Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-06-07
From the New York Times
The End of the EllentOn Cases.

the cowardly assassins who instigated and
t,ok mart in the murder of dozens of de-
fsnsele.s people are allowed to 60 unpun-
i,hed. The story of the so-called Ellen
ton riots" is in the main tolerably famll'
lar to all Northern newspaper readers, but
there are one or two facts connected with
it which have recently come to light Tor
the first time. OF course, as has inVarla-
blv been the case in similar race con-
flicts" in the Southern States. all The We
tors were white Democrats, all the victims
black Republicans. The difficulty Us
one of the White League witnesses pleas
antly called it. was commenced by TWO
worthless negroes who went into the house
of farmer living near Ellenton, IN AK
en- County, South Carolina, and abused his
wife because she refused to give them
work. This act was seized upon by the
whites as an excuse for banding them
selves together and riding through the
country by night and by day, shooting
black men as they went. From an Official
report made by trustworthy United States
officers shortly after the so-called riot, 1t
appears that seventeen colored men were
known TO have been killed in the manner
described. AT least thirty others were
"lost" in the woods, and have never been
heard of since. Two well-known officers
of the United States Army, gentlemen oil
the highest standing in the Eighteenth In
fantry, who, by the way, did not testify in
the trials just closed, swore. in October
last, that had 1t not been for the timely
arrival of the troops at Rouse's Bridge,
hundreds of negroes would have been
mastered BY the bands of armed white
Democrats, who rode in all directions
swearing that they would kill every Radi-
cal nigger in the county. Regarding these
murders, however, the United States Court
was powerless to act. As Chief Justice
Waite very clearly stated in his charge to
the Charleston jury, it was their duty. not
to convict the Ellenton murderers, but to
discover whether or not the men under
trial had taken part in conspiracy topre-
vent United States citizens from ex-
ercisng the right of suffrage. 1t was up
on this question that the jury disagreed.
Six of them, black men, were in favor oil
convicting all but one Of the eleven pris-
oners the other six. who were all white
men were in favor of acquitting all those
under indictment. Then, after further
consideration, the black jurymen agreed
to the acquittal of all but two of the ac-
cused, but the white men insisted that they
should all be discharged, and OF course an
agreement was impossible.
Whether this action on the part of the
white members OF the jury was justified
by the testimony taken before them we
are not prepared to say. At the same
time, however, there can be no doubt that
the massacres at and near Ellenton were
the direct results of conspiracy entered
into by white Democrats to intimidate
black Republicans, and prevent them from
voting. Simon Cooker. the negro State
Senator, was certainly killed for that pur-
pose. He was quietly seated at a railway
station on the Port Royal Road, when a
company of armed white Democrats, CALI
ing themselves the Elenton Rifles, and or
gained for the ayowed purpose of carry
ing South Carolina for Tlden and Hamp-
ton, rode up to and surrounded him. They
were commanded by Capt. A. p Batter,
who, according to the sworn testimony of
several competent witnesses, told Cooker
that lie would have to die, because he was
A. radical niger, and had influence
with his people. This threat was at once
executed. The unfortunate Cooker was
taken out into an open field and shot to
death. The men under Butler were or
ganized, armed, and drilled; they had
banded themselves together for a certain
purpose they plainly avowed their inten-
ton TO kill Cooker because he was "a rad
ical niger" They did kill him. Regard
ing these facts there is, there can be, no
question. Ia view Of them, who will claim
that the eold-blooded murder referred to
was not directly the result of con-
spiracy?
Commenting upon the charge OF the
Chief-Justice, the Charleston News and
Courier, and other Democratic organs,
congratulated their constituents in advance
upon what they evidently foresaw would
be the result of the conspiracy trials. AT
the same time, however. they profess to
believe that Gen. Wade Hampton will
carry out his pledge, and use his best Ell
forts, through the State courts, to bring
the Aiken County cul-throats to Justice.
Or course. those professions are the veri-
est shams. Every man and woman in the
South knows that the Ellenton murderers
will never be dealt with according to the
law. Even should they be brought to
trial, which is very doubtful, the examin-
alton will be little better than a farce.
Their counsel will naturally claim that the
h.. a.