Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-10-01

The correspondent of the Mercur
writing from Gainesville, Ala, Angus
20, facetiously remarks that "two o
the crowd went dead in corn field.
Inns Democratic correspondent con
cludes his article as follows: Gal
these deaths occurred on the night o
the Gath, except the negro woman
who was killed early in the morning o
the 25th. Mr.. Vincent 1.-THE gentle
man who gave the correspondent tn,
items Of news) being asked eff it wa,
good night for killing" answered
"no 1T had been dry for some weeks.
The next "case" | will offer is tina
of the assassination of Simon Ed
wards, which clip from the Meridian
Gazette. This murder occurred neal
the Alabama line
THE ASSASSINATION OF SIMON EDWARDS
Several weeks ago it will be remem.
bered Simon Edwards, a we'll to dc
colored man, living some eight or nine
miles In an easterly direction from Me-
redian, caused to be arrested several
young men in that neighborhood
charging them with assault with in
tent to kill. Upon hearing before
Justice Morris of this place, an abb
was proved aud the prisoners set at
liberty. All parties connected with
the affair returned quietly to their
homes and no more, so far as has come
to the knowledge of the community,
was thought about it.
On last Friday night, August 81,
Simon Edwards was taken from his
house by band of men, some ten or
more In number, and most foully and
brutually murdered On the same
night, or rather the following morning,
the body of Monroe Keeton, young
man living at Toomsuba, about thir
teen miles distant east of Meridian,
and FIVE or six miles from where the
killing OF Edwards took place, was
found dead in front of the depot build
ing at the above named place. As
might be expected the air is filed with
rumors and counter-rumors as to the
causes that led to the death of young
Keeton, and by whom the killing of
both Keeton and Edwards was done.
On Saturday, as the report of the
assassination of Edwards reached Me-
ridian, Deputy Sheriff Lowry, with
Coroner MoRoy and a jury of inquest,
proceeded at once to the place, and,
after the examination of witnesses ac-
cording to law, returned a verdict in
substance as follows:-"Come to bis
death by gun shot wounds, received
At the hands of some unknown per-
sons"
Ofcourse the family of the deceas-
I'd, y no were present at the time of
he 70 1g, being all females and the
n me aesses giving positive evil
"a i iShorilne--~ time greatly alarm
ecN Flo rigid cross-examination by
counsel for the defence, their evidence
$ somewhat conflicting; though in the
main would be admissible and OF some
weight before an intelligent jury. The
wife of the deceased affords probably
he best evidence. She testifies to the
act of the attack on the cabin by
armed men who fired through the
cracks in the wall, and who finally
ourst the door open coming in with a
lighted candle, Selling her husband,
aking him out distance of forty
Yards and then, while two of the mum.
Der held him the balance of the party
ndulged in the pastime of riddling his
body with buckshot. Not being quite
with this treatment, after the
body was Frustrated and lifeless, the
head was beaten to pulp. This is
positive evidence, in opposition to
which there is no rebuttal. This wit
hess also identifies aud points out in
open court the parties accused as be-
ng among the number engaged in the
Killing of ner husband.
To give you faint idea of the way
Justice ~ is administered in that sec
ion, let me give you the result of this
rial taken from the Mercury, Demo-
cratic newspaper
After short argument by the coun-
sci, the court announced that after
sitting patiently for two or three days,
and sitting the evidence thoroughly,
there is not single scintilla of evil
1ence to show that the parties are
guilty, and therefore the defendants
are honorably discharged.
Not only are murders and whip
pings resorted to, to effect a change
III the politics of the negroes, but
other means also, as will be seen from
the following "notice" which was ia
ken from sign board on the cross
roads near Livingston, Ala, and
handed me by Democrat. 1t is one
OF many of like import, and is evil
IDENTIFY inten ded to appeal to the well
dread of the more igno-
rant colored people,
WARNING
A picture of q cefin.l
"The invisible monarch rules in
Sumter, and watches the doings of
his people from a little star above
you. All 'niggers, white and black,
will take warning from the fate of
Billings and Ivey. They were killed
by unknown hands, which will never
be known. Those hands will destroy
again. Colored men, who want to
live in peace and be protected, can
do it by iBquiring where they can
sign the White Mans Constitution.
Inquire, and our monarch will send
a man to you, who will have the roll.
Never vote the radical ticket again.
Sign and live. Refuse and die. Sign
ed at the Spirit Land, at the hour of
death, and by the graves of the dead.
Y. V. Y. V.
As a still further clue to the doings
of this murderous band of democrats.
| append an editorial taken from the
Meridian Mercury, which paper has
an extensive circulation among these
west Alabama law breakers -
There are symptoms of a DISPOSE
rs n Soa1