The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-05-24
Ten Men Condemned to Death for At
tempting a Rescue from Lynchers-
Hampton Commqtes Seven to Impris-
onment for Life and Three are Exc
cuted-"Equal Rights"

| Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
COLUMBIA, May I, 1871.
Last Friday three colored men were
swung into eternity at Abbeville, and
seven. more were under sentence oi death
but were commuted to imprisonment al
hard labor Tor life 10y Governor Hamp
| ton. Such Wholesale punishment led
me to look into the matter, with the re-
~ult that we find three men hung and
seven imprisoned Tor life as "a punishment
| Tor killing one white man who was tax
/ ing colored man to the woods to lynch
him, as the colored men believed.
could not at tirst learn from inquiry
| precisely what led to the difficulty but
ound detailed account in the Charles.
ton journal OF Commerce Of last Thurs
lay. written by correspondent on the
sround. The facts, therefore, from a
,uictly Democratic source, are these:
LowndesvIlle is a small place in Abbe-
VILE county, about sixteen miles from
the Court House, and containing some
two hundred people. During the cam
paign OF last tall there was considerable
-xcitement in that region, but not more
than in other sections.
Last spring, a colored man from over
tie Georgia line, came into the nrighboi
hood and went to work for DR.. SpIer. II e
described as a tall, good looking man, +,
md quite intelligent. In November he
was dismissed by his employer Tor which
40 reason is given. On fiual settlement
he considered himself cheated, and used
-uch violent language" in the dispute
that Spier hai him bound over TO keep
the peace for six months. Not being
,ble To give bond, he was sent to the
Lownd-sville calaboose with the prospect
II transfer to the al at AbbevIlle. Race
prejudice running high he feared lynch
~. The journal oil Commerce account
says:
lie did not think the calaboose We y safe
Place Tor him. The minds OF men were Ia 81
duNious Radical negro, were not in a cJInfort-
tDIr frame 81 spirit. Il was al that tIme thai
the thousands OF white men were going 10 Co
umbia To strenEtnen Hamptoa'S hands.
NhOdes feared that lac would never be allowed
80 see ADbvNillr Jail, and he managed To COM
iuunlcsitU his fear, To sOne OF hi~ friends wuO
t.'iiie To the csilaboose door during that day.
Rlodrs was 50 fearful that he would
'e lynched that he begged his friends tu
'ssemGlr near the prisJn and protect
,Im. They agreed to do so. and upon
he night II was u uored he was To be
AIKEN out, doZ-u of them met at tue
cabin OF WhItmore Allen, some with
rms. IL was clearly shown in the testi
muny 10y two who turned States eyI
irnce, and 10y the others, that their only
object was 10 protect The prisoner from
yuehing. From Aliens house they
vent To near the calaboose and conceal
ell themselves. One Of their number
communicated with the prisoner. telling
MIN TO "holier" ii attacked About II
o'clock they heard Rhodes yell, On,
Lord, OH Lord" and then he was silenc-
"A "a l.. IL.
had got him, and were taking him to the
woods To finish mis- earthly career, as ali
the circumstances showed They were
On horseback, aud rode at a brisk trot
towards the concealed negroes, ha, ing
Rhodes between them. Some of the ne
sroes said, They We got him." shoot
Others said, Don't shoot, don't shoot
Several guns were fired. however and
one OF the white men Tell dead. and the
other was slightly wounded Rhodes es
caped to the woods The negroes disap
prared. Now, note what followed The
Journal OF Commerce account says:
Horror and Indignation az the bloudy deed
diicd every heart. the dreadful news wa
-Oun spread through the country. BY daylight
next morning large numbers oi armed hor>'--
ttCn came thfUugtug iuto LHI%hdesNlle. Cpur-
els We're sent ia every dlitctioh. Tue trtfitr
"cre watched the WuOds were searched, and Ia
du incredibly short ttnlr fifteen nrgrOes wrr,
crested on suspicion. The two rtng-le..drrs.
Peter ami Bin Iuzby, are Atill at large. a pre-
stminafy examination was made by Trial jus
Ice B ctlhan. and the whOIc party were
mande,i To Jail They were kept in an Ola
.iouSr under "a strong guard, aud great f,sit-
were entertained that lynch law would be vx-
rciseu On the fifteen negroes.
Fifteen black men caught up and
thrown into Jail for killing a man in au
,ttempt to rescue a man from a party OF
lyucs~rs. when the prisoner was guilty OF
L. a Il.
IT the calaboose at midnight by unau
horized persons for the purpose OF lynch.
.ug him, or for any other purpose. wa,
very whit as unlawful as the rescue
But il was black men who had dared tu
ry TO protect one Of their number, and
The terrible vengeance of the law must
-mite them and no allowance made for
the provocation.
The manner in which the story of q
negro uprising was given to the world
as To this affair the reader may renem
her We were told that a gigantic plu'
/ had heen formed by the negroes To-
pounce upon Lowndssville and surroun
ding country, and put men, women and
| ch ldr-n TO the sword And this j. thr
way the story was ''hpated.' the purposr
beng to arouse all prejudice possible
kagain-t the poor Jlick, The correspOn
! ITEnh1says:
y II ~ %.t.-~ary here to state that the part the
- HiI- Eisyrd iu The blufsiA tragedy Ia,
| Ih Drr,.tuD,t, sttIh'susH known to the Lowu
dt->yiIlc people. had b,,-I ctr.fIlIy and ~lc,.>-
/ iuIly coiic,s,I,-d iIoiu tire outside world. Th.
| resi- OI llr county AMI STATE iIeuud Uf a nrgfu
upti-ing-an iu~urrcciinu,H lot To burn LDwn
1 dr~vIil,. and put Its Inhabitants to dratii--tha
/ this horrible pioI h1d beeu "ppOuuuely di-cu
vt.rst and fTu- -tTtte7t, but that Clayton Attpg
| uud r'it-n q martyr; that Ia aud Alien wei,
/ ttubu~htsl when quietly riding uloug the road
hat incidentally tui unfortunately thy Toi
1 tHtu tine gang OF armed ue-prTltdue~. aud thus
| although with tht. stvTfic- Ut one ufp wt-T- VA
| means OF preventing general massacre. Tnt'
WAS the generally received opinion, which Wa