Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-09-18

"A VOICE FROM IOWA ON
THE BRYCE HOMI-
eide.
Manufacturing Political Capital.

Manufacturing Political Capital.
Wo CLIP tho following lettor, written from
Greenville. s. c., on the Bryce murder, from
the Iown State Register, of the 18th instant,
and the oomments OF tho editor of that jour
nal thereons
GREENvILLE, s. G., August 29.--Edttor Of
the Iosoa State Register: would like to in
form you of the most cowardly and cold-
blooded murder ever perpetrated in this coun.
try. 1t was perpetratod on the person Of
Alexander Bryce, Jr., on the night of the
26th Of August, 1879. Tho particulars Of
this unfortunate affair aro as follows, A.
Bryce, Jr., was living about ten miles from
Wulhalla, on u farm. On the night Of the
25th, about ono hour aftor dark, he was at j.
+. COx's house, which wns situated about ono
hundred yards from his own homo, on the
same place. As he went to 60 out of the
house to return home with Cox This brother.
in-law) they discovered something in cotton
patch noar by, and supposing it to bo an ani~
NAL of somo kind, they thought they would
at onoo get it out. Thoy followed.it peco,
bat discovered it to bo somo men. AS Bryce
ad Q watermelon patch juet ahcud, they
thought tho parties were going to steal water
melons, so they followed them to the patch.
Cox was in advance Of Bryoo about twenty
steps. Cox discovered two mon in tho water.
melon. patch, who at once drew their guns ON
him.
Ilo asked them who ;hoy we're. They said,
"you know who we are" "Who is with
your" "Josse Cox" The largest man then
stepped to the smallest man and gavo him u
pistol aud said: II will speak and speak now"
and fred his riHo ut Bryce. Bryce was run
Mug by this time. Tho other man ran around
Cox aod chased Bryce within q hundred
,lo .,cI IL Eoak 6
him he fired his shot gun, the contents enter
ing Bryce's back. Bryce dropped dead in.
stan.ly. Tho parties ran Oft. The moon was
ut this time shining bright. The parties who
did tho shooting returned after tho moon had
got 80 low that they could not be seen and ntc
melons within twenty feet of the corpse. No
one was with the corpse Mt this time but the
in thrco places. That awful night will long
be remembered by thnt family.
Mr.. Editor, have given you tho correct
statement of this terrible affair as l get it
from the relatives of the deceased who were
there.
Tho Republicans Of Oconeo County will
hold the Democratic party to strict account
ut the bar of Justice for this foul crime.
Alexander Bryce. Jr., has always been IL
leading Republican of that county. lie was
postmaster ut Walhalla for about eight years.
until 1876, when, it will be remembered, that
he was appointed Auditor of that county by
Gov. Chamberlain. There being contest
between the two parties for power, the Demo-
crnts refused to give the books to Bryce, 80
Bryco's friends managed tn get the books from
tho Office and turned thom over to him. The
Democratic party determined to carry thcir
point, prosecuted Bryce for being in posses.
sion of the books, Judge Cook presiding on
that occasion. Of course Bryce was convicted
and sent to prison fur ono Year. lie was Mt
thnt time postmaster. 1t was very important
to get him out of the postollice However, Il
little better feeling prevailed in the breast of
Il. II. Cook, who had him liberated ia few
days: After he was put in prison the pro-
ceedings of this case went up to the Supreme
Court of this State, and thcy decided that
the proceedings wore illegal, 30 that ended
that matter. They managed to got him out
Of tho postofllce.
Then the Democratic party not satisfied
with that, bounded him down, and pressed
him to the wall. So he gave up the property
hc held in that town. Walhalla. and quietly
returned to Il little homo in the mountains on
tho waters Of Chauga, and went to work on
the farm and no longer took part in public
matters. And now how terrible it is to think
that he has been murdered in his own yurd
without particle Of justification or warning.
MIR. Bryce was q friend Of mine. lie
had his faults rs we'll rs other men, and
yet he had heart to DO kind and generous to
all and was open and frank a man could
always know where to find him in politics or
elsewhere. lie had always been q radical
supporter to the Republican party, and he
received many messages that he would be
killed by his Democratic enemies. lie also
received kuklux notices that if he was not
gone from tho county within ten days ho
would be six feet under tho ground. From
cowardice or something clse they did not
carry it out mt that time. But now he is
killed. The Democratic paper Mt Walhalla
said it was supposed to DO Of n local nature.
! must say that I don't hardly believe that
tho leading Democrats of that county told
any ono of their friends to kill Bryce at this
time.
But think even those parties thoug ght that
thoro was no harm in killing Radical. as
they call him, and that if tho perpetrators Of
It were brought to justice, they would have a
Democratic jury aud judge, md that thoy
would got clear of tho charge This scnti-
ment of thoughts omboldened these assassins
to commit this crimo. We will see, in this
case, whether justice will be reached by tho
party now in power.
A FRIEND OF BRYCE.
ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC MURDER.
Again the Democratic party has stained its
Hands with the blood Of murder for political
gain, and again tho American nation is dis
graccd by the murder of one Of its citizens
for daring to bo Republican This time it
is not in Mississippi, but in South Carolina,
and tho victim is a prominent Republican
nomed lexonder Rrycp who honnonod to bo