Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-10
MYSTERIOUS MURDER
In the Mountains Of South CarOIlna---
Close Of the Career Of a Once
PrOminenent Politician.
Special to Cincinnati Enauircr.l

WV hul uCl Ou NuC uASub bOlOlC VI
Alexander Bryce, jr., former promi-
nent Republican politician, near Wal
halla, a region located in the remote
section of the mountain region of this
State. The assassination of Bryce is
attributable to several causes. The
particulars of the assassination are as
follows:
On the evening of the murder Bryce
was at the house of Jesse +. Cox, who
lives near him. In company with
Cox, Bryce started home, and on the
way they were accosted by horsemen,
one of whom asked who were present.
Cox replied that it was he and Bryce,
whereupon one Of the men immedi-
ately fired upon Bryce. Three shots
were fired, all of them taking effect
on the body of Bryce, two of them
being fatal. Bryce fell and expired
instantly. The perpetrators of the
deed are unknown.
The cause of the difficulty is sup
posed to have been the result of a
business transaction between the de-
ceased and man named Moore. Sew.
eral years ago Bryce's friend Moore
was lodged in jail under criminal
charges of some kind, and it is alleged
that Moore applied to Bryce to sign
his bail bond, which Bryce refused to
do until Moore assigned his title to a
tract Of land as security against loss.
Moore has not been able to get posses
sion Of the land since, and he had
become exasperated at the perpetratol
of the wrong. Bryces brother-in.
law, Jesse F. Cox, is presumed tC
know the assassinating party, anC
rumor says that Moore and his brother
and third party did the shooting
Various arrests have been made neal
Walhalla.
Alex. Bryce, jr., led reckless life
and has been a violent opponent o.
Democrats and fierce advocate o.
Republican rule. He was Grants
postmaster at Walhalla, and afterwarC
served Chamberlin as county auditor
He was the organizer of the Unior
League in Pickens county, and wal
the cause of great annoyance to the
white people in that section. On ont
occasion, when Bryce was holding
meeting of the league, with armed
negro sentinels guarding the outposts
some school children came by theil
place of meeting. One sentinel, sup
posing them to be Democratic enemies
! fred on them, killing little boy named
Hunnycut. For this offense, upoI
trial, the sentinel was convicted o
murder, and hung at old Picken
courthouse, befre that county wa
| divided. The sentiment among tn,
whites against Bryce at that time wal
intense, and many openly declared tina
| he should have been hung instead o
his negro sentinel. No one at tina
time would have been surprised t
! hear of his being killed at any moment
| During the campaign of 1876 he boldly
combated the Hampton movement il
that county, and led the forlorn hopt
to the polls against the Democracy.
After the Inauguration of Hamp
ton, and before Chamberlain haC
taken his Northern fight, Ham pton'i
auditor, by a strategic movement, got
possession of the auditors Office anC
books. A few nights afterward the
Office was broken open aud the books
taken therefrom. For this offense he
was indicted in the next term of the
court Of general sessions for burglary
and grand larceny. Before convic.
tion his counsel appealed to the Su-
preme Court for new trial, which
was granted. The Democratic party
by this time had become thoroughly
invested with the offices of the State
and the charges against Bryce fol
this Ofense were never again brought
into court. The murdered man soon
after moved to little farm in the
mountains, twelve miles from Wal.
halla, in a place so difficult of ap
proach that vehicles can not reach It
1t was here that he was living on hi:
own land, and cultivating the land
when he was killed. 1t would seem
to read strangely that a man who had
bravely met so many enemies face tC
face in the light of day should thus
perish in his seclusion, near his own
doorstep in the darkness Of the night
at the hands of the assassins. Elk.
oept his brother law, jesse f. Cox
who lived near, he lived alone with
his family In the mountains, with
barely the actual necessities of life tC
preserve existence. He was buried
in the village cemetery at Walhalla
unwept, unhonored and unsung.