The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-18
THE KU.KLUX COLUMBIA.
Examination Before the Commissioner.

From the Columbia Union, OF yesterday
The following named parties from Clinton,
Laurens County, were brought before Mr..
Commissioner Boozer yesterday afternoon, at
four P. NJ, for charges and violations of the
enforcement law and murder, Messrs. Simp-
son g. Jaeger counsel for the prisoners, and 8.
l.. Hoge. Esq, for the government, viz: An
tonic Marx, VIM. johnson, DR.. John I. Craig
Simeon Plerson, Butord Meadows. ]. A.
Crompton, Rush R. Blakeley, Samuel West,
George b. Davidson, J. A. Fritz, Samuel OIL
yer and II. Buford. Osborne Bishop was sick
in Jail and did not appear.
Some conversation between counse and the
commissioner, as to whether the other parties
brought up for a hearing and to which the
testimony relating to the cases selected rom
Clinton did not refer, should not be sent back
to Jail to await examination. 1t was finally
ordered to proceed, and 8. L.. Hoge, counsel
for the prosecution, called the witnesses.
The first called was John Ferguson, who
swore that he lived at Clinton at the time
the armed bodies of men came there In Octo-
Der, 1870; that on Thursday morning after the
election they came there and captured the
guns; Clinton was full of them; The roads
were blockaded and they allowed they would
kill the last man they could catch. The wit
ness, when asked If he could recognize any
one, pointed out Mark as one of the parties,
and pointed out DR.. Craig as another OF the
parties who he heard say on that day that
they would kill all, &C., or make them vote
the Democratic ticket. This witnesses also
stated that Elihu Young was there and partici-
pating in the proceedings; this witness also
Identified the parties arraigned with the excep-
ton OF Fritz. Witness heard Young and Mark
say they had killed Sam Mshoy; was present
when they killed him; the witness here named
$500. tL1 ,,Dsttoo Yth.. n n M hnfNrn nomnHl
as being the ones who shot down hs cousin;
six or seven shots were fired, shooting hun
down, and then there were several shots fired
after he was shot down; witness, with three
others, were lodging about trying to keep out
of the way; the shooting was done In the pub
Lie highway; the parties were horseback and
were moi disguised; while he was hid he saw
them shoot his house full of holes; he secretly
visited the body OF his cousin as 1t lay In the
big road; it was shot full OF holes.
[Here counsel for The prisoners claimed
that the witnesses should be sent out during
the giving OF testimony; after some debate the
commissioner so ordered.]
Witness resumed; stated that he recognized
the State arms among the party, except Mark,
pointing to him and another man., Rush Blake
ly, pointing to him, who had sixteen-shooters;
and with these they shot his cousin; the body
of his cousin looked as II 1t had been shot
many times.
The cross-eXamtnati0n brought out tile TACT
that when the guns were captured he was
secreted close by; the guns were used for
mastering purposes every Saturday, and were
under the control of the colored people. The
remainder Of the testimony was In the sub
stance OF the examination In chief. Witness
stated; 'laid in the woods five weeks regular,
and by links didn't Know anything about It,"
Witness heard the party say they got Wade
Perrin, before they killed him, out of preacher
Pope's house, at Martins Depot.
Alter Mr.. Simpson had concluded bis cross
examination, Mr. Jaeger proposed to Cross
examine the witness. Counsel for govern
ment objected, and the objections were ar
gued pro and con, when the cross.examina-
tion was proceeded with. After the witness
had been sent down, the prosecution stated
that owing to an official engagement this
evening it would be impossible to proceed,
and moved a continuance.
Mr.. Jaeger, of the defence, raised the point
that as the prisoners had been turned over TO
the care of the sheriff, and the marshals had
made their returns-a1d he would say, by the
way, they had been kindly treated generally
he could not see by what right the United
States deputies could single out one man and
place him In a dungeon, referring to the case
of the prisoner Mark, who he said was a Pole.
Deputy Hubbard stated that he must be placed
there. The prosecution was not aware of any
changes. The commissioner decided that the
prisoners were under the charge OF the
United States marshal. The examination
was then postponed until eleven Wednesday
morning.