The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-02-02

cial investigation. That investiga-
ton: has NOW taken place, an d.
we present an, outline of the facts:
dduced., ~
il Twd negyoes, John Alexander and
+ Albert Poag, wore lodgeds in the
guard 7house ON saspicionef having
been CONDEMNED Zip tle burg
lasy ecammiHed upon thasresidence
of}lylS. off)}A Iol5f d MagarleH ono ofthe
town iwardens, Tbo town authori
teis having power to imprison,, TOR
but q Limited timea and that time
being about TO- expire, NTr: McCarloy
suggobted 70, htepdant: Baeot that
tho suspected parties be fully :! ex-
amined. For this purpose. Albert
Pong was taken, on the evening of
Jnnuary 9Th, to tho n:endant's Office.
On boing questioned, he stated that
tho stolen watch could be found in
q CERTAIN patch of woods near the
town, John Aloxan dor having been
seen by..him with tho watch, and hay
ing said that it WAS in tho place dcsig-
nnted. The negro was taken to tho
place he named, !. and after, looking
nbout,,, said that john Alexander
could find the. .watch,v Iha lattor
was then. sent, for, and WHOM he ar
rived, at tho. place, IN effort was
made to INDUCE him to confess, to the
stealing, refusing to do SO, he was
beaten by ono Of the porty-nono of
those who ,!;wsrc tr,cd--to wiring
from him somo acknowledgement,
Tho beating appears to have been
slight and was done with n flexible
walking cane. The party who did
the beating fired once ovor the hend
of one of the negroes, probably to
frighten him. Another shot WAS
likewise fred, but by whom is on
open question. Tho negroes stout
ly refusing to mako any confession,
they were returned to the guard
house by the town policeman, by
whom, likewise, they had been taken
out. by order of the intondant. Such
are the leading facts of the case wo
havo not space for "details.
Tho trial of the case established,
beyond any doubt, the following
points 1. That there was nothing
political in the affair 2. That there
was mother riot nor conspiracy. 3.
That AIr. Bacot was urged to his
ection by mistaken sense of official
duty, and zeal to bring the true
culprits to justice 4. That Mr..
McCarley was similarly influenced,
and was besides very nat t,ually pro
voked at tho outrageous burglary;
committed ';!tpon his residence. s.
That all + tho aSgravating foatures of
tho case we're rather the result of
circumstances than of any positive
volition of the parties. 6. That tho
case was simply one Of assault and
battory.>, 7, THAT in the assault and
battery Mcssrg. Bacot and McCarlcy
were not principals, but only acccs
sarios..
AS will BE. 6 seen from reference
to tho court proceedings given else
wher,e, N1essrs. Bacot, NIcCarley and
Murphy pleaded guilty, and NIcssrs.
Ketchin and Nfothershed wero &C.
quilted. Two parties indicted
NIossrs. Stewart and Gadsdcn-havo
not yet been arrested. The trial was
marked through out by the utmost
fairness. Tho jury was one of tho
best empanelod in Fairfield in
very long time tho solicitors argu-
ment was entirely dispassionato,
and tho judges charge clear, forcible
and impartial: Col. Rion's argument,
though quite brief, was undoubtedly
one Of tho best wo havo over heard
in the court house. :;
Tho acduitfal of Policeman r Moth
orshod is a yindicati9n alike of his
own character as IN officer and of
the: action Of the town council in re-
tanning him in office: This action,
as oHr readers n'ay bc aware, has
been severely criticised in some
directions, and wo arc gratifed that
our former convictions in this par
tic,,ar have been verified and con
tirned by the verdict of Jury Of
honest men.
We are forced to mention the fact
that some rather sensational Ian
guogo crept into thecol,'mns Of some
of our contemporaries of tho state
press, regarding this unfortunate oc.