The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-25
THE QUALITY OF MERCY,

QUALITY OF MERCY
JUDGE BONDS REsPONsE TO Il PIE
OF GUILTY.
ARadical Version OF the Confession
and Sentences OF the So-CalIed Ku.
Klu1.
from the Columbia Union, December ~
H. In the United States Circuit Court the fol
lowing named prisoners, convicted OF viola
tlons Of the enforcement act and conspiracy,
made their statements, and were sentenced
Generally they were far more intelligent mer
than any others that have been heretofore
tried. All the prisoners were white, and some
of the Victims of their. atrocities were white
Republicans.
John WIsner, York County, stated that he
not tell who sWore him in; had been upon but
one ~raid-that was when Alex Leach Was
killed and his brother whipped; sixteen OF lhe
members of the khan met at Mount Vernon
Church, he thought to go out and get the
(mllitia) guns, did not know anything. else
/ WH8 10 % QOueS uO HOA0 w W WY
abort distance Of Leach's house; did not see
the act done, but was near by when he was
taken out and killed; Jim Leach was whipped;
the whole crowd helped whip him with limbs
of o tree; he got a good many licks, when, as
he ran, he was shot at three times; Aleck
Leach was carried to the creek by 10 Mitchell,
Ed Leach, Sylvanus Hemphlll and John Wal
lace, and there killed; never saw him alive
any more after they carried him to the creek;
he was shot by the party named; they said
they we're going to kill him; they volunteered
no do It.: he (Wiener) could not help the killing
II he had attempted; John Wallace was the
cause of his being killed; after whipping Jim
Leach and killing AlecE, the party went home.
Sentence-$l00 hne and i've years lmprlson.
ment.
Jerome WIsner was the next prisoner ; he
belonged to York ; said he never had joined
the khan never IVES sworn In received
orders on the night referred to to 90
along with 1t they were disguised me them
at Mount Vernon Church; did not know the pnr-
pose OF the raid, but supposed 1t was to get the
guns /; went to Alex. Leach's HOUSE, part Of the
55srty went 10 after Alex, another part went
to get James Rice ; brought James back and
whipped him James ran after being whipped,
and was shot at ; the party look Alex 10 the
creek and killed him ; prisoner did not 20
into Alexis house, though be Started lor lne
houee made excuse and stopped near by
thought they went for guns ana not 10 Eill
any one ; did not aid 10 the killing or WhiF-
ping supposed-belleVed 1t was the revenge
| Of John Wallace that caused the killing and
whipping. Sentence-$l00 fine and five Years
imprisonment. ..
very nervous the jury had mended
HIM to mercy, there being extenuati1g cir
one who got to the raid on the night when
Leach was killed. John Wallace came to him
and ordered him Into The ranks didn't know
any of the other men, SO they were all dis.
ruised. The narrative of the whipping and
! murder was the same as above reolted. Sem
tence-$l00 fine and imprisonment Tor TWO
years.
Alfred C. Lemaster This prisoner had plead
guilty. Acknowledged to having been In the
| second raid on the Union Jail when IN, butch.
ery took place there; was also present at the
killing In the Dogan raid, and had been on
two other raids when the victims had been
| Killed, also on several raids when colored
men had been whipped; Joined the khan In
1870, in February; his Hrst raid was on Jesse
| Long; went ALWAYS In the night; a great deal
was done on the Union jail raid; was not close
by where the hanging and shooting was done;
| all the prisoners were put to death; was a
| hundred and fifty yards or go distant; could
| moi see them, out heard them; TWO or three
| were huug-the rest were shot, there were
| about foul hundred men In The party, all OF
| whom we're mounted and disguised; was on
| the raid on Phil. Ward; they killed him; he
was shot; heard the guns; there was nothing
| against Ward, but a woman lived In his house
| VINO cohablted with my uncle; 1t raised talk;
we went there to talk TO her; che. had a young
| child; I and another party went q distance 10
| get some one to care tor the child, while they
| whipped her; she was whipped; while we were
gone Ward came ont and ran; Leonard, one
Of the party, ran after him, shot at him seVe.
| raj lines and killed him; Ward wa a good
bow: we had grown up together; felt bad
when he was Killed; Whitlock was With me to
get some one 10 take charge of the child
| while tile woman was whipped; Whitlock Is
here; I said 10 Whitlock ut Is loo bad, they
have Killed Ward;' the girl that was whipped
had on her night clothes; she was taken out
limbs, twenty-five or thirty blows. Sentence,
| 500 and i've gears imprisonment.
John Whltlock-This prisoner had plead
guilty: stated he was In both raids on the
| Union juil the nights of the massacre; was In
| tue raids on Stein, on Phil Ward, on Dogan,
on Glst, on Long. on Bluford, on Kennedy,
| Ben. Rice, Sclpio Clark and others; Joined tle
khan three years ago; vas teVenteen years OF
| age then; didn't know anything about what II
| was for: was Sworn In blindiolded on Els knees
| with men In front of him. III George B rnner's
| store, at JonesvIlle; helped whip Kit Stein;
| didn't know what he was whipped for; three
| or four OF the party whipped him; didn't take
his family out; Stein made little noise while
| being whIpped; was In the Ward raldi The
| crowd killed Ward; didn't know as the victim
had been doing anything; he was q very quiet
| man: was on the raid when Clarke was whip
ped Tor having two wives; Littlelohn got
| Leonard to head the raid when Ward was
Killed; Ward and be had fallen out about some
Thing; was present on the Union raid, when
| The negroes were taken out and killed; didn't
| help xiii them; three or four were taken out
| on the first raid; seven, eight or nine on the
| second; they were all killed; never got of his
| horse; all were disguised. Senlence-$l00 aud
five years Imprisonment.
I'D. Mathews-w a thlrty.eight years OF age
| had been on several raids; was on the Squire
| Golng's raid. Tine district attorney stated
that Goings had just been elected by the Re
| publlcans as probate Judge when he was raid.
| ed upon.l Went at eleven at night; whipped
| him, seven Of us; I held the horses. The
| Judge It ls hard to find o prisoner who did
| not hold the horspsl Golngs was severely
| whipped, until told py the chief, Charles
| Simms, to stop; licked him with limbs and
| switches tor half an hour; he made no fuss;
| prisoner was o married man; Goings was a
married man; supposed II he had been rslded
upon the same way he would desire the parties
| to be punished; went into the khan as q hume
guard company; Charles Slmms, the chief,
| WAS tWenly.One or TWENTY-FIVE years OF age;