The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-05-19
The Returned Prisoners

Tho Returned Prisoners.
The Laurensville Herald, Of the 18th.
publishes the following communication,
signed -. A. L."
MR. EDITOR: Thinking it might be
gratifying to our prosecutors, and edify-
Ing to our friends, to put on record some
connected account OF our recent soap
tivity," I take my pen to sketch only
the most prominent points. For fear OF
duplicating any one else. BY the senti
ments may here express. I will risk the
charge of egotism, and give my personal
On that memorable Sabbath morning,
March 31st. when quietly preparing for
my Bible GLASS, in my own parlor, was
arrested by Deputy Marshal, under a
Warrant for "Conspiraoy and Murder"
and SOON after marched to the parlor OF
Mr.. Joseph Crews, where was confined
for the balance OF the day. As the ma
jority OF Mr. Riley's male members, in
oluding two Of his session, were there,
We had the afternoon service in this same
parlor. At sun set We wore marched to
the Jail, and plunged into the dungeons.
Here we were kept until about mid day
on Monday, when ne we're graciously
allowed the use Of the passage and the
"Debtor's Room"
On Wednesday morning we were hur-
ried off, in road wagons, some eighteen
in all. to Union Jail, escorted by COM
pany of cavalry. As we travelled most
Of the time in q cold driving rain, our
clothes, shawls and blankets were pretty
we'll saturated with moisture when we
reached that Jail, sometime after dark.
No dry blankets could there be furnished
us, as the jailor told us all his supply
had been burnt, III efforts to restrain the
recent fire. This rather threw q wet
blanket over our prospects for nights
rest, but we got through that night, too.
The next day we were hurried to the
cars, and reached Columbia about sun
set. Here we were marched in process
sion from the depot to the Jail, burden
ed with our baggage, and fanked by
crowds Of negroes of all ages and sexes,
who seemed to enjoy the pageant huge
ly. Here again we we're introduced to
the conviot's cells, and confined with
more or less structures for two weeks,
before we were summoned before the
United States Commissioner, for the first
time, to learn what it all meant. I pass
over the fixing day for the examination
before the commissioner, about o week
afterwards, the ridiculous farce OF the
examination itself, and tho d,cfuI SEN
tence of the court-"Remanded to Jail
for trial at this term of the Circuit
Court" "On to Charleston" was then
the next move. As the curiosity of the
ruling class in Columbia had been we'll
nigh satiated with Ku Klu1 pagoants,
the gentlemen from Clinton were hand
ouffed 1.-TWO and. two, Newgate fashion, Z"
to give some new zest to this show, and
in that fix were marched to the depot in
Columbia, and from the depot in Char
lesion to the House OF Correction-some-
thing over q mile.
About week afterwards, the writer
was also sent to Charleston with the
Laurens prisoners. The hand-cuff show
was attempted on him. too, but thanks
to the size of friend Macs wrist, it was
failure. The law OF the impenetrabili-
ty of matter would have had a hard
squeeze, if our 500 pounds had been
forced into one car seat oil that night.
We were marched first to the jail in
Charleston. and afterwards removed to
the House OF Correotion. thus making a
| circuit Of five jails in less than five weeks.
This was on Wednesday. the 1st OF May.
and on Friday, the Sd, it was announced
Ghhu uo6C oOhu Ahu oi6AcQ al OldCA
for the release of all prisoners, giving
bail from IS. 900 to $4,000. Saturday
night was again in my parlor. within a
few hours of Eve weeks from the time I
left it so abruptly.
This is neither the time or place to
speak of the unbounded hospitality, the
hearts Of sympathy ana tho unwearicd
attention and social intercourse of very
many OF the purest and best of both
sexes, both in Columbia and Charleston
While favored with their constant socie-
ty and smiles, with what inefable con-
tempt could we look down upon the pig
my rabble, who were trying to persecute
us. But my main object in taking up
this paper is to bear my feeble testimony
to the goodness and loving-kindness Of q
covenant God, always faithful to all his
promises. I may be charged with cant
or braggadocia, according to. the taste Of
the reader, but feel it my high priyi-
lege to publish here, and to the world,
that at no time during these weeks Of
untried realities. was my calm peace of
mind interrupted for one moment. Ny
body was in the power of my persecut-
ors. but the me at which they seemed to