Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-11
The Late Grant Ku Klux. Raid
and Riot at ThOS, w. BlcaSe's.

and Riot at Th0S, w. BlcaSe's.
In the Newberry Herald, of the
Sd, we find the snbjoined letter from
Mr.. Thos. W.. Blease, living on the
Saluda side of our. District, giving an
account of the late most disgraceful
and brutal conduct Of one Mallory, a
U. S. Commissioners, accompanied by
"a gang of negro. .desperadoes, in their
late riotous assault upon Mr.. Blease
and family, whilst.in search, as they
alleged, of certain parties charged
with Ku Klu1sm. The story is not
at all creditable to the U. s. Govern
ment, and the officers Grant has put
in authority to do his dirty work.
Such indSg,sities aUi0 not be tolerated
azaOoys. And when the people are
once aroused for vengeance, tyrants
and tyranny must succumb. Read
and reflect. u
On Sunday, 23d June, one James
Maloney, who is reputed to be Assist
ant United States Marshal, accompa-
MED by Peter Simmons, "a black
"nigger,) Oscar Cannon, copper
colored, "a penitentiary bird,) and
Willis Johnson, ("yallow niger"
went to my store at the Cross Roads
and ordered a lad, Master Wells, who
slept in the store with my son, a four
teen year old boy, into the store, sta
ting that he should shut himself in,
and if he came out that the guard
that he (Maloney) was going to place.
around the house would shoot him.
Mr.. Smith, who was paying a visit to
Wells, was then rldely assaulted, and
ordered to march to my dwelling
house, (about a half mile from the
store each Of the cowardly fellows
single filing behind him as close as
they could walk, lock step. Smiths
lite was threatened, and he assured
that if he made any noise whatever
that he would be shot. About half
way between the store and dwelling,
my son, going from supper to the
store, (where he and Master Wells
slept was pounced upon by two "big
who held his arms behind
him whilst Maloney stood in front of
him with pistol presented 10 his
breast, swearing that he intended to
shoot him through. After he had
kept the boy in this position until the
cowardly, tormenting, evil spirit was
satisfied, they turned him loose, tell
ing him 10 keep in the path to the
store; that if he turned to the right
or left, he would be shot by men sta
toned in the woods for the purpose.
Tie file being rr- arranged as be-
fore, with Smith being forced to lead,
the night being dark and the foliage
Of the oaks dense, they came into my
yar:l near the piazza, where Mr.. John
Perry and myself were 'silst5l sil115; 6;
wife was in Ter room at the point of
death, having been quite i'll for some
time)-and they shouted, to our sur
rri. c, "Shoot every damned rascal
chat comes out OF the house. Sho6t!
shoot!" I did not know what it meant.
Robbers, Lowrey's band, everything,
lifted across my brain. The slont-
ing, shooting, all, all, what does this
mean? l advanced to meet them at
the steps; Perry vas with me; Barre
and Ward jumpel into the yard.
Barre received IL severe wound. Sew
eral attempts wue made to shoot
Ward, but failed. lhe alarm to In,
wife was 80 sudden, and when Barre
said, Il am shot. she thought it was
the voice of our Oldest son, and be-
came so frightened that her recovery
is now hopeless.
AS soon as l c,uld,.I ascertained
what was the mater. Maloney said
that he had variant fnr Ward,
whom he had faihd to arrest. What
Ward was charged with he did not
make known. Sid he had a warra It
for Perry. PER-. said, "If you have,
am ready to gowith you. But he
,Maloney) apoIoqzed to Barre; said
he was very sorry that he got shot
but have wrrant for you, al
though it is Of little Importance; some
negro has q chage against you; you
,an stay here with Mr.. Bleasc and re-
port TO me, if YOU get well, at your
[ told my son to go
quickly for a PHYSICIAN; that Barre
would bleed to leath. As he started
ot' a "niggsr" lrew down on him ,
with pistol, sa-ing, "ll you leab de
house j will shot YOU" None Of us
we're armed, BIT were enjoying the ,
1nietness of tb holy Sabbath even
ng, and awaiting anxiously on her, !
who appeared lmost done with earth 8
y things, whei we were pounced up
On by these feds who pretend torep- /; ;
resent the offers Of America. 1 know !
of thtohicials Of the coun- :
Try; never living taken any part =
whatever in plitics; having all my =
life pursued M peaceful avocation of &
farmer, artisan and merchant; but if
;hese be their representatives, "God i
save the county. @
T[OS. W. BLEASE. >
I~I~N--.---
La Loi Matiale Dams lie Sud-" c