Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-05-13
Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
LETTER FROM CHESTER.
CuEsTER Nav 1Otl


CHESTER, May 10th, 1875.
Spelling bees, which have met with great
favor in Northern towns and cities, are direct
ing their course in this direction. Several
Southern cities have already been the scenes
of successful spelling matches. As Chester
always keeps fully abreast with the times
she proposes to give spelling bee in the
course of a short while. The bee will be un
der the management of the ladies of the Epis
copal congregation, who in this way hope tc
raise good round sum in behalf of their
church. The preliminary arrangements have
been made, and nothing now remains to do
save to hold the match and award the prize
to the successful competitor. Mr.. T. G. Gas
ton has been assigned the honorable position
of teacher, whose duty will be to make known
to the class the words to be spelt. Messrs. G.
j. Patterson and James Hardin, who have
been chosen umpires, will be entrusted with
the momentous responsibility of deciding re-
specting the merits of the different candidates
for spelling honors. Mr.. Means Davis, editor
of the Winnsboro Ne,us has signi6ed his de-
sire and intention Of being present. provided
his engagements will permit. He will like
wise be honored with the position of umpire
iffortune will smile upon him in allowing him
to appear upon the interesting occasion. A
considerable number of both sexes have ex.
pressed their willingness to join the spelling
match, and the class will, in all probability, be
greatly increased before the evening of the
entertainment, which at the present time has
not been positively fixed. The young folks
are indulging in bright anticipations respect
ing the bee, and are making preparations for
it by employing portion of their leisure time
in spelling difficult words. A handsome copy
of Longfellow's Hanging of the Crane" will
be awarded to the speller who carries off the
honors of the class.
Trial Justice Sanders sat in judgment upon
an abduction case last week. As the parties
concerned belonged to the upper tendon Of
colored circles, the case attracted consdera.
BILE attention among that element of the pop
ulation. At an examination into the facts
of the case before the Trial Justice, before
whom the abductor Samuel Brown, and his
accomplice, John Lilly, had been summoned
to appear, the father of the abducted girl,
Moses Benson, told the story of his wrongs
before an interested throng of colored listen
ers. He testified that his daughter was under
age, that she had been persuaded to leave
her home, and had entered into the marriage
relation without his knowledge and consent.
His counsel endeavored to secure an order
from the Trial Justice, restoring the girl to
her father, but the court overruled the mo-
tion on the ground that her restoration must
be effected by writ of habeas corpus, con.
sidered before Judge Mackey. The Justice
held that the crime of abduction did not
come within his Jurisdiction. and that he had
no authority beyond supervising the case and
sending it up to higher court. The trial
of Samuel Brown and John Lilly, charged
with the abduction of Artelissa Benson, will,
therefore, take place at the next term Of the
Circuit Court. The youthful wife was not
abashed during the preliminary examination
before the Trial Justice, and stoutly asserted
her determination to stick by her spouse to
the bitter end. She boldly declared her in
tention Of suffering death before returning to
her fathers home.
In the last number of the YoRKvILLE EN-.
ourRER appears card from Mr.. G. G. Macoy,
in which he complains Of some comments
made by me in a recent correspondence res
pecting certain obnoxious claims held by
different parties against this county. If Mr.
Macoy will refer to the communication, with
a portion of which he seems to be displeased,
he will see that 1 observed at the time that
my statements in regard to certain claims
against the county were based upon an inter-
view had with the Chairman of the Board Of
County Commissioners did not make them
upon my own responsibility, for l knew noth7s
ing of definite nature in regard to the mat.
ter, but upon representations made to me by
one of the Commissioners. If the statement
were incorrect in any particular, the fault lia
not with me, but with the official who gave me
the information. l deem it to be my duty al
newspaper correspondent, to give publicity
to all information of public nature. |
would be untrue to the people did l KEEP
back from them any news, Of which they haze
a right to know. Time will decide respecting
the truth of the statements made to me,y
the Chairman of the Board of County Con-
missioners, and by me given to the ENQUIRER.
Into the hands Of this great arbiter of human
affairs, am willing to consigu this matter
for the present.
suppose the report Of the appointment OF
ex-senator John Lee, colored, to the position
of postmaster at this place, is unquestiouably
true. The public are extremely Interested IN
his obtaining an assistant who will understand
the duties of the Office.
Rev. w. P. Jacobs, of Clinton, Laurens
county, delivered an address on the Thorn
we'll Orphanage at the Presbyterian Church
on last Thursday evening. The amount raised
in behalf of the Orphans fund was on par
with the slimness of the attendance.
Mr.. D. T. Legg, living in the Landsford
township of this county, and married man,
left his home last week, accompanied by
,,,,,,, i'll ,,f tbo paioh horhood and departeu