The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-06-01
THE LATE mississippi TRAGEDY.

There has been rarely heard a more hor-
| riblc and mourntul story of the savageDess
and wickedncss of lynch law than that of
the late murderous affair at De Kalb, Kcm-
per County, Mississippi De Kalb is an
unsightly little hamlet in Kcmper County,
n majority Of the inhabitants being colorcd
men, and which, after reconstruction, was
controlled by small clique of native white
men, their leader being Judge Chsolm, VIII :
had been Judge of Probate under the Con-
fcderacy, and when the civil government
was re-establishcd, obtained the office of
Sheriff, in which position he virtually ruled
the county Tor seven years, until the political
revolution of 1875. His Republican local
administration was intensely unpopuar.-
Mr.. Il. V. SmaIlcy, one of the New York
7ribunc'S correspondents, says that taxes
were cnormousl y high, and that over 1OO,-
600 acres of land were sold for taxes, and
arc still held by the State, no purchasers
having been found. Ofcourse, Judge CHS
om had enemies, and their report was that
while he was p,or when he went into Office.
he left it worth $4,000.
Some years ago there was ill-fecling be-
tween Chisolm and one John W. Gully, an
active Democrat Of the county. No perso.
nal encounter, however, grew out Of it. A
partisan of the Judge Benjamin Rush, had
quarrclcd with Gully years ago about bust
ness matter, fnd in 1873 street fight took
place in De kalb, in which Samuel Gully.
brother Of John W., was killed, and Rush
was severely wounded. About the same
time, man named Gilmcr, another of CHS
olms adhcrcnts, who kept store at Scuoba,
shot and killed a Democrat named Dawson,
who, it is alleged, entered his store for the
avowcd purpose of killing Gilmcr. The
same year Rush was shot and severely woun.
dcd by some person lurking behind church
in De kalb.
AS result of the campaign in 1875,
Judge Chisolm and his friends lost their of.
fees. In 1876 the Judge ran for Congress
and was defeated. The campaign was IA hca-
ted one and much violence was developed.
In December last an attempt was made to
assassinatc John w. Gully. Suspicion fell
upon Rush, who soon after left the State,
and has not been seen in kempcr county
since. On the Goth .ult., John w. Gully
was assassrnatca by some person hidins, by
the roadside, who robbed him of his boots
and money. 1t was believed that Rush had
returned, but as no trace of him could be
found story was started, which is said to
originated with two colcrcd men. that CHS
olm and Gilmcr were accessories to the
crime. On Sunday the 10Th of April,
Judge Chisolm, Gilmer, one Roscnbaum, n
friend Of Gilmer, and several others, all of
whom were Republicans, were arrested on
warrants sworn out by various parties, but
for what particular offcnse is not stated
They were placed in Jail, as mob threaten
ed their lives, The young daughter of
Judge Chisolm nobly clung to her father,
and with her brother, lad of twelve years,
was imprisoned with him. She returned
home, and sccreting ammunition about her
person carried it to her father, who some
how had become possessed of gun. \
short time after, Gilmer, in attempting to
escape, was shot down and instantly killed.
The mob then began firing through the sra-
ting of the Jail, inflicting mortal wounds
upon Judge Chisolm and his daughter, and
killing outright the little son of the Judge,
who was endeavoring to shield his father.
Judge Chisolm and his hcroical daughter
have since died, the latter of gangrcnc of
the arm.
Gilmer is spoken of as an unprinciplcd
man and something Of desperate. But
the Chisolms were people of refinement
and some culture. The father is said to
have served bravely in the Confederate
army. There is no proof whatever that he
killed Gully, nor would such man be like
ly to rob an chemy of his boots and money.
Whether he was guilty or not is no cxcul-
patton of the murdcrcrs of himself and fami-
ly. a lore atrocious crime is not recorded
in the annals of lynch law. The attempt
however, to make it out entirely political
quarrel, or, what is more ridiculous still, to
pretend that is was result Of disafoction
to the Union, could only be suggested by
the ultra partisanship which seeks to make
capital for its own purposes out of every act
of disorder and violence which occurs in the
Southern States, without regard to the lar
ger number which occur in other sections
The leading organs of Southern sentiment
have emphatica'ly condemned the De Kalb
butchery, the New Orleans Picayune, the
Democrat, and other journals looking upon
it as casting shadow over Southern society.
In this they are no doubt right, and it be.
hooves the people Of Mississippi to strength.
en- the hands Of the executive and judicial
authorities of the State in melting out the
utmost penalties Of the law to the pcrpctra.
tors of this great crime.-BaHimore San.
A curious experiment with the magnet
was recently tried in London. A boy had
broken a needle in the calf of his leg, and
SefV'o reeor.i"s TO "~rSioal Instruments it
was decided to try the effect of powerful
magnet in Withdrawing the steel. After a
number Of exp .rmcnts in different positions
the needle was drawn near the surface on
the opposite side of the les from which it |