The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-08-29
A FAMILY FEUD.
Augusta Special Aug. 13) to New Yo
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tAuSustA DpcclA1 \Aubs A0) I" NEW 4OTk
About 1900 men assembled at Edgefcld, 8.
c., yesterday to listen to speeches from Wade
Hampton, Gen. Gearey, Judge Mackey, and
others, on the occasion of the opening Of the
political campaign. Among those present were
several companies of State troops. A platform
was erected about half mile from the village,
and a procession was formed which marched
out there, when the speaking took place. In
the crown were Benjamin Booth, James Booth,
Thomas Booth aud 3. Booth, and Brookcr
Toney and Mac Toney. The Booths and Toncys
had long been at enmity.
1t appears that about 1869 or 1870, several
men named Booth went to the house of Adam
Jones to attack him, some bitter feeling exist
ing between the parties. The Booths were =
companied by young man named Luther
Toney. Jones was prepared for the attack,
and the assailants, discovering this, aban-
doned or postponed it. By some mischancc,
however, young Toney was shot, and, as was
claimed, accidentally killed by one of the
Booths, in whose company he was. At the
same time the relations of Toney regarded the
killing as intentional, and the affair became
the occasion of a deadly family fcud between
the Toneys and Booths. The enmity led to an
encounter, few years ago, between members
of the two families, but did not result fatally.
to keep his hand in," killed Gus
Harris, colored deputy United states mar
shall. under circumstances not generally known.
Early Monday morning the first indication that
there was to be serious trouble WAS apparent in
an encounter between Toney and James Booth.
Toney walked up to a man named Herring, who
was abusing Democratic negro wearing a red
shirt, and begged him to desist. While he was
still talking James Booth came up, drew his
pistol and remarked that he would defend Her.
ring. Toney drew his pistol also, and both
SypyrN ind $.,1I A<
out from behind the tree and he wonld "shoot
with him." About that time some person in
tcrfcred, and the difficulty was stopped. The
Booths, however, followed Toney during the
day, to get an opportunity to renew the diff
Guilty. About 2 o'clock Toney left the
ground where the political speaking was going
on and rode over to the village. The Booths
followed him. Toney's friends, noticing this
rode after him, and the whole party met in the
public square in Edgefeld. and a general
melee began. 1t is said Broker Toncy killed
one of the Booths before he was shot himself.
While Toney and Ben Booth were struggling
in desperate encounter, some one shot Toney
er version is that Toney was killed by Ben
Booth during the struggle in which the latter
was mortally wounded. 1t is pretty certain,
however, that James and Thomas Booth were
killed by TOney in the early part of the fight.
Ben Booth was accused of the mnrdcr of Luther
IOney some ycafs ago, anu was tflcd, convicted
and sent to the penitentiary for that crime.
Brooker Toney, though but 26 years of age.
appears to have been o desperate character.
Besides killing Gus Harris, as mentioned
above, he murdered another negro. Benjamin
and James Booth were old and gray-haircd
men. Thomas Booth was almost a boy.
The result of the fight in casualties is as
follows: Rrooker Toney, James Booth, and
Thomas Booth, killed; BENJAMIN Booth, NOR
tally, Mark Toney and W. L. Coleman, serious
ly, and 8. Booth, d. Sanders, s. Ryan, and
Clarence Seigler, slightly wounded. Several of
these were innocent spectators, not at all con-
cerned in the affray. All the persons engaged
in the encounter, and all the killed and wound
ed, were white men. When the firing began
the shots were heard 1t the scene of the po-
litical meeting, half mile distant. and Gov.
Hampton, who was ignorant of the cause, sent
Adjt.-Gen. Noise and the Edgefeld Rifles, one
of the State companies assembled for review,
to the village to suppress the disturbance.
When they reached the scene of the conflict,
Noise ordered the crowd to dispense. but they
refused. He then ordered the military COM
pany to get their ammunition and fire on the
crowd if they did not dispense. By the time
the ammunition arrived the crowd had left.