The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-24

96l.
then awaiting trial. Had been arrested as soon
as he was subpoenaed to appear as a witness
for the defence.
Mr. T. Jefferson Greer was next called. DE
testified that he had lived In Unionville, and was
q probate Judge up to the time Of his arrest. Was
arrested October %, 1871, With Mr.. Roger, his
son, James Roger. Mr.. Steen, Mr.. Farr and John
Dawkins, 8 colored man. Was examined before
| q United States commissioner In Columbia. Knew
Mr.. Roger very we'll. His general character was
very good for sobrlety and peace. Never heard
CT his being 8 Ku, KluX. Was not that sort OF q
man. He was a peace.ablding man, and witness
had never heard OF his doing anything wrong.
Knew the little restaurant that had been refer.
red to. 1t was used for an eating saloon and
bar.room. Knew nothing about any meeting OF
chiefs held there. N:ver heard OF Mr.. Roger being
q councillor OF the Ku-Klux Klans. Knew W. F.
Williams very well. His general reputation for
truth and yeraci'y was very bad. From bis gen.
eral character witness would not believe him I'm.
der oath. Witness never belonged to the Ku-
Klux. Knew nothing about them. Had been IN
jail six months upon that charge.
MI. William G. Hughes was next called. He
testified that he hai lived in Un!onVllle seven.
Teen years. Was not q Ku.Klu1. Knew Mr..
Roger very well. His general character was very
good. Never heard or suspected that he was a
Ku klux until he was arrested. Knew nothing OF
any meeting OF chiefs at the restaurant. Had
been there frequently. The basement was used
as an eating house. A committee was sent by
the citizens OF Union, after the first raid, to Gov.
ernor Scott to request troops to be sent to Union
to prevent another raid, but the troops were
never sent.
James Hardy, colored, testified that he had
lived in Union and known Mr.. Roger for twelve
or fourteen years. His general reputation was
that he was q very proper man in the community.
Never heard Of his being a Ku.Klux, and never
suspected it. Witness was In the Unionv.lle jail
on the night Of the first raid.
Mr.. W. G. Harris was next called. BE testified
that he had lived In UnIonville fifteen or sixteen
years. Was not q Ku.Klux and never had been.
Was arrested once on that charge, but afterwards
discharged. Had known Mr.. Roger eighteen or
twenty years. Had not been friendly toward
him during the whole Of that time. Knew his
general character and reputation. BE was a very
good man. Ills character was very high. He
was q No. l man. Witness had attended the
meeting at Masonic Hall. 1t was ne Ku Klux
meeting. He was certain Of that. 1t was q
private meeting or citizens to arrange for the
public nomination OF county commissioners
The doors were not closed. The meeting was
held at about one or TWO O'Clock In the afternoon.
Knew williams. His general reputation for
truthfu'ness was very bad.
This closed the testimony for the defence, and
Daniel Black was recalled by the prosecution IN
rebattal. BE said he slw Nj. Johnson Monday
morning, and told him that Mullinax was going
to testify that he (~Johnsonl was a member OF the
grand council OF the Ku.Klux, and that John
Roger and Joseph F. G st were the other mem.
bers, and that Mr.. Johnson had said 1t was q lie
as to himself, but true as to the others.
This clio. ed the testimony on both sides, and
Major BuIst began his address 10 the jury In be.
half OF the defendant. he said that he felt deep.
" Impressed by the heavy responsibility resting
upon him. Independently OF his professional
capacity, he had such an abiding and unbounded
faith In the absolute Innocence OF his client that
he proposed to exercise his utmost efforts In his
behalf. He was glad that the whole story OF the
iniqulties OF the Ku.Klux order had been brought
out. BE had no objection to the whole truth
being known, and could Wish for the presence OF
Judge Bonds distins u.shed friend, the Hon.
Charles Sumner, to speak with all his eloquence
Of the enormities OF their crimes, or that Henry
Clay and Daniel Webster, the personal friends OF
Judge Bryan, could be brought back to hurl
anathemas against the order, and they would
hear from the innocent defendant a loud
amen. With the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, he
loathei and abhorred the order, and could only
wish that he had his eloquent tongue to utter his
adherence. Nothing that the distrlct.att>rney
could say could increase his Indignation against
that organization, but let the district attorney
not take advantage Of the enormltles OF that
order to WORK upon the minds Of the Jury to
prejudice his client. His case was an embodt.
ment Of the thought Of the poet who had said that
into the cup OF each life some rain must fall,
some day be dark and dreary. His misfortune
had been that he lived In Union County, and that
the innocent must suffer with the guilty. He had
been arrested and confined six months Upon the
charge or having, on two certain days, committed
the most diabolical murders. he applied to be
released on bail, and the court said To him, n
you are under q charge OF murder" But the
minute the trlalapproaches, and a motion for con.
tlnusnce Is made, the charge OF murder Is sudden
" abandoned, and he Is brought to trial not
knowing what Ia to be charged against him
nor what testimony would bs produced. 1t was
only by mere accident or By the lnterposit on Of
Providence that his witnesses had been IN court
soshow his innocence Of the charge against him
The testimony brought up at last against him was
that Of shree murderersl Three midnight as.
~.sasslns, reeklDg with the blood OF their murdered
Victims, who should be on their Bonded knees and
praying the prayer Of the publican, ''God, be mer-
cirul to me ! slnner.n such we're the men who
were brought forward 10 testify against the de-
PENDANT. The jury were bound, when men who
were guilty Of the highest offence known tothe
law came on the stand TO impltcale another, to
weigh their testimony very carefully. They would
observe that the only testimony against aim was
that Williams and Black said they had seen him at
meetings, which they said were Ru.Klux meet
ings, bat they had proved BY Mr.. Harris,
q man who had no faint OF guilt. who
had been fully examined and exonerated,
that those were simply meetings to nominate
county commissioners, such as were constantly
held. AS TO the witness, Williams, he had been
completely noored. Respectable witnesses hsd
proved that he was not tO be believed upon his
oath, and he had proved himself to be guilty OF q
foul and dIabolical murder. It was deemed de.
sirab'e to prove that some respectable gentleman
uoo ruuru ond therefnra II was that TO DrOY6