The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-06-01
Swift Vengenoe.

On the night of the 17th instant, the most
ficndish and brutal murder VIC have ever read
of, occurred in Edgcfcd county, near the
Abbevillc line. Mr.. John l.. Harmon, aged
seventy two, and his wife, Mrs Harmon
aged some fifty years, were murdered by nc
groes in their own house. One of the icnds
was arrested, when he made full confession
We have not room for all the particulars of
the murder, but clip the following from tho
Edgcfold Advertiser:
"Thc confession of Austin Davis amounted
to this: The scheme had been concooted a
week or ten days before the perpctraton-
Some dozen or moro negroes were in the So
crct. The actual perpetrators, however, are
the men now under arr st. Stephen Lake
struck Mr.. Harmon the first blow on the head
with stout dogwood club, then second
blow, which felled him. Mrs. Harmon
shrickcd Another Negro fellow struck hor
to the floor, also with dogwood club She
fell face downwards and was dead The
negro preacher now enters, and, lifting her
body, cuts her throat from ear to car. The
body drops again upon its face-the hands 80
hidden that the numerous costly rings were
not taken off them. Then the body of Mr.
Harmon is turned over. He is not quite dead,
and one Of the fends strikes him terrible
blow upon the forehead, smashing it entries
ly in. And again the preacher wields his
knife. Mr.. Harmon's throat is also cut from
car to ear.
"And now commences tho saturnaiia of
nj Nbo ~
scene, and there Is a general row" (Davis)
words) over the body. The women wranglc
over silk dresses and jcwclry, while the men
ransack the whole house. They strive to
distribute the booty "oquitably." Everything
movable is carried off And now gallons of
kerosene oil are poured upon the bodies Of
the victims, and tho floor is saturated. Mrs.
linrmon's body is so saturated that when the
clothes are taken off the skin adhcrcs to them
Then negro woman applies the torch, and
the murdcrers depart. The blood, flowing in
streams, mixes with the oil and stays the
flames
"Ths details nrc so numerous and so shock
ing that it is impossible to record them
Such dcvlish brutality was never before
heard Of"
The criminals were six in number, all col.
ored, their names being: Larkin Holloway ),
Stephen Lake, dustin Davis, Marshall Per-
rim, jeff Suttlos and Ed Perry.
Mr. Harmon was highly respectable citi-
zen, and before the war was man of wealth.
Since the war lie has not possessed much
wealth, though he was in good circumstan-
cos. The citizens were 80 ncenscd at the
horrible outrage, they at once, as soon as
the guilt Of the parties was clearly established
resorted to lynch law.
The following conclusion of a dispatch to
the News and Courier, tells the rest of the
story. The telegram is dated Abbeville c..
H., May 24th.
ITO day they paid the awful penalty of
their crime, the pooplo having decided that
the maChiney of the law was too dila.ory
mode of treating such wretches. There was
no secrecy whatever in the manner of their
execution The prisoners were taken for.
chilly and in broad Daylight from tho custody
ofthc sheriff and shot to death in the pres.
encc Of three hundred citizens The firing
party was composed Of no less than one hun,
dred men, and the hundred shots put speedy
end to the guilty wrctchcs. Holloway and
Perrin were preachers