The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-03-29


COLUMBIA, Saturday, March 23.-Thc follow
ing letter from Judge Mackey, containing pic.
turesque account of the indictmt mt Of Redmond,
and the measures taken for his arrest, and Of
the outrageous conduct of the revenue officers,
was received by Governor Hampton to day:
THURSDAY, = O'CLOCK p. Nj
PlcKENs G. H.. March u, 1878.
Hi' Ekceleacy Wade Hampton, Gorcrnor eff
South Carolina, Coium6ia, s. G.
DEAR SIR-l have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication of the 19Ih
Instant.
1t was not practicable 10 comply with the sug-
gcstons therein contained, as it did not rcacn
me until this morning, and the posse moved on
Tuesday, rs you were Informed 10y my telegram
of last evening.
In order that yeu may be fully informed as to-
the situation of affairs in this section it is proper
that should state the following facts
On my arrival here last Sunday ascertaincl,
after due inquiry, that the outlaw, Lewis II.
Redmond, had practically organized reign of
terror throughout the county, which u SS4ai -
paralyzing the manhood Of iis-Aesi-cit5D Vnyl91{I
who observed that he and his armed band Of
reckless followers were standing day by day in
open defiance of the laws Of the State and of the
United States. The revenue officers and their
posse, numbering in all twcnty-six men, were
concentrated at this point, and were evidently
alarmed, being apprehcnsivc that Redmond
would make an incursion into the town at ttc
mead OF his force, which was reported to mum.
Der about seventy fvc men, we'll armed and
mounted. saw at o2cc that this people were
III the supreme crisis of their fate, and that
'ney could only meet it successfully by brinrinr
them face to face with their duty by an instant
| and fearless discharge of mine, and by thus
quickenlng their sentiment of obedience to law,
to set in motion counter current against the
lawess men who stood in armed array against
| the constitutional authorities. -
AS Richmond was the central and supporting
inquire OF the unlawful combination, | resolved
10 striNc ut him. To have selected one Of his
Suoorainates rs the subject of prosecution would
have made it appear that the arm of the law il
self was sharing in the general paralysis, while
| to have united others with him, would have been
10 lose the advantage of isolating tho chief Grim
inal from his followers, and to have incurred
| the hazard of uniting them more closely to him
ny sense OF their common danger. l. there
fore, determined that if legal proof of crime.
| could be obtained against him n bill should be
laid before the grand jury with view to his
immediate indictment but not for his alleged
iorcibie entry into the Jail, Tor that was only a
m'sdemcanor under our laws, and public sympa-
thy was strongly in favor Of the three prisoners
who were thus released, as it was generally bo-
lieved that they had commit ed no oiicnse against
| the laws of the United States, and it was known
| that they were respectable farmers who were
arrested without n warrant, in violation of law,
and had been grossly maltreat ed by the revenue.
| officers before they were lodged in jail.
l am satisfied from Information furnished mo
| that both law and justice had been outraged in
the persons of these prisoners, and my iudv-
men upon this point has since been. confirmed
oy the fact that the trO who were recaptured
by the sheriff 8 posse were discharged by the
United States Commissioner to-day on the de-
| carcd ground that there was no eridc,ce ,shgiso-
crcr upon which to authorize their detention. on.
to support the charge that they had violated any
law of the United States. But Redmond q day
nr Vn nj Finnf fhav 4
his armed band entered tho house ofa citizens in
this vicinity and BAL taken therefrom two over
coats oil The value of forty dollars, left there for
sate-keering by their owners, who were also Uni
ted States revenue officers. As the taking was
done torcbly, in the presence Of the lawful custo-
dian or 5alce, and by putting Kim in terror, the,
act was robbery, both at common law and under
the statue, and was grave felony.
After much "arnest effort my part the citi-
zen, Mr.. Hendrix above referred to, oyercamc
his fears and made the necessary affidavit charg-
ing the robbery. The trial justice thcreupo,s
iss led his warrant and upon the return Of the
sheriff, that the accused openly dcfcd arrest,
the papers were deli, cred to the solicitor and
on last Monday n bill was drawn accordingly and
laid before the grand jury.
delivered n post curncst charge to them,
admonisng them of their sw orn duty ..to leave
no man unpresented through fear, favor or aflcc-
tion, and said in the course of my charge:
''Gcntlemen of the grand jury. if upon the les
| tiinony OF credible witness, it should appear
TO you that there is probable cause to believe
the accused guilty of the offence charged, and
you wi!iuily fail or refuse to find n true bill.
then you declare to the wcrld that in the County
Of Iickcns the trigger finger of Lewis r. Red
mond's right hand is stronger than the arm of
the law And you do this while Wade namp-
ton. the defender of law and order, the wise
and just chief Magistrate, the trusted leader and
friend Of the whole people, rules as Governor
of South Carolina ~
The grand jury then retired and after remains
ing in their room several hours came into court
ana returned the indictment endorsed .No till''
at once Informed them that presumed the
evidence was insufficient, and that on the next
morning the bill would again he delivered to
them, and the solicitor would send additional
witnesses before them to support it, The next
morning (Tuesday) the bill was again laid be-
fore the grand jury, and [ then stated to them
that had information which deemed trust
worthy to the effect that one of their body was
the close ally and intimate associate of Redmond.
the person accused in the hill, who was then
having his headquarters at the house of tho
grand Juror referred to, and that if these state,
ments were not denied by the grand Juror on
oath, he must be excused from actInu durinc..
tho consideration of this case, and should at
once retire from the grand jury. thoreupon