The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-02-17
Bill Whipper's History.
The following is from a correspon~
dent of the New York Snn.

MILAN, MIou., January 25.-The
people of this region take great in
terest in reading about w. j. Whip
per, the dusky politician who was
recently elected a judge in South
Carolina, because he once lived here
: for short time. He was not Judge
then, unless a judge of whiskey, nor
was he called in those days the Hon
W. j. Whipper, but simply Bill
Whipper, or moro commonly "Nig-
ger Whippcr."
lie first made his appearance a
mong US as farm laborer, in the
service Of farmer living a short
distance North OF this village. He
enlisted the sympathy of his employs
er, who bolped him to buy or get
some shadow Of title to 1GO acres of
timbered land. Whipper made a
very small payment on the land,
came to this place, set up for capital,
ist, got saw mill built for him, and
then hiring gang of colored breth-
rem and number of teams, he made
expeditions work in getting the val
liable timber of the land of which he
had become the nominal proprietor
at slight expense. This timber he
converted into money, which he put
in his pocket, when he quietly step>
ped out, leaving his colored brethren,
the real land owner, the mill owner,
and various other creditors to de-
plore his untimely taking of. 1t was
hardest on the colored brethren, as
many OF them were Just from the
South, and very poor. 70 use an ex.
preston in vogue hcreabouts, he
"whipped' the negroes the worst of
any of his creditors, and ii was ow-
ing to this, more than his color, that
he acquired the cognomon OF "Nig-
ger" Wnippcr.
The Judge had obtained money and
credit at various places, in amounts
varying from ten to five hundred
dollars, on the representation that he
owned l60 acres of land, a saw mill
and large amount of personal proper
ty, when his total cash Investment
could not have exceeded 5000. Sew.
eral warrants for fraud and omo for
stealing betting from the mill in the
night time were sworn out against
him, but he managed to elude sere
vice for a time. AT last, close pres
sod by the officers of Justice, ho en-.
listed in colorcd regiment in Dec
troit. Even after this he was arres.
ted and licked up in Jail in Ann Ar
Dor, but military authority being par.
amount at that time, he was released.
His subsequent career is better
known in South Carolina than here.
We have heard he rose to be a ma.
jor general in that State as we'll as
judge and commissioners Of tho sink,
ing fund. His numerous acquain"
tances here would be glad to sec him
once more; but if he can't pay them
visit if bo would send them all his
photograph it would be better than
nothing.
l have made careful inquiries and
have no doubt that tho w. j. Whip
per, who whipped" his colorcd
friends here so numerically, is the
Same w. j. Whippor who is figuring
SO extensively in South Carolina pol.
itics. AS to tho truth of ali the
statements mado in this communica.
tion any number of affidavits can be
procured from responsible citizens in
Milan. 1t may possibly be case of
mistaken identity, but it is not like
ly that two persons bearing the un-
usual name of w. j. Whipper, both
colored, and both displaying such res
markable characteristics, could exist
in one country at the same time.
-.~.- W. s.
SoUuino 10 tono,ht in Tho Rooto,,