The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-02-03
The Edgofield TroubleI.i
JUDGE MAcxEx's REPORT TO rue 90

Mackey, who was requested by 'H6v
Chamberlain to 60 TO iEdge6eld las
week to investigate oiths i recon
troubles in that county, has returned
and has submitted his<epoEt 10, the
Executive. The Following is dool
ment, which It will bs seop' aSorrobo
rates aud confirms every stAte mont oi
fact contained in tho Nawst and
Courier's special report from Edge,
field aud published inl Mouday's
Colombia. 8. c., iJAn:.2 as, 1878.
To His ErceIlcmcy, Gopetnot. smhR.!
6erlain. y ry o,ia, 81,
DEAR srR--I nooordspee, with the
request contained ip y9ar Exoellbq.
oy's com IN unibatiBn OF thS pDtd linn--
slant, I.prooeeded to sEdsefold. dr.
irving at the county, seat: early on
the following day. The object end
SCOPE of my mission to that disturbed
section of the State hre expressed in
that communication, Of HhiSh' the fol-
| lowing is a.copy: "'..'i;"i l'1 ''
STATE OF SovrH CAsoI,sA, y
FIX. CHANPER, Coz. Jan, 2, 1875 +
Ron. Z. j. Machsy Circuit yudge DC.
DEAR SIR-1 have l6afhsd that 40
armed collision has taken place in
the County of Edgeaeldj between
white end oolored oitiEens.iu4 . fear,
that, if unchecked, disorder may, be-,
oome widespread in tbat county. lin
the absence of the oiropit judge Of
the Fifth Circuit in another oonnty,
[ request that you proceed to Edge.
field County and exeit your iuau-
ence and powers in allayipg} the dis
order and in adjusting tbe difficult
ties out Of which the troubles have
sptung. To this end trust TINT
you will coll upon all good citizens
to aid you in restoring and preserving
the ponce and in enforcing tho laws
IF the State. .. .0... -
Very respectfully
your obedieht servant,
d. II. CHAmBERLA,N,
Governor of South Carolina.
On my arrival at Edgefeld Court.
house stated publicly the Object
Of my visit, aud courier WAS dis.
patched to the .cene Of the diatuf.
bance to make my presence and pur-
puse known TO the citizens of both
races. Having learned that Capt.
Edward Teunent, the alleged leader Of
the colored citzens in the reported
collision, had arrived in the town
sent him M essage requiring him to
appear before me, with which he oou,"
piled promptly. After | had duly
warned him that he was not obliged
to commit himaelf, he made state
ment which accoIds substantially
with his affidavit herewith transmit
ted. 1t appearing from that state
ment that Tenant, with An armed
foI TO, resisted lawful warrant,
Issued for his arrest oil tho charge
of atson and that he had made that
resistance elective by firing upon the
posse duly summoned to enforce tho
execution Of such warrant, [ CON-
mitted hiM to Jail to await caamina.
ton. Before committing him; he, At
my instance, made ap affidavit charg.
Ing NJ. q. Butibr and ten other oi,i-
! zcus with ASSAULT and battery with
,n"tcnt to kill, by discharging their
firearms against him, the said Ten.
neut, and the persons lawfully asso.
c.atcd with him, aud fsloniously aud
m"Iiciousy .wouhdiDg, by such dis
charge, Charles v Inflow, John Nor.
gan, Evans Mitchell and William
Benham, in Metriwether Township
Oh tho 10th day Of Juruary, 1878.
therefore issued my warrant for
:he nrprel cnsion Of Gen. MIC. Butler
aud the ten other persons named in
the affidavit. Tho parties charged
resided ut distances from twenty to
twenty 6vo miles from tho eeurthouss
nd it was With great difficulty I
procured the services of an officer to
execute the warrant. The sheriff of
he county appears to be q worthy
and ihoifrasive man, but his whole
l,nte lllgehcc aud seiise of duty seems
10 have lopsed into a etrong Instinct
Of self.pretervatioh. He was afraid
to enter the Merriwether tBwn.hip
beoaiiso tho black people there
dtaA'i know him aud. and the W lite
people did know him After delay
of twenty hours, tho sler'ff obtained
a suitable deputy, who wa diap"tch.
cd with tito warrant: 'THs deputy
sheriff arrested Con. NJ: Z. Bntlef
aud his co.defendants, all of whom
are stated by the cflioet to have
yielded prompt obedience to the
wurrant' The defendants having ap
poareA; t Proceeded: with he prs.
Iiminary examination, and closed
tho testimony Tor tho State on last
Saturday nigh, t,aftor examining nume.
rous witnesses+, all of whom sustaiit.
cd the statement of Tenhent, but
Iavo@ed themselves as tarties with
Tennent in the armed resistancs to
the process. On motion of the dc.
fendant's counsel tho examination If
the witnesses for che defence aas set
down for Thursday, tho 2Sth instant