The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1876-11-30
"NO rORCE.,


why 8Aoe0O 0oGo00O 1Oey VIII
Not Sec.
AIKEN, s. c., Nov. 1o.-To the edi-
tor Of the Ncm York Tribune. A sense
OF duty, which is the guiding motive
of one reared In the Society Of Friends
Tor Quakersl, compels me to ask q lit
tie space in your paper to give facts
which such gentlemen as the the Rev.
L. c. Edgerton-whose letter you pub
lished on Nov. 4-cannot give, because
they do not wish to know them. This
is my ninth year as teacher in Aiken,
and the hundreds of Northern friends
who visit our school and no doubt read
your paper, will believe my words.
There is peace in the parsonage
there is peace in my own quiet home
here. have seen no colored men shot
nor beaten, neither has Mr.. Edgerton,
unless he went out of the town at mid
night, or was secretly hid with those
whose names were on the dead list. +"
II this was an open, fair, daylight
struggle, we could tell friends from
enemies, and die with face to the foe.
Has Mr.. Edgerton sought the truth
Does he seek facts where he might
find them? Has he wanted to listen
to evidence that would prove how ter
rible were the outrages, or knowing
his church to be largely supported by
Northern people who come here is he
ready to cry peace, peace, when there
is no peace The leading men Of
this place" know that 1000 Northern
visitors bring money which makes
business and puts food into hungry
mouths. Are they likely to desire the
shameful truth to be known? Do
they want TO know it? Is it not hui
man nature to fear 1t would keep away
boarders?
| have talked with a young colored
woman whose husband was killed ut
Ellenton. He was about to be licensed
to preach in the Baptist church. The
white man with whom he was brought
up and was working for asked him if
he would vote the Democratic ticket.
He said: mo! iain't done nobody
any harm; l am Republican, and
am going to live and die one" The
reply was: "You will regret those
words" In about two weeks he said
to his wife: II feel death. / know
they will kill me-" Then counting
the time, he said: ''Five months
since we were married. / must pray
God to make me willing to part with
you. am not afraid to die" That
same evening-it was Sunday-he
started to prayer-meeting. Just be-
fore reaching the place he was told
that there was trouble, and heard
firing 10 he went to the swamp. Be
fore day she found him. On her re-
turn to the house the white men told
her they would kill him; she heard
them read the list, and, to use her
words, "When they came to my hus-
bands name, l was 80 hurted that !
can't remember the rest 20 we'll"
Hundreds Of mounted men were
about the yard of the "white folks"
They rode away and before sunset
came back. She had heard her hus-
band was killed, and was crying when
the "young master" said: "Well, he
is killed. I've been and had it done.
II you amt certain, go and look in the
cotton patch by an old log and the
persimmon tree" The wife of five
months went and found the body of
her husband riddled with bullets, his
neck broken, and other bruises given
with the butts of rifles after he had
been shot. The colored man had no
weapons Of any kind. The wife of the
murderer told the widow afterward !:
"If you dare to go to Aiken and tell
anything that will get my husband
into the courts, I'll have you killed.
You are spotted now; your husband
was sorry for what he said" The
loyal wife answered: "No, ma am,
he was not sorry; he told you he
would die Republican, and he did.
You have killed my husband. DO
what you please with me. can't die
till the Lord means me to. My hus-
band was not afraid, and he has gone
where you never will" All who
know the sex in the South can imagine
the tone used with these words f:
"There! the officers ask me every day
if any niggers insult me, and now
will tell them you have" A threat
to send "A telegram to Augusta and
have her arrested if she dared come on
the train made her wait until there
was safe way, and now she dares not
go back, though if life is spared will
appear in court against them.
Another case is where young man
was shot at and wounded. He went
to his aunt's cabin; she begged him to
go to the woods. He said; mo, they
done shot at me; guess they will let
me 60. / can't walk with this ball in
my leg" The next day several mount
ed men rode up and asked if she had a
wounded man in the house. The
wounded man tried to run out Of the
door, and, to use her words, II knowed
they would do it; did not want to
see it; but 'peared as If l could not
take my eyes off him, and, would you
believe it, they just pop, pop, pop, un-
til he fell dead at my feet"
At another place one poor fellow
ran out and hid under the gourd vines.
They fired into them. While doing
SO . physician whom the colored man
knew came up, and the hunted man
called out: "Oh, Doctor, don't let
'em kill me; Use q good boy; you
know never did anybody any harm;
Use not bad" The Doctor rode away,
and with fearful oaths they-"stopped
his screaming" One mother had
three sons killed. She saw them
shooting at one, and cried: ooh! don't
shoot my poor boy he can't speak, he
is deaf and dumb'-but the peaceful"
white chivalry needed not the cry of
agony, and he was murdered with the
rest. These were not within sight of
Mr.. Edgerton's home, but they were
in Aiken county, and are facts. With
in q mile and half of here the father