The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-22

haQ D4ep hlpQ9A away zp one OF tTu! VI
tss0 h0;sssss h0;ssss Z. Se: CO.: c..s=; :.e,.,e tn
three army rifles, such as we're issned to
.he calared militia of tine Stseae. WsTo also
found secretcd. A roneYs jury was
soo:i ::::.:sssnelled, en' rer nm iavestlga-
ton lasting Eve day. nd conducted in
the most deliberate IT uner verdict was
rendered finding that the two men had
come to their death by the hands of
Adam Johnson, aud that Nelson Brown,
John Henry Dennis, Lucius Thomas and
Solomon CAN'T were present, aiding and
abetting, and that Cupid Holmes was an
accessory before the fact.
THE CULPRJTs.
1t is worthy of notice that the ring
leader, adam Johnson, he'd at one time
been minister Of the gospel. 1t is still
more notable that four of the murderere,
at tho time of tho murier, were members
! 0f the militia company Is: :Ha;s place and
that one was an officer of the company.
They carried their State rifles with them
on tho midnight 20 'ays in which thoy
were engaged, anG With these arms their
deeds Of blood were committed in every
instance. From their confession IL
appears that Adam johnson on the night
OF the crime mustered together four Of
his men-to-wit: Steve Anderson, Ne.
son Brown, John Henry Dennis and La
cius Thomas, all negroes and all thor
oughly armed. On their way to the
house OF their intended victims they ffs.
quently stopped to infame themselves
with drink, with which they had amply
provided themselves, and johnson at one
or two snch stoppages, compelled them
to mingle gunpowder with the liquor for
the purpose OF making men Of them."
Just before arriving at their stination
the dose of gunpowder and W.. key was
again administered in large quantities,
and the party disguised themselves by
smearing chalk plentifully over their
faces. Arrived at the house, they crept
with stealthy steps to the door and saw
through crack that the young man was
sitting up alone and was reading. They
hailed at once, aud t. his inquiry,
| "Who's there?" they rep.led by saying,
"Is Palmer here?"
Palmer is the notorious politician,
now resident here, who recently occupied
Mr.. Beecher's pulpit in Brooklyn for ono
| service.
The young man said "No," and came
to the door in obedience to an imperative
command to open it, in order to allow his
visitors to satisfy their pretended doubts
by personal inspection of the premises.
With singular want of prudence the
young man opened the door, and the
band at once crowded in and demanded
light to be brought The young man
complied, adding request that they
would not disturb the old man" (Haus-
mann). Having thus ascertained the
fact of his presence also, they forced the
young man into the room occupied by
bis partner, and, closing the door, kept
| both locked in and guarded while they
proceeded to plunder the house of every
article Of value they could find. This
work completed they were brought tat
the point of the bayonet and ordered to
give UP their money. They at once sur
rendered all they had, amounting to a
few dollars only, together with O check
for large amount, which their captors
he'd the cunning to destroy on the spot.
Adam johnson then sent one of his men
| into the yard for an axe which had been
left outside. The younger prisoner in
quired what they intended to do with it,
aud was met with the cool reply:
"TOU WILL sEEp
AS coon as the messenger returned
with the axe, Adam directed two of hia
men to hold Portmann between them,
with his face turned from him (Adam).
Portmann resisted and undertook to look
behind him, when Adam struck him
heavily on the back of the head, telling
him to the floor. The old man, then for
the fiEst tii.e apparently understanding
the character OF the scoundrels with
whom he had to do, began to struggle
euhn hn
from behind, and fell bleeding across the
then set fire to the bed, and to different
portions of the dwelling, and went out
together, laughing, es one of them de-
clares. Hearing grcans proceeding from
the now burning room, one or two of the
men returned, and finding the old man
still alive. they repeated their murdernus
blows upon the heads of both victims un.
til assured that life was utterly extinct.
The asssssins' booty aggregated some ar.
ticles of clothing, and, in tho words of
one Of the gang, about thirty-five or
forty cents apiece.
Finding the country "too hot to hold
them" after this affair the whole gang
fled. One or two were captured before
they could leave the county, and Others
were tracked to different portions of the
State, where they were soon apprehend-
| ed, TO the number Of FIVE, and returned to
the Jail at this place to await trial. A
jury of their own choosing, consisting of
one white man and eleven negroes, con.
victed them upon their own confession
and they were sentenced to death, whick
sentence was carried into effect to.da
| as stated above. .iN sst
WHILE IN PRISON
and awaiting their doom your correspon-
| dent visited them for the purpose of as.
| certainiDg the state Of their minds in
view of approaching death. After ono
or two unsuccessful attempts TO- escape
they had settled down into that state of
apathetic resignation which is q striking
feature in the cass of all negroes in their
woful condition. All professed 70 have
! made their peace with their Jesus" and
declared themselves ready to 60. One or
two spoke feelingly of their families, and
expressed come concern as TO the dispo-
sition of their bodies after the law had
worked its will. They had been kept
separated from each other and heavily
ironed during the latter part of their i'm
pfisOnn1eDt, and this treatment, together
with the rough and scanty fare with
which alone they wero supplied, went
very far, indeed, toward breaking sSe
Wild, fierce spirits which for SO long a
time kept en- entire county in terror both
by day and night.
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