The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-20
BRIGANDAGE IN GEORGIA.
A Regularly Organized Band-All but
One Of the Robbers auRht.

Correspondence OF the Augusta ConstitutionalIst.
THOMPSON, Ga, March II.
Our town has, since yesterday, been In 9
| fiIrore of excitement over avery daring rob
berry committed about twelve miles from this
place on the waters of Brian Creek, the vic
Tins of which were an old gentleman named
Jesse Evans and his wife.
The parties who committed the deed organ.
lied themselves into band Of brlgands about
| of five men who are now known, four of whom
have been arrested. They commenced their
depreda,ions In the Slate Of South Carolina,
upou the person of citizen named Littleton
Smith. aud committed an assault with the
intention to rob him, but after gaggiDg and
beating him they failed to secure bis money.
They made two other trniuess raids some
This bold and daring band of robbers has
| for its leader one Captain c. Y. Hamilton, who
came to this village and received the sympa.
| thy of our citizens as refugee from the ty-
ranncal usurpatons in South Carolina. He
| Immediately went 10 work and decoyed into
| his schemes OF villany the following named
young men: John Ramsey, Thomas Willis,
Howard Long and Dol Roney Becoming des-
perate from his failures 10 South Carolina, he
selected as the theatre Of his operations the
neighborhood of this place. On last Friday
night he sent John Ramsey, Thomas Willis
and Dol Ronpy 10 plundpr the house OF the
| above named family. Howard Long wac to
have been one of the party, tut failed to Sc.
cure conveyance From the testimony elicit
wagon, and the party then stole buggy from
DR.. SID Holland, and left this place about
ten o'clock, drove twelve miles, commit
ted the robbery, and returned little while
before daylight. Willis knocked at the
door, and when asked by Mr.. Evans who
was there, gave an assumed name OF
some citizen living In the Reighborhood.
Mr.. Evans suspected the character Of his
visitors. and held the door until his wife made
q light In the fireplace. When the door was
opened, pistol was presented to his breast
by one of the party, who demanded his money;
another presented a pistol TO the breast OF
Mrs. Evans, and requested her to keep quiet at
the peril of herlife. They told Mr.. Evans that
they had killed some negroes In South Carolina
and that they must have his money, and
forced him to unlock his trunk and took pos:
about two hundred and seventy dollars In
currency. They also appropriated 9 pistol
and knife. About daylight Captain G. Y. Ham
ilton and Howard Long met the parties at a
bar.room, and Hamilton received one hundred
dollars and Long twenty dollars OF the III
gotten booty; and after drinking carousal,
Willis, in carelessly handling his pistol, acei;
In his side, just above The hip. They then
agreed 10 meet at Hamllton's room and have
a division some lime In the evening.
Early that morning business required Mr.
F. III. Usry 10 20 to Goodrich & Usry's mill,
in The Immediate neighborhood of hr. Evaus,
and while they were trying 10 get up clue to
the affair, grandson Of Mr.. EVans, thirteen
years old, said he saw the mask fall of OF one
OF the men, and he recognized Tom Willis
Upon this assertion, Mr.. Usry made haste 10
Thompson. and found Willis drinking and
spending money with great prodigality. On
the day of The night the robbery was com
mitted, Mr.. Usry's son had required Hamlltoq
to sell him mule for q debt he was owing bis
father, and when he brought the mule he
promised that u he paid the money at any
10 Hamilton. On Saturday morning. after
Hamilton was supplied with money by the rob
berry, and after he was wounded, he sent fol
voung Usry, and Mrs. Hamilton handed him
the slO0. She remaI ked that her husband was
disabled from business, she would give bin
her money that she had laid up to pay theil
board, 10 redeem the mule. After this cir
cumstance and WillIs's spending money 81
the clew obtained by Mr.. Usry, ,tthey were i'm
mediately arrested. Sometime during the
night Willis made confession, and by day
light this Sunday morning all the parties
except John Ramsey. who gave leg ball, were
arrested. About ten o'clock the preliminary
trial vas opened before Justices johnson apd
Hobbs. Willis and Roney made full and com
pete revelations of the whole affair, and the
result Is that Willis, Roney and Long have
been committed for felony that cannot bt
surpassed for bo'dhess of execution and ye
80 open to-detectlon..
On account of Hamllton's wound he was no.
ready for trial, having no counsel, and ne hai
been allowed until three o'clock tomorrow
(Monday) evening to obtain counsel and pre-
pare for trial, an account of which l vii
write to you and whatever else may turn uI
| interesting.