Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-07-11
The WOLF and the Lamb.
o. &tfj-3f,.
4 REVENUE OFrIcER's VERSION UiEenE FA-
MILIAR FABLE.
OuARLssroa. S. G.. July G.


To the Editor Of tho Ne,os and Courier:
Permit me to call your attention to tho
injustice of certain statements mado by your
correspondent, concerning tho "HoundS Of
tho Revenue Force" rs he secs fit to style
United States revenue officials. The forco of
special deputy collectors which was sus,
ponded on July lst for tho summer months,
as is tho yearly custom and not for offences
committed, was appointed in February last
Your correspondent cites offences alleged to
havo been committed by deputy marshals, tho
military and others, somo two years back,
and in summing up throws tho whole onus on
tho above named force. Is this just? 1t
matters little to US what your correspondence =
hero and martyr. l.. II. Redmond. has to say
concerning our efforts to capture him and his
jnilsbreaking crew, 1t was duty assigned
us, aud only desire to protest against the
charge that this duty was performed in au
illegal or inhuman mannor. Idcsiro to reite
rate that no unnecessary oppressive measures
wero adopted; that not ono OF tho many
prisoners captured %as even handcuffed or
tied or exposed to unnecessary hardship by
the above named force. This can be easily
verified by tho prisoners. some of whom had
been previously engaged in harassinE and
am6ushing us under the leadership Of your
correspondents hoto and saint. also desire
to put tho fact Oh record that intomperauco
on duty or unbecoming behavior subjected
the offender to suspension and speedy removal
from the force.
In the report of tho special committee of
the Pickens Grand Jury I find my namo
mentioned in connection with three or tho
alleged Irregularities. know how these
affidasits %ero obtained. and will only say
that, if Messrs. Noal, Mckinney and Walker
swore to these statements published in your
journal, they. can DO CONVICTED of perjury
before any fair-minded jury. Tho truth Of
the whole matter. is sithply this: Ther6 is n
certain cluss in PcEtns County hostile to all
laws, and, for wtll:known tchsohs, especially
80 to revenue luws. Thoy and their admirers,
OF whom there are many, have resorted to
every device to prevent us from performing
our duties in that county. Good citizens
speak of them in whisper and in trernor
And thoy haro good reason fur fear. Men
suspected of furnishing information to rcvc-
nue officials have boon shot, whipped and
driven from the county, and parties who have
led and lodged us have been threatened with
personal violence if they did so again. Are
these outrages ever mentioned by our mas
ligncrs except in terms of approval? There
are Mt present seven or eight mon in Green
ville who dare not return to their mountain
homes until the revenue force is roorganizcd?
And why is this2 Have they broken any law
to forfeit tho protection of the State authori-
ties? Is giving information or rendering as
sistance to revenue oiEicials sufficient excuse
to XII Il human being on sight7 Your corrc-
spondcnt has presented ono side OF the case,
as he admits; now, in justice to all, n request,
which to my knowledge. you have never re-
fused, would respectfully beg space to pre-
sent the other side. and remain respectfully,
your obcdient servant.
EG. HOFFMAN.