The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-05-22

pfISOuef mere turned 10 Hamilton
and said, "Captain Hamilton, if
: have said anything about you
which is not true rise and say so
(Hamilton kept his seat.) l never
joined the band voluntarily, but
was forced into it by Hamilton's s
threats, and keptin it by my fear OF
him; know and deeply regret the
sorrow and shame I have brought
upon my poor old mother and on
my family.
THOS. H. LONGS STATEMENT.
! Last January Capt. Hamilton
asked me and Ramsey and Charlie
Wilkinson to 60 to South Carolina,
and make arrangements to bring
his wife over; after we left Angus
ia we went to his house in Edge
field; be told US after we got into
South Carolina what he wanted
us to do; he wanted US TO rob
Middleton Smith ; Wilkinson and
| determined to have nothing to
do with it, and went ahead and
broke up the trip; he made az
rangements to come back in a
week for his wife; we came. back
to Georgia and then went back
, again to help bring her over latter
leaving Thomson he said the
money had to come that time !;
Wilkinson and [ went ahead after
crossing the Savannah River; we
had our understanding again to
break it up; we did break it up,
and Ramsey and Hamilton went
on to the iatter's house; l and
Wilkinson stopped at his brother
in-law his wife came to Thomson
with US; in about two weeks Ham
.lton wrote q note asking me to
meet him down town, that he
wanted to 60 back and rob Smith;
| met him and Tut and Ramsey,
and told him that l would have
nothing to do with it: he said Will
lis would meet them at Dearing;
when J. declined he went after Will
lis and brought him back and post
poned the trip; Hamilton and Tutt
went off, Hamilton saying he was
going to Southwestern Georgia a
few days afterwards; about two
weeks before the Evans robbery be
and Ramsay asked me to 60 and
rob Evans. The evening before
the robbery he ordered me to 60
with Ramsey and Willis; he told
me that a man was coming the
night afterwards to 60 to South
Carolina to rob a man there; this
man-Capt. Hayne Williams-had
been in Thomson before and told
me himself be was coming; he was
from South Carolina; declined to
60 to Evans; he told Ramsey he
would have me to kill ; and Ram
sey told ME about it afterwards;
Hamilton told me that he was 60
ing to kill Wilkinson for breaking
up the trip in South Carolina; I
told Wilkinson what Hamilton
said he would do; Hamilton also
told me, after his arrest, that he
would get out on bail and 60 to
Thomson and kill Geo. Stovall,
Wilkinson, Ramsey, and Capt.
Thomson. About two weeks be-
fore Evans robbery, Hamilton
told me of the plan Of the orgaui-
cation; a man named Beck was
present at the time he said there
was regular organization extend
ing from Hillsboro, North Carroll
ma, through Georgia and South
Carolina to Sand Mountain, Ala
bama, the object of which was rob-
berry and horse stealing the name
Of the band was the Industrious
Knights. When I joined an oath
was administered by Hamilton and
Beck; I was to obey all the Cap
tain's orders, and if revealed any
thing I was to be killed; Hamilton
and Beck were the Captains. The
recognition sign, when one of the
band met another, was for one to
take his right hand and pass it
carelessly three times through the
hair on the right side of his head;
the answer was for the other par.
ty to do the same thing with the
left hand on the left side of the
head. Hamilton once proposed to
me to 60 with him, and, getting
them off by themselves, force Usry
and Sturges to give check for as
much money as they had in the
bank in Augusta the men would
then be kept prisoners until Ham
ilton could come to Augusta and
get the money ; if the money re-
allied was large amount, the
band was to divide the money and
leave the country; ifit was small
amount Usry and Sturges were to
be killed, so that they could tell
no tales. I would never have
joined the band, nor had anything
to do with it, had it not been for
Hamilton's influence over me and
my fear of him. I would have
disclosed all I knew before the
robbery Of Mr.. Evans, but was
afraid Hamilton would kill me if |
did.
Longs statement and its as
toup din =, ra-o1o t;anS uora lIetcoa6