Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-08-01
, Forsthe Advertiser

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DARK CORNER, July Goth, 1872.
Mr.. EpmoR:Aon my way to the Vii
lage onlast Saturday, to attend the meet
ing anslEdrill Of the "Palmetto Sabre
Club ,sSlately organized in Edgefeld by
Maj Wm. T. Gary, who was, upon its
Organization, unanimously chosen Presi-
dehta compHmsnt2rl mcrited on ac
count efliis Zeal ands great energy dis
playedin the formation of this Club, and
his ceaseless industry and thorough ac-
quaintance with the principles and tactics
of the use of the Sabre, qualities that will
command success and soon place the
Palmetto Sabre Club" ona footing with
the best Clubs of the State. May its days
be long in the land, and when it's sun
shall eomestoits settingr' maysthere-be
no cloud to mar the splendor of the
horizon! ..,. = -,
And whilst riding quietly along, I met
a friend who informed me of the horri'
BILE and atrocious murder which had just
been committed near J. M. Harrison'sA
in the neighborhood of Gilgal, -the very
recital Of which caused my blood to chill
in my veins, and called to my mind
the deeds of the "dark and bloody
ground',:---in the days Of Daniel Boone:
And what adds peculiar horror to this
cripe, the unfortunate victim was q
woman, and she .e'acie,ate.. = - a.
The facts of this horrid deed, as elected
from my friend, are substantially these;
The parties were all colored. The mans
name is. John Mitchell, and the murdered
womaR's was Sarah Kemp, all liying and
working on the plantation of Mr. Harri-
son. Mitchell and. this woman had q
falling out about the crop. late in the af-
terpoon Of Thursday, }, the 25th inst, and
Mitchell having large claw hammer in
his :, hand, struck her over the head
knocking her down and never eeasiag
until he had beaten her head and face in
frightful manner. Her.skull was bro1
ken through in several places. He then
concealed the body, and after night fall,
took it Upon his horse and carried it two
miles off, hiding'it away in dismal
Swamp, where he thought the eye Of
man would never penetrate. The woman
being soonmissed, suspicion was aroused,
and the husband of the deceased asked
Mitchell if he had seen anything of his
wife, and was informed by him that she
had gone down the road that evening.in
search of the COWS. The next morning
the husband of the deceased went in the
direction indicated by Mitchell, and found
the hammer with which the murder had
been committed, all clotted with blood,
and blood upon Che ground near y.aSus-
peeting foul play, he took the hammer,
returned to the house, and informed the
other freedmen CT it,. Suspicion at sonce
fell upon Mitchell, who being. accused,
owned that the hammer was his, and
then that "smal Eoice,"-the voice of
conscience,-spoke TO him in tones that
startled him to the enormity of his crime,
and he at once made full confession,
and told where the body could be found.
He was at once taken into custody, and
1t was with great difficulty the .colored
people could be kept from lynching him
by hanging him to the nearest tree A
jury was summoned, and an inquest
held over the body by John c. Harris,
Trial Justice, acting Coroner, on Friday,
and a. verdict rendered jim accordance
with the above facts; The jury also
recommended that Mariail Mitchell; the
wife of the accused, be arrested, as ac-
cessory to the deed. And I have since
learned that both were lodged in Jail
at Edgefield Gill;
Bidding my friend good-day, pro.
ceedcd on my journey, and
Winding through the everglade
Where my school-boy scenes were laid"
I discovered u gathering Of freedmen,
with sprinking of whites, in grove
near the residence of Mr.. Butler viii
lia,ns. Being saxious..to, ascertain its
cause, rode uPto the scene, and there,
mounted upon plank, behcld my old
friend and school-mate, DR.. W. y. Jcn-
nings, Sr., addressing the assembly. it
being then IL O'clock, and the day YER!
warm, concluded to remain and hca
the Doctor through. lie advised the
colorcd people to elect only honest Incl:
to oilico, if they wished 70 prosper as
race, and enjcs- tho boon Of freedom ST
lately bestowed upon them; to lmrl from
Office tho men who had proved recrcant'
to their trust, and fill their places with
men who are the servants of the people,
and who would work for the interest OF
the people, and not for their own greedy
and selfish purposes. As for himself, lie
said, he did not want any office he was
gttling old and blind, but he hoped to
1--we to sec the day when native born
South .Carolinian would once more be
placed IN the Gubcr1iatoTial Chair Of this
State; and that OF all men spoken Of for.
Governor; the one who, in his opinion,
would fill that position to the satisfaction
of ,hc entire people, was Judge Samuel
w. Melton. lie said that he knew Judge
Melton when boy, he knew him as a
lawyer, and that is a Judge he had adj
ministercd the law with even justice to
ALA man who, by his dignity as a gen
tleman, and abilityas judge and iurist,
had won himself the love and respect of
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