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


their Chicf in Full F1yht-Rctcnu Ogiccrs In
dtctedto OuirdyeS Citizens.
COLUMBIA, Saturday, March 23.-Thc follow
ing letter from Judge Mackey, containing pic-
turcsgue account of the indictmt ut Of Redmond,
and the measures taken for his arrest, and Cf
the outrageous conduct Of the revenue officers,
was received by Governor Hampton day:
THURSDAY, > O'CLOCK Z. NJ, I
PICKENs &. H., March II, 1878.
Ills ErceIeacy Wade Hampton, Gorcrnor cf
South Cdroita0, Coium.Jia, 5. G.
DEAR SIR-l have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication Of the l"th
Instant.
1t was not practicable 10 comply with the sug-
gcstions therein contained as it did not
me until this morning, and the posse moved on
Tuesday, you were informed hy my telegram
Of last evening.
In order that yeu may be fully informed az TO
the situation of affairs in this section it is proper
that | should state the following facts
On my arrival here last Sunday asccrtancI,
after due inquiry, that the outlaw, Lewis Il.
Redmond, had practically organized reign Of
terror throughout the county, which SSsi
Iaral wing the manhood Of ilSAsSLcl lj1elSI!p,~
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 tLcir
posse, numbering in all twcnty-six men, were
concentrated ut this point, and were evidently
alarmed, being apprehcnsivc that Redmond
would make an incurSion into the town at tic
head Of his force, which was reported to mum.
Der about scycnty.hyc men, we'll aimed 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 bringing
them face 10 face with Mtir duty by an instant
and fearless discharge Of miRe, and by thus
quickcniEg their sentiment of obedience to law,
SIT a
iawieSS men who stood in arn.cl array against
the constitutional authorities.
As Redmond was the central and supporting
figure OF, the unlawful combination, | resolved
10 strike 1t him. To have selected one Of his
suhordnatcs ~ the suGject of prosecution, would
have made it appear that the arm of the law it
self was sharing in the general paralysis, while
to have united others with him, would have been
TO lose the advantage of iSOlaiing tho chief Grim
inal from his followers, and to have incurred
the hazard of uniting them more closely to him
by sense of their common danger. /, there
fore, determined that if legal proof of crime
could be obtained against him bill should he
laid before tho grand jury with view TO his
Immediate indictment but not for his alleged
iurcibIc entry into the Jail, Tor that was only u
mlstcmcanor under our laws and public Sympa-
thy was strongly in favor Of the three prisoners
who were thus released, as it was generally be-
icTcd that they had commit cd no oiicnSe against
the laws of the United States, and it was known
that they were respectable farmers, who were
arrested without a warrant, in violation of law,
and had been grossly maltrcated by the revenue
officers before they were lodged in Jail.
am satisfied from Information furnished me
that both law and justice had been outraged in
the persons of these prisoners, and my judy
mcnt upon this point has since been. confirmed
by the fact that the hro who were rccaptured
BY the sheriff posse were discharged by the
United States Commissioner to-day on the de-
..l. tl,.tt tl ,
Gee" upon which to authorize their detention, OF.
to support the charge that they had violated any
law Of the United States. But Redmond n day
ortwo after The rescue ofthc prisoners, had, with
his armed band, entcrc, the house ora citizens in
this vicinity and IA taken thcrcirom two over
coats of the value of forty dollars, left there for
satc-kcci!ng hy tho!r owners, who were also Uni
ted States revenue officers. As the taking was
done iorcihly III the presence Of the lawful custo-
dian or 5ai!ce, and by putting him in terror, the
act Was robbery, both ut common law and under
iEc statute, and Was grave felony.
After much earnest effort my paft the cti-
zen Mr. Hendrix, above referred to, oycrcamc
his fears and made the necessary affidavit charg-
ing the robbery. The trial justice thcreupo,.
iss tcd His warrant, and upon the return Of the
sheriff, that the accused openly dclicl arrest.
the papers were dcliN cred to the solicitor, and
on last Monday a bill was drawn accordingly and
lail before the grand jury.
them Of their sW orn duty ..io leave
no man unprcsentcd through fear, favor or alice
ton and | said in the course Of my charge !:
'Gcnt!emcn Of the grand jury. if upon the iss-
tnE"ny of a credible witness, ii should appear
TO You that there is probable cause to believe
the accused guilty Of the offence charged, and
yoI wi!iu!ly fail or refuse To find II true bill,
then you declare to the w:rid that in the County
OF iickcns the trigger finger Of Lewis Il. Red
monl : right hand is stronger than the arm of
II" law . Anl you 90 this while Wade Ilamp-
tea. thc defender Of law and order. the wise
ana iE"t chief Ma ssiwitc the trusted leader and
itiem! Of the whole people, rules as Governor
of South Carolina -
The Grand jury then retired anl after remain
in% IA their room several hours, came into count
a"., r,iUImcl the indictment endorsed mo Lill."
! ai o"cc Informed them that presumed the
cN!"ncc was Insufficient, and that on the next
morning the Ill! would again he delivered to
them, and the soil :Ior would send additional
Witnesses before them to support it. The next
morning lTncs,ay) the bin was again laid be-
for" tii" grand jury, and then stated to them
that had information which deemed trust
worthy 10 tho effect that one Of their bo,iy was
In" close ally and Intimate associate of Redmond
the person accused in the ill, who was then
iav!uS his headquarters al Tie house Of tho
lrlp rod tp "a ia