The New York herald., 1879-09-10
AN EX-POLITICIAN SHOT.


A CAROLINA REPUBLICAN KILLED IN THE NIGHT
BY MOUNTED MEN-A PRIVATE FEUD SUP
POSED TO BE THE CAUSE or THE TRAGEDY.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
CHARLESTON. S. c.. Sept. 9. 1872
| Alexander Bryce. DR.. who resided twelve miles
! from Walhalla in the northwest portion or oconee
! county was assassinated an hour after dark on
! Monday night the 1st inst. Bryceewas 81
the house of Jesse f. Cox, who ifves 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 he and Bryce. whereupon one
of the men Immediately fired upon Bryce. Three
shots were discharged all of them taking effect in
the body of Bryce. Two of them were of a fatal
nature Bryce fell and expired instantly. The
perpetrators of the deed at that time
unknown. The difficulty was, it is charged. the
result of business transaction between the deceased
and man named Jesse Moore. Several years ago
Moore lodged in jail and it is alleged that Moore
applied Bryce to sign his bail bond which Bryce
refused to do until Moore assigned his titles to
tract of land, security against loss. Moore has
not been able to get possession OF the land since and
he had become exasperated.
SUSPICION AWAKENED.
Bryce's brother-in-aw. Jesse +. Cox. was from the
first presumed to know the assassinating party.
Moore and his brother were at suspected of
committing the deed and efforts were made to
rest them. This suspicion. while 1t strength
ened against the Moorss. was also directed
against several other men who were their
intimate friends and who had been seen with them
frequently just prior to the murder. Accordingly.
after delay i'll finding the parties, Robert Cobb
Henry Long. Robert Dunlap, Messiah Cobb Amer-
Moore and Riley Moore, all white men, were
arrested and lodged in the Jail of Oconee county.
Aiken Moore, a third of Jesse Moore,
arrested Clayton the county seat of Rabun county
Ga. yesterday, and was lodged with the other
prisoners in Jail to-day. Robert Cobb, Messiah
Cobb, Henry Long ana Robert Dunlap, four of the
six men heretofore arrested will be brought out
under a writ of habeas corpus before the Court Of
General Sessions, at Anderson. Monday next, and
it is expected that they will be released Morgan
Bryce. brother of the murdered man. declares that
his brother was murdered by the three Moores.
THE MURDERED MAN.
Alexander Bryce Jr. the murdered man, has led
reckless life and has been violent opponent OF
democratic rule and fierce advocate of republican
ism. He was President Grants postmaster at Wal
halla and afterward served Chamberlain as County
Auditor. He was the organizer OF the Union League
in Pickens county. and was the cause of great
annoyance to the white people that Sec
tion On one occasion when Bryce was
holding meeting of the leagues with
armed negro sentinels guarding the outposts. some
school children came by their place OF meeting.
One sentinel, supposing them to be democratic
enemies, fired upon them, killing little boy named
convicted of murder and hung at old Pickens
Court House before that county divided.
The sentiment among the whites against Bryce at
that time intense, and many openly
declared that he should have been hung instead OF
his negro sentinel. No at that time would have
been surprised to hear of his being killed at any
moment. During the campaign of 1876 he boldly
combated the Hampton movement in that county,
and led the forlorn hope to the polls against the
democracy.
A STROKE.
After the Inauguration OF Hampton, and before
Chamberlain had taken his northern Fight, Hamp-
tons auditor got possession of the auditors office
and books. A few nights afterward the Office
broken open aud the books taken therefrom. For
this offence he indicted in the term of the
Court of General Sessions for burglary and grand lar
ceny Upon conviction his counsel appealed to the Su
preme Court for new trial. which granted. The
democratic party by this time had thoroughly OBJ
tanned possession OF the offices of the State and the
charges against Bryce for this offence never
again brought into court. Since that time he had
retired from politics, and two years ago went
TO live his little farm in the mountains, twelve
miles from Walhala. in place difficult
He was living there his own land and cultivating
it, Except for his brother-in-law, Jesse F. Cox,
who lived near. he lived alone with his family in
the mountains with barely the actual necessaries of
life. The day after the murder the Coroner
held an inquest and verdict of death by per-
sons unknown rendered. He was buried in
the village cemetery at Walhalla While no one
seems to regret the death of Bryce, all unequivo-
cally denounce his murderers. There is doubt
that upon production of the proof i'll court dire
punishment will be meted out to the guilty parties.
The Moores have maintained dogged ST.
lence. and have given no statement beyond
politics and for two years was in nobody's way
and seldom seen away from his mountain
treat there is absolutely ground for suspecting
that his murder induced from political reasons