Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-12-12
MURDERERS LYNCHED.

CHARLESTON, S. c., Dec. 1.-The
News and Courier has received de-
tails of the murder of Mrs. Kennedy
of Clarendon county, and of the sub
sequent lynching of the three muir
derers last Sunday.
Mr.. Thos. Kennedy, living near
Salem, intending to visit Charleston,
went over to his fathers house,
short distance from his own, to ask
his mother to stay with his wife dur
ing his absence. Kennedy's wife
was formerly Miss Ada Wright, of
Darlington, and had only been mars
ried about a year. She was q
young lady of only 19 or 20 years of
age, intellectual, refined and highly
respected. ~.
When her husband left, Mrs. Ken
nedy shut down and sat by the wins
dow to write letter to her mother.
As she sat there she saw in the yard
Joe Barnes, a colored boy about 16
years old, who had been employed
by MIR. Kennedy the previous week.
This boy had been induced by two
negroes living near by, Vance Brandt
and his sister Julia, aged respective
ly Is and Is, to hang around the
premises and when Mr.. Kennedy left
the place to give the signal to Vance
and Julia, who kept themselves con-
cealed in thicket.
This couple had heard of Mr.. Ken
nedy's intention to visit Charleston,
and thinking that he would have 9
good deal of money in the house
determined to break in and get it
When Joe gave the signal Vance
went Immediately to the window and
three times tried to get in and each
time he was showed out by Mrs. Ken
nedy. Finding that he was deter
mined to get in she opened the front
door and ran through the front yard
and was just going through the gate
when Vance snatched up a hoe lying
in the yard and overlook her at the
gate and knocked her down. She
lmplored mercy, and told him she
would give him all the money she
had if he would only spare her life
He cursed her and said, "Tse beer
wanting to kill you for long time,
and at that struck her two more
blows, in attempting to avert which
it is supposed her hand was broken
just then Julia came up with an
other hoe and severed her head
When Kennedy returned about three
hours afterwards he found his wife
lying outside the front gate mutila
ted, cold and stiff, her head almos
severed from her body, and her en-
tire craneum was cut off from ear t,
ear, leaving her brains scattered
around on the ground.
A jury of inquest being hell
returned a verdict of murder In tn
highest degree by unknown hands.
On Tuesday the colored boy 10
Barnes was arrested. He showed s.
much confusion on being questione'
as to his whereabouts on Sunda
. that only a few questions served t
! orlng out his full confession, fror
which the above account is taker
The examination of Vance and JUL
, elected evidence showing that the
were the murderers, marks of bloc
and brains being found upon thei
clothing.
The horrible character of the mur
der awakened intense indignation il
the neighborhood and crowd c
$50 white men and fifty colored me
assembled to themselves. The ne
groes begged the whites to perm
them to take the prisoners and bur
them alive. This was refused, but
vote was taken whether they shoul
be jailed and await the court or b
lynched. Only % voted to awai
1.-THE law, and it was determined