Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-10-01


counsel for the defense, their evidence is
conflicting; though in the main
would be admissible and of some weight /
before an intelligent jury. The wife of
the deceased affords probably the best
evidence. She testifes to the fact of the at
tack on the cabin by armed men, who |
fred through the cracks in the wall, and /
who finally bursted the door open, COM |
ing in with lighted candle, seizing her
husband, taking him out a distance of
forty rods, and then, while two of the
number held him, the balance of the
party INDUCED in the pastime of riddling
his body with buckshot. Not being salts
fed with this treatment, after the body
was prostrated and lifeless, the head was
beaten to a pulp. This is positive evil
dence, in opposition to which there is no
rebuttal. This witness also identifies and
points out in open Court the parties ac-
cused as being among the number engag-
ed in the killing of her husband"
To give you a faint idea of the way
justice ~ is administered in that section,
let me give you the result of this trial,
taken from the Mercury, a Democratic
newspaper.
''After a short argument by the counsel,
the Court announced that after sitting pa
tiently for two or three days, and sitting
the evidence thoroughly, there is not
single scintilla of evidence to show that
the parties are guilty, and therefore the
defendants are honorably discharged"
Also the following from the Marion
Star (Dem.):
"The four men, Willis Merritt, James
Barefeld, Fayette and William Sims, who
have been undergoing preliminary ex-
animation before Justice Morris, for the
past few days, charged with the killing of
Simon Edwards, were discharged from
custody on Thursday evening. A search
ing examination was continued for three
days without producing the slightest evil
dence pointing to them as the guilty par
ties. The Court, after deliberately weigh
ing the evidence, gave them an honorable
discharge.
t'These four men, who were arrested
and charged with this heinous crime, up
on the affidavit of a negro, are said to be
among our most respectable citizens, and
it is to be regretted that honest white men
should be put to SO much trouble and ex-
pense upon the affidavit of an igAorant
negro" - '>
Not only are murders and whippings
resorted to, to effect change in the poll
/ tics of the negroes, but other means also,
as will be seen from the following "no-
tice," which was taken from sign-board
on the crossroads near Livingston, Ala,
and handed me by Democrat. It is one
of many of like import, and is evidently
intended to appeal to the we'll known su-
perstitious dread of the more ignorant
colored people: 49,
--- WARNING ..s
s "a picture of coffin.l
F'The invisible monarch rules in Sum-
ter, and watches the doings of his people
from little star above you. Ali mig
gers,' 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 inquiring where they can sign the
| White Mans Constitution. Inquire,'
and our monarch will send man to you,
who will have the roll Never vote the
radical ticket again. Sign and live. Re-
fuse and die. Signed at the Spirit Land,
at the hour of death, and by the grages
of the dead. v. V. V. v"
As still further clue to the -doings of
the murderous bands of Democrats, ap-
pend an editorial taken from the Merid-
ian Mercury, which has an extensive cir
culation among these West Alabama law
breakers:
"There are symptoms of a disposition
of negroes to seek to make peace with the
whites. The attitude the whites have
4 taken after the failure of every plan and
device to win the negro over to cooperate
with them for the general welfare has
had the effect to bring them to a
proper realization of the position they
occupy in society, and sharpened
ed their visions to catch glimpse of the
only road they can travel with ease and
safety in the pursuit of happiness. The
true position for the whites to occupy
now is one of independence and stern op.
position to the black race line SO long and
ruinously opposed to them, and never
again to make overtures, but be ever
ready to entertain one kindly and consid.
) erately when made by the other party
with an honest purpose. .-
Therefore it is, that every compact
between the races to secure peace and GOOD
will and good neighborship, should have
a condition precedent that the blacks mus
Internationally abandon their vicious
) and ruinous politics, at least so far al
State and county governments are con
/ cerned. If they want to vote for Gran
: for a third term, we would not recon
f against it. But in home, county, anC
e State Government, no advances from tn,
= negro party should be listened to that d.
} not propose to unite with the intelligent
s honorable, and honest white men in put
:, ting the Government in the hands of hon
est and capable men, and driving out tn,
: public robbers. There should be no peac
e between the white and black man so lon.
o as the latter continues to rob himself, o
Y permits himself used as the tool of rob
r bers. We think we see that like peac
: overture to one which was made BY tn
: negroes about Toomsuba, will become tn
o fashion. Our advice would be, to NO
n move an inch from the line to invite O
=, to meet them, but when they come hon
It estly to treat them fairly and with kind
s ness, but with firmness to demand ever
h proper and needed condition"
e PICKENs COUNTY.
g This is a county in West Alabams
h where the white men publicly boast tha
no white man ever cast Republican vot
j. and lived throughout the year In tn
], days of the former reign of Ku-Kluxisn
: it was regarded as a perfect hole of mul
1t der and crime. The report of the Cor
l. gressional Investigating committee full
= elucidates the former glory of Picken
!: county. To-day it is worse than ever, an
Is the white man or colored man who woul
n dare to make Republican speech in tn
IS county would be shot down like a ma
;e dog in one of our public thoroughfarel
ir There are hundreds of negroes in thi
e county who have never voted, who al
RI worse slaves than when the chains an
r. the handouts were the insignia of thei
a condition, and the sharp lash of bruts
n slave driver was the reward of a day {
9, toll. They have heard of freedom
t, and liberty, but never tasted its sweet
l. Untouched by the civilizing influences {
1T railroads and rivers, they are still livin
d and working for old masters upon thei
p secluded plantations. "No nigger schoo
er adorn our countY.n is the boast of on