The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-22
Mr.. Stolbrand's Little Game-The
Wicked may be Caught in his
Own Devices.

OHu DctICCo.
Last Friday evening E.. II. Stcobcr of Co
lumbla, ant John +. Hobbs, OF Lexington, ar
rlvedi in town and were met on Saturday morn,
Ing by representatives OF the negroes from
various sections Of the county. Tie proprie-
tor OF the hotel ut which they stopped refused
the privileges of his house to the scurvy set
with whom these men had business, and they
separated, md by different routes found their
way to the house In which Alfred Butler lives.
At this house ii is reported that Alfred But
Ter, All. Titus, Tom Tolbert, Jop Mckcllrr, W.
W. Fraser. and others of that ilk, held an EEK.
p~erIcnce meeting" for the benefit OF r. NJ.
S,eobcr OF Columbia, and John r. Hobbs OF
Lexington. OF Mr.. Steobcr we know noth-
lI.g, but OF MIR. Hobbs we have been informed
that he Is q young lawyer of educntton, anu
that formerly he affiliated With the best gen.
tlemen Of the community In which he moVeo-
But those with whott he associated Will DC
surprised to hear that he Is out on such atour
meeting an assembly Of negroes IN q negro
house for tho pul pose of bringing his former
friends Into trouble. In this community
there seems to exist great surprise Mt his
course, While feeling of pity and regret that
one WIFI otCi a. AhhA
scended to the level which he did ut this place.
It was noticed However that he had not lost
all sense Of shame. The gentleman who had
formerly moved with the best people Of his
own race would not DO escorted through the
streets Of Abbcviilc by the negroes whose tcs-
timony he wanted. At this meeting Alb. IL
tus and Alfred Butler are said 10 have been
the ciiief witnesses from the village, and II IS
also said that Tom Tolbert gave Stcober and
Hobbs the names Of several persons from the
country whom he thought ought to 80 to the
penitcntiary.
Nothing is known certainly Of the move
ments OF the United States officials who are
paid agents of the government, and who ore
believed to be working solely In the interests
OF Stolbrand, the defeated candidate for Con
gress, and we are equally ignorant as to the
exact reports which the negroes have made,
but there seems to be very little doubt, In the
minds Of our people that Alb. Titus, Alfred
Butler, Tom Tolbert, and Lem Guffin, arc
making themselves very busy about the mat
ter, and to them we presume we are chiefly
indebted for the veXatious suits that nfe TO
| be brought against our citizens. The under
standing now Is that Stcober and Hobbs are
to return between now and the first OF Janu-
airy, bringing with them eight or ten mar
| shals, 10 arrest thIrty-eight citizens OF the VII
LACE, and some thirty or forty men from the
country. 1t Is not now known whether our
citizens thus arrested will receive a prelimi.
nary hearing ut Abbeville or be required to &c
TO Greenville.
AS far as we rave any knowledge our PEG.
| pic are unconscious OF any violations OF the
law, and 1t is only conjecture who Of the one
hundred and twenty-five voters Of the town
are to compose the thirty-eight unfortunate
ones, and each man Is asking himself wheth-
or he has personally given these negroes any
Just causc of offence. AS O rule ones limo
cence Is q sufficient guarantee OF bis freedom
from arrest, but in this instance d citizens
liability to arrest depends upon the wh!ms o.
witnesses whose oath would in ordinary mat
tiers 20 for very little. We think our citizens
should look we'll to their safety when we have
such interruptions enemies In our very midst
While 1t is not probable that q single man In
| AbbevIlle violated the election law, there Is
no telling to whats vindictive witness may
testify, and for this reason our people should
look well to their defence.
In the revised statutes Of the United States
We find that whosoever Is guilty Of perjury,
I" shall be punished by n fine Of not more than
" two thousand dollars. aud by Imprisonment
" at hard labor, not more than five years; and
" shall, moreover, thereafter be incapable OF
" giving testimony In any Court Of the Uni
:. ted States until such time as the Judgment
|" against him Is reversed" And for the ben
| eft OF those who are working up this matter
TO avenge their personal animosity, we find
that I" every person who procures another to
commit any perjury Is guilty OF suborna-
" ton of perjury, and punishable as II he
himself had sworn falsely.
1t Is we'll enough for our people to be on the
| alert, and to be prepared to note and prove
! what shall be said falsely against them. These
swirl witnesses should be taught that they
must be kept within the line Of truth or take
the consequences. Whatever violations OF
the law may have occurred Is o matter which
will be OF easy proof, and in like manner 1t
will be easy for US TO establish the fact If any
witness shall testify falsely. Our people In
the past have been too lcnicnt with perjurors
and this fact alone may awe given encour-
agement to our prosecutors.
Ills we'll enough TO Investigate the charac-
ter Of some of these with esses who arc OF
such doubtful veracity, and who are moved
to their act in this matter to crafty personal
spleen. Our people are notafraid OF the truth
and IL there Is any manhood left in us, we
will make public ene,nles afraid to swear
falsely in open court. Those who are in such
a hurry to put others into court may them
selves arrive safely in the penitentlary.
Loafers and disturbers Of the peace should be
made TO know that there is for them, too, a
| law which is just and severe.