Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-06-08
THE HARMON MURDERERs.

lars, in addition to the details of.the atfaar as
published in our last issue:
Immediately on the conclusion of the read.
ing of the verdict of the jury Of inquest, the
coroner rose from his seat and handed to the
sheriff, who was standing near, the commit.
ment. Just as the sheriff received it two men
in mask threw over his head a sheet, COM
pletely covering up his heal, and gathering
him on each side, dragged him away and in
to the dwelling house near by. Whilst this
was being DONE not word was uttered ex-
cept by Larkin Holloway: "My God ! they
have got the sheriff" At the same moment
the six prisoners-Austin Davis, JEFF Settles,
Stephen Lake, Larkin Holloway, Marshall
Perrin and Jesse Lake-who were present
to hear the verdict were led off, not word
being spoken, no order Of command being
heard. When they had been gone perhaps
five minutes, volley Of fire arms was heard,
apparently about quarter of mile of, and
it required not an actual presence to know
that the six had paid with their lives the for
felt for the bloody crime they had committed
just week previous to that very day.
THE SHOOTING. ~
1t is said that when the crowd arrived
at the place Of the execution, near a pine
field, the prisoners were immediately arran,
ged in line fronting the guard, and were told
if they wished TO do 50 they could pray, when
they Immediately knelt, and all except Iarkin
Holloway commenced praying aloud, and
he wanted to assert his ignorance Of the
whereabouts of the Winchester rifle which it
was alleged he had taken from Harmons
home after the murder. He was notified that
it was "too late for such talk now; if he wan
ted to pray to do SOTO be quick about it"
In few minutes after, they were told to rise,
which they did, and instantly the firing com.
menced. At the first volley all fell except
Stephen Lake, who remained standing q few
seconds longer than his comrades. In less
than half a minute, however, from the time
the firing commenced, all were on the ground.
The firing was kept up at intervals for some
fifteen minutes, when the crowd left, the
bodies to be taken care of by others. Soon q
number of negroes went to see the bodies Of
the dead, and returned, in little while,
reporting that one of them, Austin Davis,
was not dead. Afterward some three or
four shots were heard in that direction, and
when the place was visited late in the evening,
it was observed that Austin Davis head was
shot to pieces At this early hour, owing to
the warm weather, the flies had begun to
gather about the corpses. On Thursday, du.
ring the day, some few negroes visited the
place and guarded the bodies until night,
when they were afraid to remain longer.
Friday the decaying bodies we're 80 offensive
that no one remained with them, but in the
afternoon five negroes came, dug apt and
buried them 81 a.Rii iss4fl
ALL IN ONE GRAVE WITHOUT ooFFINs.
The grave was some eight feet long and
near the spot where they paid the forfeit Of
their crime, and was wide enough for three to
lie in the bottom side by side. Their feet
were put together and the heads of the other
three put in the opposite end of the grave
their legs and feet being on top Of the first
three put in. The dirt was thrown upon
them, and a mound now stands where those
beneath so lately stood in life. The whole
proceeding was conducted in most quiet way.
The crowd returning from The shooting made
no effort Of concealment- in body
and slaksd their thirst at the well, and Id an
hour after the shooting had quietly dispersed,
no exultation, no boasts, no threats being
heard. Only one lou,f expression was heard:
One man, with musket in his hand;y said Il.
a crowd of negroes standing some distance
of, "You niggers can 60 and, bury them
damn niggers." The two women, Betty Perrin
and Tilda Holloway, who were implicated by
the verdict as accessories, we're then turned
loose without as much as word of warn
ing-s showing, we think, a wonderful lleniency
on the part Of the outraged community. II
was the general feeling, too, Of the, crowd as-
sembled, that the verdict Of the jury i%ndicai indies
ted determination on their part to give 9TH
ers who had been implicated by the evidence,
the benefit of every doubt: And thus ended
the Harmon tragedy. The friends of the de.
ceased were advised by! bad designing people
not to touch them, and it was not until the
time stated that they were moved by better
counsels to bury them. The feeling Of the
negroes in the immediate neighborhood, as
expressed, is that the evidence was concln.
sive, and that the guilty deserved death.
Things are now quiet, and peace and order
are again supreme: l..8e 2. sia
.g., THE FIRST BURIAL PARTY !;ad u.
Who went to the place of the tragedy on Tbars-
day morning, removed the bodies some twenty
steps to the shade of some trees and com.
menced to dig the very grave in which they
were finally buried, but while digging, q mes
senger, who had been to Trial Justice Kellar,
returned, stating that if they buried these men
without first having held an inquest, they
would become liable to the severest penalties
of the law. The work was stopped at once
and the place abandoned. The friends and
relatives of the dead seemed to care very lit
tie about them. Many Of them never went
near the bodies of the deceased, and to all
appearances felt as little concern about their
dead as they could do for dead Indians on
the Black Hills. Before they, were buried
the birds of prey had begun their work Of
despoilation, and had eaten the flesh from the
faces, necks and craniums Of the brothers
Stephen Lake and Jesse Lake, and when the
burying party came, the despoilers on wing,
who were the only witnesses of this burial;
sought refuge in the tops of thetrees near by,
and stood in their elevated petitions quietly
looking at the work of interment, which was
not completed until dark, They mourned
not for the dead, except that they we're, as
they thought, deprived Of the rich feast they
expected on the morrow. .its:;;ssa ,kf'.. gf,iH
STATEMENT OF THE SHERIFF t> nc
i In reply to letter of inquiry from Gov
ernor Chamberlain, the sheriff Of Edge6eld
county, under date of the 31st Of May, makes
the following report of his knowledge Of the
affair: ':", % 's'r' s ss}'S ,45ss&
DEAR SIR: Yours of the 25th instantly
received to-day, after an absence on official