The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-02
HOW TIE JURY WAS Manipulated.

they were accompanied by Major Stone, asals.
rAnC attorney. he already had the
confessions of q few frightened Men, who
were told that they were 70 be indicted vfor
murder and hanged If they did not confess TO
being members Of the Ku;Klqx. Not being
able 10 read or write, and thinking. to escape
with their lives, they were willing 70 confess
ANYTHING. This Major Stone reserved to HIM
self the right to ask all the questions. u
Juror dared opened his mouth, he at once Or
dered him TO keep SILL. Aud 30 the trial was
conducted The jury put tup With this as long as
tbey could bear it, and then about the close or
the term they all protested, even the negroes,
and deputed Mr.. Barbot, merchant or
Charleston, to 20 10 Judge Bryan and Inquire
II iuror had right 10 ask g question; ola
witness. His Honor said that the dlslrict al
torney was present 10 assist them, put tnAt
the jury had perfect right TO ask any ques-z
tion In the jury-room. Tue jury must bear
the district, attorneys presence. This negro
and carpet.bsg jury was ready to ind YER
diet against any of the residents OF four ooun-
Ties. It was enough that man lived .tntone
of these counties, without evidence that ne
ever made raid or even attended meeung.
One man was indicted for loaning his horse 10
another man who was one OF the ku-hlu1'
A SOUTH clRoL1NA TITUS OATES. ~.
But the witnesses produced were astonish-
ing will give the history OF put one.1 ms
name is, W. F. N. Williams. His ,story - al
follows 800. .,~-.-, s--,. s,,r..t. f.,.-,.y. r.
al waa confederate soldier; was captured
and paroled in Virginia; came home, ana waa ep-
pointed auditor. or Union County oy 9oYernCE
scott: went to Columbia and asked tne I0VslnoI
for some Remington rlss ngas sas Au;n. ~ asHan
ized Ku-Klux Klan, known as Wuhamss haa,
and forced ali the Republicans TO join it, and then
snnins sSs ss,1i en 5se taxing them anu
When the soldiers came among them vii,
lIams was the first to turn informer and de-
nouuced every member of his klan.sfH He
swears that every member In Union County
was one OF the Ku-klux. He was ,lhe princt-
pal witness against almost every one that was
tried. When the grand Jury requested the
disrrlct attorney 10 draw an indictmentaSa1
Williams, he refused, saying that II be was In
dicled the case would be mol. pressed: This
same williams will be brought up in Column
bia next month to swear into the peniteniiary
every Conservative citizen of Union County.
Since that time he has been used as spotter
py District Attorney Corbin. He went with
Hendricks to Georgia and pointed out some
of his own relatives as vlctimes. Hendricks
arrested them on forged warrant, and then
was arrested for kidnapping. He has just
been released by one OF Grants 1ud@esiI Iput
thew did not catch the sneak that pointed out
his own relatives. He took care to get over
the line into South Carolina, where We have
no law except against Ku.Kiu1.
THE aIBBET THREATENED. f.".5
The April term of court lasted thirty days.
They ouiy succeeded in convicting three men
of being Ku. KIux, although they had these
sa 6aeH {na
been forced Into the order. They were led
tn belteye that II they confessed they would pc
imnrisoned for short time, but II they did
NOT thew would be tried for murder and
hanged. The district attorney promised to
LET them of from the murder count II .they
wonld confess to conspiracy. AT the same
time the attorney knew that the court had
decided that they could not try man Tor
murder. So
One more case to illustrate the above. A
man whose name do not remember was
frightened with prospect of the halter, ana
under promise OF 8 light sentence was induced
to come Into court and admit That ne once
| ioined the order. At the same time his case
| was brought before the grand Jury. the VIII
| nesses were produced, but there was NO; eVl,
| dence at all against him, and the Jury, sauated
| with its wholesale verdlcts, unanimously
agreed to find no bill. The grand jury then
went to the courtroom, when, to their amaze
| ment. the man was standing up In court, ana,
| 70 save his life as be thought, was conieeslng
that he once was Ku.Kux. The district at
torney expected to get him out OF the way be-
fore the grand Jury returned, but he wasallow-
| ed to 90 on, aud Notwithstanding no bill was
found against him he Is now In the Albany
Penitentiary.
could give you much more, but am sick
of the subject. NATHAN, JR.
Charleston, 8. c., July 20.