The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-12-04
interviewing Prisoners.

interviewing Prisoners.
Last Saturday evening we made a sue
ccSsiul attempt to interview the Illicit
distillcrs, and the man charged by the
Revenues with conspiracy. APP
preaching the cell, we addressed the pris
oncrS ut the iron CRATE, telling them we
were one of the editors of the Press ana
Buu,te,. and had come to find out the
particulars of their troubles To this
Cater Scrnggins replied III III ~uncunccrn-
cd manner, that he "didn't know that he
was i'm much of Il trouble. lie had done
notilirw.' Singleton Hunt said that he
was there for stilliuS.'
ACKNOWLEDGING HIS GUILT.
Editor---Havc you been stilling?
llunt---IcS, sir.
Edi;ur---IIow did the Revenues find il
out? $500,
Hunt--Thcy caught me Mt it ; the still
was running of 'singlihgs' when they
came: the fire vas under the still; |
was lying asleep; it was about twelve
o'clork ut night.
Editor---Whcrc are you from?
Huul---I am from Georgia.; but / did
the sitting Oh this side of the river; |
had a license to make brandy, and after l
had finished, | thought | would make j
run or two of whiskcy.
Elitor-Dii the Revenue officers hold
out II inducements to you to lmpllcate
others in the business?
Hunt They said it would be lighter
with me if | would tell all that l knew
OF others violating the law. The Reeve
nucs treated me very we'll ; they dldnt
.I> l,ls,l x,a ~ tln,b, To
Tom Young's. They tied Il rope around
NV waist, and one of them held one end
of it: we stay cd at Tom Young's until
after breakfast, when we started to Alb
bcville.
TIE NEGROES CLAIM 70 RI AS INNo-
CENT AS DOVES.
Ben McGreer---I have been dltrhing
two weeks for DR.. Taggart. l went to
the still ut twelve o'clock to collect pay.
While | was there, Mr.. Hunt asked me
to bring some meal from the Spear House.
When ! got back with the meal, he asked
me to waittil he got his ''doublings Off.
when he would pay INC in whiskcy. l
was sitting there when the officers came:
Henry Patterson.-1 was at wor:;; had
been there about three hours, working III
the place of another man, who had asked
TO be excused from working that night.
HOW FOUR BOYS SCARED THE REEVE
NUES, EXCITED COMMISSIONER
RAUM, N SHOCKED
THE NATIoT.
Addressing Scoggins, we asked him
where he was on the night the Revenues
were at Harden's.
S~cog@ins.---At Henry Daniels.
EditOr.--Did YOU stay there all night ?
Scoygins.---NO; Horny Daniels pro-
posed to go to Hardcn's to see the Revc-
nues; he said he wanted to see them, bat
did not say for what purpose; we went
by Jim Broadus' house, and Daniels
asked him to join us.
Editor.---What did he say to Broadus?
Scoggins.--The same that he said to
me. On the way we overlook John Bonds
in the road; / put my arms around him
and asked him to 90 with us, but did not
tell him where we were going.
Editor.---Are these three the only per-
sons who went with you to Raiford Har-
denis that night?
Scoggins.--Thcy are; there were no
others.
Editor-Before arriving at the house did
you or your party fire of any pistols.
ScCggins.--No; we didn't make any
noise.
Editor - What was done when you
reached the gate?
Sroggins.---Henry Daniels went to the
tobacco WAGNER, who: WAS camping in
front of the gate, and they had a conrer-
,ation. Henry then went TO the house
and called Mr.. Harden, when they had 4
short talk. l went up about the time Mr..
Harden went in the house. Henry told
me to 20 back out in the road where the
other BOYS were; l told him no; | wanted
to hear what was said; he said "ncrcr
mind, 1 am not going to say anything out
of the way, and / suppose he will not.
I left then and joined John Bonds and
Jim Broadus, who were in the road
about seventy-five yards from the house;
the tobacco wagon was about thirly-iive
yards from the house.
Editor---IIow often did you shoot?
Scoggins---Eight times. When VIC
rot down to the crossroads, three hum
dred wards from The house, I fired three
times, and Henry Daniels fired five
times. The other two boys didn't have
pistols.
Editor--What was the object Of firing?
Scoggins---Wc dinn't have any particu-
lar object. We often shoot of 4 night.
Editor---Did you sec the Revenues that
night?
Scoggins---No, sir.
Editor---Did any Of your party see
them?
Scoggins--Yes; Henry Daniel saw
II Of them +; Jim Broadls, John Bond
and myself did not see them; l did not
hear what Henry Daniel said to the Rev.
enue !; the conversation WAS in an ordin-
ary tone; | was too far away 20 hear.
Edilor---Did you try to avoid arrest
Scoggins---NO l had been to town the
day they arrested me, and l was ~ the
way home when I came up to two Of
them who were sitting on the roadside ;
one Of them asked my name; | told him.
He said l have a warrant for YOU. l
that crowd at Captain H"rden's the night
that we were there. I told him albright
he could get me. Several more rolled up.
Watson asked me to ride behind and we
came Oh to the village.
Editor---llave they held out any in
ducemcnt for you to implicate others Z?
Scoggins--:They told me if | would
work for them, they would work for me.
lIe asked me to confess to all that l knew
about the crowd that was there.
EdltOr---Have YOU told the Revenues
the names Of all those who were with
you when you scared them
Scoggins---SO far, / have given the
names Of only three: myself, Henry
Daniels and Jim Broadus. / have sent
for the Revenues; when they come I am
going to tell of the other man, John
Bonds.
Editor---Are you sure that there were
only four Of your party?
Scoggins---l am /; but Will Harden told
me that last Sunday week that that five
or six mcn walked through the yard after
we left.
Editor---Did they offer any insult to
tho Revenues?
Scoggins---None that 1 know of; he
didn't tell me that they did; I don't
think they noticed the Revenues ut all.
Editor---Have you told all the facts
within your knowledge as to this mat
tor?
Scoggins---I have; these are the exact
facts.
Legislative Proceedings.
We publish in full the Legislative pro-
cccdings as taken from the Register. We
hope that our readers may take the trou-
ble to read each days proceedings, and
thus keen themselves informed as to the