The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-10

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and communication 40 an officer Of the
United States army.
The annexed order, found in the State
Treasurer's office apd receipted for by
Major Merrill shows that he received
$500 in addition to the $15,750 awarded
him by the commission. From the fact
of the warrant being made payable to
the order Of Col. Lewis Merrill, and the
other fact of it's being endorsed "Lewis
Merrill, Brevet Col. u. s. A." your COM
mittee are led 10 believe that this amount
must have been drawn for the purpose of
reimbursing the government for moneys
advanced in this nat:enal hunt for Ku
Klux through and by United States army
officers. Nevertheless, no evidence of
its disbursement could be obtained.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, January 6, 1871.
Hon. Nilcs G. Parker, State Treasurer:
SIR-Pay to the order of Colonel Lewis
Merrill the sum of $500, and charge the
same to the appropriation for arm force.
r. K. SCOTT, Governor.
ENDORSED Lewis Merrill, Bvt. Col. U.
S. A. Also the following Treasury men,
oranda: 106I; Lewis Merrill /; January
6, 1921
In these halcyon days of general am.
nesty such conduct may be condoned, but
the facts, nevertheless, should not be for
gotten. In the hunt of the Ku Klux,
and this era of appropriating the funds
of the people of the State for such pur-
pose, our State authorities were not idle.
See letter Of Governor R. K. Scott en-
ploying the Hon. II. 6. Worthington al
assistant counsel at the moderate pay of
80, 500 per annum.
Testimony Of r. K. Scott
Further examination of Governor r.
K. Scott, held July 9th, 1877.
After having been duly sworn. saws :
l recollect the proclamation that l issued
about the time of the Ku Klux troubles
during the summer prior to the election
in 1870; it might have been later than
that; it was in the summer of 1871.
reccllect that there was o reward of 5000
offered by that proclamation, to each case
in which there was q conviction. Two
hundred doiiaI5 were offered to any peg
son who would arrest any of the parties
charged, and deliver to Jail with proof to
convict of the offense with which they
were charged. after the conviction by
the United States Court, man by the
name of Hester, who was q government
revenue agent or inspector, brought to
me a list of names, claiming to have
caused their arrest, and that he had pro-
duced evidence to convict, and claimed
$18,600 under said proclamation. The
application for the rewards was endorsed
by Judge Bryan, D. T. Corbin, District
Attorney, w. E. Earle, Assistant District
Attorney, and approved by Lewis Merrill
and other officers and persons in York
County. The Judge and all the officers
of the court before whom and by which
the Ku Klux were convicted approved
the application. ! declined to pay the
amount. on account of the fact chat &c
money had been appropriated for that
purpose. Hester, on the next day, re.
turned to me with the paper, with re.
commentator from the Attorney Gen.
eral, d. II. Chamberlain, that the amount
be paid by warrants on the armed force
fund. Hester had called Or my Private
Secretary and had him to make OF. var.
rants on the armed force fund in such
sums as he desired them. The warrants
that he had were six in number. fu,
about So, 600 each. only signed three
of the warrants, amounting to just IS, 600.
This was some time after the trial and
conviction of the Ku Klux in the United
States Court, come time during the year
1872. The demand was made upon q
list Of names presented by Hester, and
must have embraced ninety-three names.
as the proclamation allowed 5000 te each
case. The names of the parties were en-
braced in the application, and am GER
tain that $4,000 was demanded. I re-
hected upon the subject, and doubted
whether could issue warrants upon that
fund, and was of opinion that I would
have to wait until the Legislature could
act, and have only issued warrants for
$4,000. Those warrants were issued to
Hester, and there were only three. I do
not know that can recall the names of
the parties who were embraced in that
list. 1 think that Avery and Bratton
were embraced in the list. I think the
list comprehended the names of ell the
parties who were tried and convicted.
at the time the General Assembly passed
q bill appropriating the sum of $35 900
TO pay Merrill;and others in connection
with the Ku Klu1 cases, took the posi-
ton that had paid out of the armed
force fund a,certain sum for at least some
OF the purposes intended to be met By
the said appropriation, and / forwarded
the list of names and the opinion of the
Attorney General TO the commission ap-
pointed to distribute the fund, with the
statement that the three warrants for
$4,000 each should be paid out Of the
appropriation, and have never been able
to regain possession of either of said
documents. 1t does not come within
my knowledge that Hester had any agent
or attorney here in reference to the mat
ter. What Hester said to me was said
direct from himself. These three var
rants were never paid by the State
Hester sold them to Al Solomon. the
Auditor of Richland / County, at fifty
cents on the dollar. / .iukified the Cnm-
missioner that the Hester Warrants had
never been naid. Don't knnw vfiethe1
the Commissioner made any allowance
to Hester out OF the $55, 900. Have nc
means of knowing.
r. K. Scorr.
COLUMBIA, s.. O., July 9th, 1877.
Testimony Of r: J. Noses, Jr.
COLUMBIA, 8. O., October 10, 1877.
Personally came f. J. Moses, who, or
oath, deposes and says: The passage Of
the bill making an appropriation to pay
the rewards offered for the apprehension
and convictinn Of the members off Tie III
Ku Klux Klan was secured by D. II
Chamberlain and It. j. Mackey, who
were in the interest of Major Lewis Mer
rill: After the passage of the bill, Cham
berlain came TO me and requested thai
the entire amount should be awarded Il
Merrill, and that / would receive Ger
tain sum if l would do so. I replied
that, under the provisions of the act, the