New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-04
NORTH CAROLINA.
A SEARCH FOR KU-LLUN'

UNREASONABLE
KIIrx SPIRIT DEAD.
WOW 1rIr SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TnB TsiBUkki
C,,vroN Sampson Co., N. O., Aug "a
.c,,a- q, s,Dnson COUNTY, Well, goOd-by, old fellow
gel don sec you again. There's heap o rough ief
lows down thore-rcgular KuKlux, you know 1us' "s
soon shoot "a Niger as cot their dinner eOuo ,,.
a. no scnt there every month or two TO keep e stragh
- % beln the United States Marshals mako arrests
,oson there's none down now but right smart
q, fellows have been caught and put under Do"u'
This from Nepo Republican friend as $1,000 on INC
hotel stoop at Raleigh two days ago, waiting lor 'e
railroad stage "You won't see any children aoou',
he shouted as the stage drove away; "ts Mt Time 70
loon zen, up for the Winter yet You know the people
NUT bells 70 their young neeks in the Spring down
there and turn en into huckleberry swamps whore
they browse about till frost comes"
tbs uSExPIoRED REGIONS or THE STATE
It's fact that the people OF the surrounding counties
know less OF what going in Sampson than IN almost
any other county in the State. 1t has but one Town
cn,on, collection Of frame stores grouped about tne
Courthouse square, and surrounded by the dwellings, Vi
between and 100 people white ana biaeK VINO pahe
M its entire population II has no newspaper no pun
lie means OF conveyance to connect 1t with the resi- oi
tho world and but a sem-weekly mail The coll OF the
eonpy is light and sandy like that Of the entire eastern
portion of this state and where 1t has not peen worn
out OF where abundant fertilizers are used produces
good crops Of cotton corn sweet potatoes DC Iurpen
tine once produced considerable quantities In samp
IL
most OF the trees having either been cut down or
worked out. The county lie pretty tniekiy
and evenly settled. and farmhouses are found AT
regular intervals along the creeks and public roads, WIN
small tracts Of timber land generally separating tne
plantations There are two ways Of reaching Clinton
by private conveyance from Warsaw, small station on
mo Wilmington and Weldon Railroad 16 miles, Or from
FAYETTEVILLE Sc miles distant chose the former ana
landed at Warsaw at o'clock In the afternoon On In
curing at the pOstofhce for a conveyance was III
formed that the mail hack stood at the door ana tnat
perhaps could go that. On approaching the driver
nc looked curously at his team which consisted OF
very dimputiye horse still further dwarfed Ivy III feed
ing or no feeding at a and replied that he could laying
great stress on the word he seemed TO notice the In
eredulous expression Of face but that be ddnt IKE
to 1t was agin the rules" he reckoned AFTER giving
the matter further and apparently very earnest CON
alteration he told me 10 take the back seat OF the
hack" which was ordinary open road-wagon, and
after great exerons walked his team, and we were on
the road
The fourhours journey almost devoid Of interest
ana should not have mentioned 1t at all did not inc u
Guilty Of reaching Sampson County, or OF getting news
from here xpan some OF the absurd reports about the
state OF society which gained currency In TINS state
even within hundred miles OF Clinton My companion
was a man whom you would much moro expect 10 ma
I'm one OF baekwOOds counties OF Maine than IN North
Carolina lie was about 90 years Of age clad in COARSE
weathcreaon garb-an ignorant man, with few ideas,
except a determination to make money and become
rich. lie thrifty farmer, goes into his cotton neid
himself al the head Of his gang OF negroes and makes
81 condition Of their remaining with him that they keep
their rows up with his II this the prevalent fashion
among Southern planters there would be less complaint
about "lazy nggers" and crops at least so per cent
better than under the present system Of management
Ho knew nothing and seemed TO care very little about
the Ku-Klux in the county. lie had heard that fright
smart Of men had been taken to Raleigh, but recK
oned" they were all back. He had seen some eolGiers
down here q week ago but didn't know what they were
here my journeys through some OF the counties
adjoining Sampson bad heard very strange stories
from persons both political parties The NepoRepuo
Hcans-they call them Radicals in this State and they
don't apply that term 10 who have been Republicans
from principle, but only the carpetbaggers and scala
wags who have Joined the party for Its oaves and fishes
the Radicals told me terrible tales about the KuKux
snd the murders and whippngs 1t had been guilty or
and the Conservatives assured that the Admlnistra
ton had sy systematically intmidaed hundreds OF men by
threatening prosecution under the Ku-Klux act The
object Of my visit was TO ascertain the exact truth in
regard to both Of these matters.
FRIGHTENING LIBERAL VOTERS FROM POLLS.
have Ueen Successful in obtaining the most positive
proof tnat the Administration attempted to brighten
men away from the pes in this county at the last cleo
lion Previous to July about 100 citizens Of Sampson
had been arrested for conspiracy" taken to Raleigh,
and ced under bonds TO appear for trial. In DO case
had an arrest been resisted About ten days before the
M
Marshal from Raelgh appeared in the county with three
United States soldiers under command Of a sergeant
The soldiers were stationed at Clinton, but Miller went
into the upper part OF the county where the Conserva
hive candidates we're eanvassing and attended their
meetings. lie had with him paper containing the
games about citizens of Sampson County, for the
arrest OF whom said he had warrants. These names
he caused TO be read at the several precincts, and
uuested the persons Eamed to up and give bonds
He did not attempt iaT ! can learn TO make
single arrest bat disappeared with his soldiers about
three days before the election. or course he said moth
Ing 10 ybody about voting but the logic Of his action
was perfectly plain lie published the fact that he had
warrants for certain persons, and nobody knew how
many more retained. The of his departure, he
was well aware could very few persons before
election day. and nobody felt but that il he
T. the polls Miller OF his agents would be there
20 seize him and take him of Raleigh don't think
many voters kept from the polls, but this Mil
lers evident intention. To show how he by these
warrants explanation is necessary.
Clinton is about - miles from the eastern boundary Of
the county and about % miles from South River small
creek which separates IL from Cumberland County on
the west The people living Clinton in that por
lion OF the county which lies OF 1t intelligent
and as refined as those Of agricultural community
Of Eastern North Carolina The Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad extends through Dupn County nearly parallel
with the eastern boundary Of Sampson, and the planters
living on the road running back 10 or 20 miles often
at the railway stations and know something OF what Is
going on in the world. These people. am assured,
always depOred Of violence, aud from the first set
their faces against anything like Hu-Klux. But when
you travel the county distance west or north
west Clinton you find people almost as isolated as II
they lived In the Of Africa. They read no news
papers and II thev live than 10 a dozen miles
from here generally 10 Clinton only twice
year Some OF the young were members Of
wheclers Cavalry, an organization Of bad Reputation