The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-07-23
The Red Oak Revenue Thugs.

, The Atlanta Constitution reports
fahe beginning Of che trial of the Red
Oak revenue thugs in the United
States Court in that city for the mur-
der Of a citizen named Jones some
! weeks since. The testimony was as
aollows::
+. e. Suttles testified that the last
time he saw Jones living was while
he was running through his p!anta-
ton. Firing of guns attracted his
attention. He saw. Jones Jump a
fence, run across field and fall.
! Saw posse Of men run into fence
corner and fire on Jones. The {iring
was very rapid. He did not see Jones
fire. A man jumped over the fence
and ran after Jones and fired at him
three times. After Jones fell three
other men got aver the fence, and all
four went to Jones body.
Jesse Ross testified that lie saw
Jones on the 24th. When Jones was
killed witness was a prisoner in
charge of. Ben Bolton and posse OF
thirteen men. The witness pointed
out several men in the Court room as
persons belonging to the posse.
was going home from Mr.. Gates
wien arrested. had been there to
engage threshiug machine. l met
the posse and had passed by them
when Mr.. Port bailed me and asked
me where | was going. had Il gun
in my hand which l had carried with
me to kill any game I might see.
Port took the gun from me and order
ed to 80 with the posse. 1 insisted
on going home, but they forced me
to 60 with them. When l was cap
tured two men were with me-one
was Ratteree, the other was Jones,
the deceased. Rattcrcc was unarmed.
When l was captured they were thir-
ty or forty yards in the rear. and
when they saw me captured they turn
cd out into the woods. The posse
took me to where Ratterce and Jones
had turned out Of the road ard
heard a rusLling in the leaves. Mr..
BRYAN then threw up his gun and fired.
In the excitement somc one cried out ,
don't let that prisoncr get away. /
saw Bolton r"nning toward the with
gun raised to strike me. threw up
my aim and wartled The blow off from
my head. The revenue party fired
about seventeen shots in the direction
Of my friends. We advanced about
one hundred yards when l saw Jones
and Ratlerce cross the road and enter
Suttle's field. One of the revenue
party cried out, "YonGer they 60,
Cd d-m 'em, kill 'en." They
commenced shooting at Jones, who
was running across the field. The
posse ran up to the fence, nearly all
Of them firing. AS jones fell, some
one cried out, "I'hat got him." zones
then rose, and some one Of the posse
took rest on the fence and shot at him
again. Bob Bolton, William Bolton
and Bryan then went to where Jones
was, and found him dead. They then
saw man about quarter OF 4 mile
across the field. Bolton loaded his
gun, but Bryan told him not TO Gl G..
After Jones started to run he never
turned or tried to shoot.
Park Woodward, Chief Deputy
Marshal, was introduced and asked
whether or not the posse had war
rant for William Jones. He said he
could not say without refcrrin, to his
books.
James M. Bryan, one Of the posse,
for the defense, was introduced. He
was one of the party who killed
Jones. lie testified that the posse
was fired into from the woods, and
they had returned the fire. He had
not seen Jones jump the fence, but
saw blood on the fence at the place
where he supposed Jones had crossed
did not see any one shoot at Jones
after he got into the field. The party
left Jones lying in the field about two
ninuses after the last gun was fired
/ did not find any still in operation
in the neighborhood. The party
found the material which had been
used for dlstillng. -Four or five dis
tilleries recently deserted we're found.
The party was huntjnu stills when IT,