The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-07
VOL. XV---NO. 4.
Federal Bummers.

Chief Justice Warncs, Of the Georgia
Supreme Court, isnow nearly eighty years
! Of nge aud in good health. He was Con.
grcssman andjudgc before the war. How
he fell into the haAds of Yankee bum.
ners Is thus told by the Augusta CAron;-
Gle and Sentinel.
In the spring Of 1865 (and after the
surrender Of General Johnson, though
| that disaster was not officially known in
Georgia. Judge Warner was ct bis plan
tation in Merriwether county awaiting
the approach of one of Wilson's columns
OF Federal raiders, which was then pnss-
ing through tho country. All the whites
on the place fed except Judge Warc.r
and his married daughter. The latter
had child only week old; and as she
could not be moved, the father remained.
with her. During the morning several
dctachments of cavalry had halted at the
house and made themselves free with
anything they desired in the way of
portable property" but no violence was
done to the inmates. About noon anoth.
er party arrived and stopped to feed their
horses and to plumber. After satisfying
their appetites they began to pillage, and
the Judges silver and other valuables
were soon stowered away in the capacious
saddle bags. While they were robbing
the smoke-house of hap,s and pickles and
preserves the Judge stood by in silence
watching their proceedings. After the
building had been thoroughly pillaged, q
revolver was suddenly presented ct his
head and he was ordered to accompany
the party. Midway between the house
and the NEGRO quarter" was O body of
woodland, and into this grove Judge
Warner was conducted by his captors.
Reaching place secluded from obserya-
tion, tho leader of the band, who wore the
uniform of federal captain, took out his
watch and said he would give him three
minutes to tell where his gold was hid
den. Judge Warren protested that he
had no gold, but to no avail They had
been Informed along their line of march
that he had secret hoard, and the id
old secossionalist" must give it up Tho
prisoner urged that he had been strong
Union man and that the only money lie
had was in Confederate currency and in
Central Railroad bills. They robbed
MIN of $4,000 of the former and $4,000
of tho latter, which they found upon his
person. but continued to insist that he
had gold and mnat produce ;s. ~ Inc
expiration Of the three minutes the cap
tain made signal, one of the men took
''onA o. ho' 90 q AobR icatueru StTap Win
running moose ut one end, while the 9th
ers extemporzed gallows by bending
down the end Of q stout sapling. With
an onth, the officer mado them select a
larger and stronger tree Judge Warner
remaining silent, for the sufficient reason
that he had nothing to tell. One end of
the strap was adjusted around his neck
and the other fastened securely to treo.
The sapling was gradually released until
the line became taut, when 1t was turned
loose and the Judges body dangled in
the air. When he recovered conscious
ness the brutes still surrounded him, and
he was again ordered to give up his gold
under penalty OF death. He could only
reply rs before, and again tho sapling
was released. This occurred about two
o'clock. When he revived the sun was
nearly down. He lay ut the foot Of the
iMpromrtu gallows, the halter had been
removed from his neck, and the leaves
which covered the ground several inches
deep, were burning within few feet of
MIN. He thinks the heat of the flames
restored him to consciousness and to life
The wretches had left him for dead and
set fire to the woods to conceal the evi.
dence of their crime The Judge was
able to find his way to the house, where
he lay i'll for many days. He finally re-
covered and now shows no signs of the
violence to which he was subjected. He is
confident that the captain and soldiers
who figured as amateur hangmen be-
longed to regiment of Wisconsin caval-
ry, though he does not remember any of
their names. Judge Warner is wont to
say that lie has suffered all the paugs of
dissolution and has beer "as near dead
rs he ever expects to be-"