The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-20

Joseph md Adam Crews. There has
| been, perhaps, too sensational tone
given to the communications, with re-
| ference to the terrible murder commit
! ted by these men. This has emboldened
Joseph Crews; he has been led to be-
, lieve, perhaps, that we were not in pos
session of conclusive testimony to
establish his participation in the murder
, of DR.. Shell. But the time has now
arrived when we should treat this So
, lemn question as it's importance de-
mands, and from this time forth, basing
our statements on the irrefutable testi-
mony which has been produced before
us, we shall, turning neither to the right
nor the left, leave no stone nnturnet! in
our effort to bring this murderer to his
doom. Our object has been, since GER
tain facts were brought to our notice, to-
call forth, from the numerous reservoirs,
| wherein the records of this mans vii
lalny have been concealed, such proof
as would nid in the vindicntion of JUS
tice. Take his denial. Analyze it.
First, what does it mean? Second, what
does it amount to?
He says, first, he denies the charge
brought by the men who confess under
oath they murdered DR.. She'll. This is
puerile-his word against their oaths;
and, to go one step farther, what would
be the value of his oath against their
oaths? It is true, that they are colorcd
people-truc, that they are criminals; :;
| County, the oath of any man, white or
black, weighed in the balance against
that of Joe Crews, would turn the beam.
This, not alone in the opinion of the out
ragged whites, but also in that of the de-
luded blacks whom he has led into the
paths Of guilt, and then permitted them
to expiate his crimes. But there is an
other feature of the question to be consi-
dered, before it be determined whether
Joseph Crews speaks the truth, or whe-
ther Sullivan and Parks speak the truth.
What have these latter to gain by max
ing false statements? If they have told
the truth rs to their participation, then
it is inevitable that they have told the
truth as to Crews. It would be impossi-
BILE for any men to describe SO clearly
the details Of n murder, in which SO
many were connected, without, if not
founded on fact, its falsity being evident
and apparent. And here we ask ques-
by the record Of Crews referred to be-
low: Does not his record in South Caro-
lima render the truth Of this charge more
than probability?
| But to answer our question as to the
effect of his denial, we may, with pro-
priety, say that it amounts to nothing.
Of course. he would deny it. He could
not remain silent, and he must either fiy
or make this denial. But to continue
| our analysis He says the men who in
I stigated the criminals to accuse him,
have their own skirts dyed with blood.
Who does he mean? Who hns instipated
these men to tell the truth? Is it the
jailor, or the sheriff, or the Judge, or is
it he himself? Almost the first man who
rushed in hot haste to see them upon
their arrest was Joseph Crews. It may
be that he means the men whom he pro-
scribcd in Laurens and Union, and
whom he then sought to murder through
whom he brought here. True, he denied
the truth of the sworn statements made
in 1871, us he denies the statements made
in 1875. But he brought them here.
They were his ncconlplices, and their
sworn testimony was that he was to pay
them so much for the body of each of the
men whom he wished murdered. The
0hths OF his accomplices in these hellish
designs are upon record, and the onths
OF his accomplices in the murder of DR..
Shell are also upon record but now, rs
then, he proposes to do away with the
effect of this testimony by a newspaper
denial. Does any man doubt the guilt
which was fastened on him in 1871?
Does any man doubt that fastened on
him i'll 1875? He would destroy the tes-
timony of his accomplices by charging
them with the commission of the crime
for which he paid them. And yet, this
blood-stnincd man dares to appeal to
those who know him best" Who are
they? They nre the men whom he has
driven from their homes they are the
men who mourn some loved one, MUIR
dered by Joe Crews hireling band-they
nre the negroes who, in the pcnitcntinry
or on the gallows, have suffered for the
crimes he paid them to commit These
are the men who know him best. Citi-
zens of Laurens and Union, is not this
trne?
Then let the answer come from them
to the question-have these ignorant,
deluded negroes, this mans tools, sworn
to the truth? But what does he ask
those who know him best to bear witness
Il