Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-07-04
E'hc OWtra.rs UpOn E.:.W :.ssA Eec
c2alcy iia lilac Up Country

At tic last term of Tho Court Of General
Sessions for Piokcus County Committee
OF the Grand Jury, appointed for the pur.
pose; took testimony upon .hc subject of
tho outrages alleged to have been com
mittcd b. revenue officers in the up coun-
try. The report Of tho Committee is so
strong statement Of the condition Of
a!usirs that our special correspondents en-
bodies it in his letter. It has not before
bccn given to the public. Every word Of
the testimony was sworn to, and it exhibits
these facts:
l. The house and outbuiidinga Of Samuel
Neal were searched by revenue officers.
Every nool; and corner Of the room where
his sick wife, with her new born child,
was proh into, the officers carrying their
guns everywhere with them While going
OYER tine house the officers used insulting,
and obscene language. They rcfusna to
show any authority for ,hcir acts. Neal
was taken BY them Oh Tho read 70 piclcns,
but al!owci to rctOvn, upon giviog bond,
when he has gone a short distance. \
man named IIalnmctt was arrested ut the
same time and place. lie was discharged
by the Commisaioror.
eight or ten miles, and then released. No
warrant or othcr authority was shown.
8. Ali"ajah Hudson was arrested in bod
in tho ,uiadIc Of the night. his house and
cupboarls were searched, and his smoke
house was broken open. Tho officers took
Hudson five miles and then dismissed him
No warrant was exhibited when their au-
thorit? vas demanded.
4. Mrs. Mary A. Ilincklc, widow lady,
WAC visited by the officer, and her trunks
were raDsackcd. Tho shot guns iu Tic
house wero bent and broken by the officers,
and were rendered utterly unfit for uso
No authority for searching tic house was
shown. Ills was in May, 1877. Tn
April, 1878, Mrs. IIincklc was passed by a
party Of revenue Officers. They fired, aud
she asked whom they were shooting at.
Their answer was, Redmond. She told
them that it WAS her son that they were
shooting OF. Gary, Que of the officers, said
"'it mado no difference CTho officers
were evidently as ready to kill young Hinc-
klc, whom they left bleeding on the ground,
as they were to kill Amos IIadd, whom, also
they chose to take for Rcdmondl. No au-
thority was shown.
5. The house of Mrs. Elizabeth McKin-
ucy, an invalid widow lady IS years old,
was iansackcd by revenue officers, ouc Of
whom drank so,no spirits Of camphor he
found in q bottle, and helped himself freely
to black berry wine. No authority for the
search was produced, though it was de-
Mckinney, corroboratcs her statement.
Thomas Mckinney, son Of Mrs. Mckinney,
was cursed at, arrested and taken to Wal.
ha!Ia distance Of twenty miles. Before
lie was taken away enc Of the officers told
his wife tilnt there WAS nothing against
him. 'Ghc day after the arrest warrant of
arrest, aiEuoI by Commissioner Thornley,,
was shown to Mckinney, but this commis-
soucr assured Mckinney that he issued 10
sucl. warrant, and that ii amy such var
rant is out it is forgery.
g. Si!as Ilineklo WAS fired at as described
in the testimony of Mrs. llincklc. No at
te npt has since been made to arrest him,
although lie has seen and talked with the
officers since tho shooting.
{. a co'orcA man, namc0 Joo Gibson,
was treated H0ra2 tsl9a any ether First he
VA; punched in tic side with 4 gun. Thou
he was knocked down. Wien he got up
the oilicCr5 struck him with their fats
They then plunged him into large vessel
half fui! OF water, keeping lis lead under
until be waa entirely unconscious. They next
made him dig. holo about waist deep,
Knocked him into the holo, jumped on him,
ard chokcd Him. lastly they threw She
poor wretch into th? brnnch and stnmpcd y,
him.
This Testimony IL every case is swora 10,
and it must be borne in mind that not one
Of tho sufferers wc hayo riamcl has been
prosecuted Tor any offence, and that, in the
moiolity of Instances, no distinct offence,
was charged or alleged to have been com.
mitted. So the report Of tho Grond Jury
is fully confrmcd. The revenue officers
set at lsaancc al! local laws. They hola
tho Stats laws and courts in contempt.
ihay rosAnt, Is impgrtincnt, any protest
against thGi, high handed proceedings, as
in the case Gs NJ. Potter, whom they beat
severely, and thcu arrested on charge Of
resisting an officer in the discharge OF his
duty. Mr. Porter caused tlo arrest Of the
ollieors for assault and battery, but the
case was transferred to the United States
Court, where it now sleeps, while tho cul
prits were at once set froc. The motto Of
the Revenue officers is, that "cvcry man is
to be presumed to be guilty until proved to
be innocent" md "bettcr is it that ninety
aud'nno innocent suffer than that one of
tho guilty escape" They arrest and hand.
cuff citizens, without charge or warrant
They break open and search private dwell
lihgs hey forcc their way, at night, into
the bed chambers Of private citizens. They
claim the right to search dwellings md
arrest citizens without Warrant WhcsC and