Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-09-13

SEC, Dtlb IiS CIISilAiblOu w e4o IlOI
O soothe the pass iOnS of these people or to
repare the way for cheerful acceptance
# the reconstruction measures. Under
hesa circumstances / think it was not
TRANCE that some troubles arose between
he lower classes of the whites and the
reedmen. The latter were often indolent
md vicious, and the former, unaccustomed
o governing their passions, did, no doubt, I
)ften take the law into their own hands, |
md inflict upon the negroes punishment |
or real or imaginary Ctfenses, or, III some |
Instances, perhaps, to Influence their votes.
think that the existence of the Union |
Leagues, the banding OF the negroes tos
gether in secret organizations, and the
promises of their leaders that the nited
States Government would see to it that
each of them became possessed of 40 acres
of land and mule, and more than all, the
sending of negro troops TO Sampson soon
after the surrender, and at a time when
the people felt very sensitive, tended to
foster this spirit. 1t is but fair to say,
however, that have not heard any one in
Clinton accuse the Leagues of any acts OF
lawlessness, though they say that they
lived in constant fear, and never knew
what might happen. The moderation and
caution of the officers of the cOlOred troops,
in keeping them cnt rely out Of town and
out Of sight Of the people, did much to
prevent trouble from that source.
LOCAL BAND OF KU-KLUX.
l was told at Wilmington that the XII
KluH of this county never had any cOnnec-
ton with any other branch Of the order in
the other States. The ''dGns'' in Sampson
county, if the society was ever sufficiently
organized to be divided intO ''dens,2 never
were in communication with those of any
other State or county, anu this information
is confirmed by what | have learned here.
But there is 10 doubt that the ku-kluX
spirit perYaded portions Of this county, and
that men and boys banded themselves to-
gcther either to frighten the negroes or to
commit particular dCpredations. The XII
Klux of this county have been accused of
several murders. | spen. some time, yes
terday, in examining the records at the
Courihuu e md o. those murders which at
the time caused so much excitement in the
North, [ find only one that has about it
any circumstances to throw suspicion upon
the ku-KluX. | do not propose to go into
the history of all Of these cases, but / will
give the circumstances Of one or two as eX-
amples. On the 18th Of December, 1870, a
white man named FTyar shot and killed
Luke Shaw, q negro, in his own house, and
the murder was charged to the Ku-KluN.
The testimony taken before the COrCner's
jury, which was at once held, showed that
on tie afternoon Of the day on which Fryar
killed Shaw, he was Intoxicated and lost
his horse. He went to ShaW's cottage to
inquire about it, and probably insulted
him, so that he refused to answer ques-
tiOns. Then Fryar struck Shaw with a
sick. f. q latter re;urled the bIou- and in
the fight which cnsueu the white man
wss whipped. About midnight, having
found his horse, he was going home, &C
comnaniel hy several co11n3nions. or ar
rivinr at .,haw's house he dismountod.
broke down the door. ana went in. his
companions saw that lie was about to
Sh"oI tilG negro any 'ihsuccesSiilhS at
L,+ Z CoIJ h!CodnI ,,,,,,.,?l4, A., i1,llafe33
VS. haI1 4l,o ,,o~.+ Ia,- XII 49, ra,l,,.s
;,rT, f0nnd = rorlIict If ,r,,;Itt+ orr,i1St al
Who yprn in tI,n cnmnquT TbeT yya,a al
o,,,et.,5l .,>-,.,,,+ T1,,t - Il ~ oe,,,,o,1
A. ,.oI.f tl,,,1 fti' E'',+ ,.-l':
;1,,,;'.ioi I,,, ,i.n E|..,,I NV. tJ',,d 90
o,,i,Icnc a.,iI ~ ,,,,,.i,,,ia;, III tf,a NV,
tv 500, II, n,. , IT.,-..l ,:..,tos ,'nn,i}is
cio,or orrir.I .14 ,.,..,. rlIj;nro ,y,o,o
~o,+ i,,+o 49,, ,,,,, -,,,,, r., 1-,3
ocso,nna.,itI i.,,',' ,.,,.,,. ,,i.n,, Io~l,o Ia
Io,,,,,!;ssf,.,,., .,,{ ..,..,,,,;.,aJ ~, .,;,,I
at tIe s,,Il, rn,,.I,Is:I,,, tl,at tIo (!ranJ
Jurv had aud !is,l,,r..,I tLnto T,ha ,,an
Who rIT,,nittaG t1a ,nnrlla,. los rnvnr
since hoan beard f,oln In,noiiqfol,- 2ftor
this 7 vas t,,Ii . ,noa.i,,l, was c,ii.I IT
tba conn lo,,s,.. in Ivh;tI} ovnrv tovnsI,in
in Tie c.,;i}t,- Wis rau,,,sartad Snaaclfs
were made 6y both Democrats and Re
;,i,l,licats. r3,IA,ni,iI,.e in tha ca,orrst
terms all acts of Iawlssu.,.>. The seuti-
ment of the ngctiues was cu,bodj4d i'm =
series of rescintionS wl,i,}, ,y.ra mani
r,orSlr- ,,,csc1 ora . c,,,,,,,i++oo Of two
from each towIsh;D was annoin+c.1 10
assist he officers Of ti.a l,u. j., f.,Iatinn
ont crime
>-,-,,,,,,l,,-.. $3.50. -....-,
y ME '''S AND - V '''i'-A X IA l'i-h a
RESTS
| found al the Courthouse the records
of several OF her murder cases. some OF illt.
victims being negroes and an equal num-
Der being white men, but attending only
one, as l before remarked, were there cir
cumstances which pointed to the ku Klux,
and in this case believe it equally proba-
Die that the murder was committed to sat
isfy private revenge. This case occurred
about eleven months agc-on the 23d of
September, 1871. The victim was Mcnas
Hobbs, alias Herring, who was shot down
on the road in the day time. at Stevens
Bridge, hot very far from this town. A
negro was with him testified before the
COrOner's Jury that he recognized one
James Mckenzie am0r.r the party i'm am
bush but Mckenzie proved an alibi bvthe
testimony Of both Whites and NEGROES ard
the negro corrected his testimony before
tn. Grand jury. A man who ran away
and could never be found was suspected of
the murder. Vorv soon after this. thn
United States off ,9rs bnoa,. thor onnro-
lions in this county. * datacbment Of
troops under command Of LENT Jcnos was
sent here from Raleigh. and fonr or five
DEPUTY marsI,als beoan their arrests So
cret-servicc A.ent Hester also came here