Daily Republican., 1879-10-13
BLACKVaIsAHs POsTsaAsTER.
Tbe Attempt to Kill Mr.. Nixon
Report from q Committee OF Gov
ornment Agents.

A Aspecial dispatch from Washington
to the "Tribune" says: The report Of
Special Agents Long, Redmond and
Frey, who were sent by the Postmas-
ter-General to investigate the recent at
tempt to shoot the Postmaster at Black
vile, S. c., was received this morning.
1t fully confirms the original report Of
the affair, and is valuable for the
glimpse which it gives of the condition
of public sentiment in one Southern
community. The report embodies the
results of an investigation to which
several days were devoted by three
clear-headed Government officials, two
Of whom, it many be stated, we're born
and bred in the South; and it will be
generally accepted as an impartial and
trustworthy showing of the events, and
circumstances of which it treats.
The report, which was written by
Special Agent Frey, states that, before
the reign of terror in the South began,
Nix was popular and influential in his
county, and on two occasions received
public testimonials from the ladies.
When the reign Of terror began, the
agent says, "Nix, not being the man to
desert the camp in time of danger,
stood by his colors in simple, frank
and manly manner. After describing
the incident of the attempt to assassin
ate Nix in the post-ottice, Official Agent
Frey says:
On the day of the shooting Williams
was generously piled with liquor, and
was seen frequently engaged in private
and mysterious conversation With little
knots of two or three men, but more
frequently with lawyer of the tow Il
James Thompson, who, it is. claimed,
holds high position socially and at
the bar, and who, only about q, week
previous, was discovered by the post
master writing on the slide Of his de.
livery window the following friendly
piece of advice, "You had better get
out of this office, London Brown, Cap
tain Of the X. X. K" When asked by
the postmaster what he meant By it he
alleged that he wrote it in spirit of
genuine fun, that it meant nothing,
and was only intended as joke, ect.
This man Thompson Immediately
preceded Williams to the Post office,
and from his manner and critical ex-
animation of Nix's person the Post
master is satisfied that he had know
ledge of the affair, and undoubtedly
visited the Office to try and ascertain
| if possible whether Nix was armed
When the shooting occurred Thompson
was seated directly In front of the Office,
engaged in conversation with another
party. When Williams made his ap,
pearance Thompson hastily inquired
if both shots had been fired simultan-
eously, while the man he was talking
to afterward acknowledged that he
clearly recognized the pause between
the shots, and that it was at least ten
seconds, if not more.
Subsequent to the shooting Williams
rode up and down the matu street in
front of the post-otfce, pistol in hand,
in highly demonstrative and threat
ening manner, and on one occasion, see-
ing Nix standing in the doorway of the
post-office, rode up to him, and, flour
ishing his pistol, said CD you, we
have swo.n you never should be post
master here" and this was witnessed
by the Marshal of the town. 1t is a
singular but remarkable fact that with
two or more newspapers in the county
neither Of them has taken any notice
of or made any comment whatever on
the affair; and strange too, that no ac-
ton was taken by the Grand Jury of
the County Court, which was in session
at the time Of the shooting; and no eff
fort of any character appears to have
been made to apprehend Williams who
lives within short distance Of town.