Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-03-08

that day but for Wright's earnest request for
delay, accompanied by his equally earnest
declaration of fear that its publication at
that time would seriously endauger his per-
sonal safety, if not his life, at the hands of
persons of his own race and party. This re-
quest was so far complied with that the order
was not announced at the time, but remained
in the custody of the Court.
Subsequent proceedings in the case, and
occurrences pertaining thereto, are related by
the correspondent of the Charleston Neus and
Courier as follows:
"During the two following days and nights
Wright was subjected to the well.organized
system of espionage, persuasion and intimida'
ton to which I have before had occasion to
refer. Without the needless repetition of
names, have only to again remark that all
the leading Republicans in this city, and
some who seem to have been called for the
purpose from other portions of the State, COM
bined in the common cause of intimidating
and cajoling the one Judge upon whom they
felt that their political fate now depended.
Bowen and Dunn hurried off to Washington
to secure telegraphic influences from leading
Radicals there, while the others, to whose
number was added last night W. j. Whipper,
redoubled their exertions by day and night, in
and out of season here. The remarkable ex.
pedient of sending a band Of negro women,
members of some ng.named society, to pray
favorable decision ON suppliant knees, was
resorted to, among numerous other equally
novel and, as the sequel proves, efficient aids
to the waverng judicial mind. The fruit of
these exertions came to-day. [ am informed
that Wright sent to Judge Willard and re-
| quested possession of the order above given,
for the purpose Of erasing his name. Will
lard spurned the proposition with honest in.
dignation, and, lightly regarding the order as
the final judgment of the Court, declined to
entrust it in Wrights facile and trembling
hands. But Wright had gone too far and
had stopped too low to stop now, and, by the
advice or command of his masters, he pro-
ceeded to consummate his own infamy.
| At12 o'clock the clerk of the Court waited
on Judge Willard, and handed him a lengthy
opinion, upon which was noted, in pencil,
"Filed March 1, by IL o'clock NJ" To this
opinion was appended the following remarka'
BILE retraction:
"Having attached my name to an order dis
charging the petitioner in this case, on the 9th day
OF February 1877, after more mature deliberation,
believing that the order should not have been
made, I now hereby revoke, recall and cancel
said order, so far as my signature may have Civ
en- it sanction and substitute the foregoing opin-
| ion in it's stead.
J. J. WRIGHT, A. j., s. C."'
Wright's pusillanimous apology for bis
course is that he signed the first order under
duress and in fear of his life from the Demo
Gratis, if he decided adversely to them. The
fact is tn It he signed the first order in the
consultation room, no one being present ex'
cept Judge Willard and himself. 1t is also
we'll known that he stated to Governor Hamp'
ton and to many others on several occasions
that he hestated to decide in favor of Hamp-
ton, only because he feared he would be killed
by persons of his own party and race if he
did 80.
A large crowd, assembled in the Supreme
Court room on Friday morning, expecting to
hear the decision in the Tilda Norris case.
After waiting nearly two hours. Judge Will
lard entered alone and said that he had in
tended to give to-day the results of his own
conclusions as to the habeas corpus case, in
volving the question of the validity Of Hamp,
toms pardon, but owing to the absence of a
member of the Court, Justice Wright, he was
unable to do so, as the Court could not be
convened. He could discover no reason for
the absence of his associate, who was in town
Yesterday. The sheriff had been sent to his
| house for him, but returned with information
that he has boon absent since yesterday morn
ing. He said he would reduce to writing,
and place on file at an early date, the results
at which he had himself arrived. He ad
iourned the Court until Monday morning. at
II o'clock. -. ,
Judge Willard then caused the original
| order signed by himself and Wright to be
placed on the record of the Court, and Tilda
Stephens was, on Friday evening, discharged
from the penitentiary.
The correspondent of the Journal Of CON-
merce telegraphs that paper:
"Governor Hampton expresses entire salts
faction with the situation, and declares that
he prefers the present state of matters to a
unanimous decision in his favor, as it lays
hare, in all its horrible deformity, the villainy
of the RADICALS before the country, and shows
the character of Chamberlain's conspiracy.
He is more hopeful than ever. A general
feeling of buoyancy and exultation seems to
prevail, Notwithstanding Hayes election"
|