that may be-and have always been q
peaceable, law-abiding citizen. I go to
prison an innocent man. but the hardest
criminal never left his prison with a
worse heart than I shall leave mine. II
my life is spared, this indignity shall be
avenged"
The men complained bitterly of being
sent North for confinement. They
thought it bad enough to be summarily
arrested by soldiers. illegally tried and
unjustly convicted, without being taken
so far from homo, and where their
friends cannot visit them. They are to
remain in prison until the fines are
paid. Some Of them are without money,
or friends that have means, and they see
no limit to their incarceration.
The reporter said to one:
GLOW will you pay your fine?"
"By DEATH" was the answer.
He was a cripple, pale and emaciated,
and evidently rapidly falling away
through the ravages Of q hidden disease.
Death, no doubt. will pay his fiae, and
cheat the prison OF tenant.
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