The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-26

dren stayed lip; we have but one sieob-
| ing apartment, iii tThiah all the family
slept; first heard OF burning on We'd
day afterwards; Wm. Ragsdalo was the
| first to tell inc about it; l heard of it
again on Thursday my son told me !
| did not 60 to Williantstoii for 4 week afi
| ter; went once before my arrest Was
arrested ON the night of the 25th Novem-
| ber: six men came between 0 and 10
o'clock at night Mr.. hGl;ef eait1H In. and
| said he had warrant; asked what for;
he said for burning Maj. Anderson's
storefouse; my family became excited /;
nv wife and children followed out in the
yard, and my wife tainted In yard they
| handcuffed me about half mile from MY
house: Mr.. Acker and Bladon had me
| till handcutfed; Mr.. Alley then carried
me ON to the creek the balance were
about 10 yards behind; from there Bla-
don took me q little piece, then Alley car
ried me to Mai. Anderson's house; did
not offer to confess to Alley; he did not
tell me to confess to Maj. Anderson they
put me in room; set down in chair by
lire, with shackles on, and guard around
me; did not sleep any that night; did
not see Maj. Anderson that night had
talk next morning with Maj. Anderson
in his yard; Mai. Anderson called me
out there; by ourselves; no one present;
he asked if 1 knew who did it; l told
him no he called over the names of these
parties: I told him no, knew nothing
about it; he said if would confess he
would turn me loose; I did not confess
then; had next talk with Alley; Capt.
Alley made threats that night-said if 1
did not confess lie would have me killed
1 was alarmed for my safety; l saw pjs-
tolls and guns exhibited %as afraid,
and felt in great danger; had talk
with Alley by Anderson's gate; Alley
wanted me to confess, and said if did
not ought to be put to death, and if
did he would have me released; nothing
else said; 1 did not confess; proclaimed
my innocence; had another talk with
Maj. Anderson, still in irons he and
walking along path from his house; Maj.
Anderson said you know these parties,
calling the ir names you know they are
the ones who did it; said knew moth
ing about it; did not confess I had no
talk in the spring lot; Maj. Anderson at
tackled me again in spring lot; I don't re-
member what he said he called over the
same names he said If would confess
ho would have me turned loose; told
him I did not know anything to confess;
he took me to Mr.. Pinson's Office, and
carried me up stairs and put me in room
by myself; stayed there half hour; they
carried me back down to the office; Mr..
Pinson asked me if was, or knew of
any one guilty said did not; don't
remember what occurred; Maj. Anderson
called over all the names he had called
over before; did not assent; after trial
they brought Inc here to prison; Mr..
Acker and Bladon brought me; next
,o,,, Mo; ,,da nj, tNn1uocilou oFtor-
wards in Jail; Maj. Anderson wanted mo
to turn States evidence against the 9TH
ers; said if did he would turn me loose
on bond; said if did not he could not
get proof enough against the other boys;
Mr.. Poore and myself are on bad terms,
also with Hancock-haye been for several
years.
Cross-eXamiued My wifo was taken
sick that day before burning; she was
complaining before I went; l was not
frightened by them bad enough to con-
fess anything; did not say anything to
Maj. Anderson when he repeated Poore's
prayer he repeated it to me; deny
making any statement before Pinson, ex-
cept saying that was not guilty f; I did
not see flames at all; did not say to DR..
Epting that after the fire went home
through the woods by the graveyard; I
never did make any confession OF this
matter to any one; deny making them;
the nearest way homo from the railroad
cut near Williamson would have been
by the graveyard.
Sallie Ellison, sworn, says: Lewis e.
is my father; was at home on night Of
fire; my father went to Williamson on
morning before fire returned aboutdin-
ner time; while he was gone little boy
took sick; he had something like the
cramp collie or worms, and was very sick;
my father, when he got home, went for
doctor; he did not como; he came that
evening; my mother took sick about sun
down she was very sick ; we gave her
medicine every three hours /; my father
was at home that night; the medicine was
administered that night everythree hours;
I sat up all that night, with my father and
sister; we all stayed in the same room
my father was there all night. and could
not have left that night without my
when my father was arrested, and it
alarmed us very much; we followed him
out into the yard; my mother tainted
and fell in the yard; my father was then
carried off; VIM. Ragsdale was at our
house when the arrest was made, but
James Gambrell was not there.
jamie Ellison, sworn, says: Lewis Ell
lisonis my father; was at home on night
of burning; all the family were at home
that night except my oldest bl other; my
little brother was sick in the evening be-
fore the fire; my mother took sick about
shutdown, and was very sick; my father
and Sallie attended to mother; was in the
room where they were that night; there
was medicine on hand to give mother
when she had spells; the medicine was
to be given every three hours; my father
and Sallie administered it; my father did
not leave the house that night, but was
there all night, and could not have left
without me knowing it was at homo
when my father was arrested; they ar
rested and carried him off the medicine
was given mother every three hours;
know it for saw it; was lying down,
but did not sleep; they talked like as if
they were going to treat my father badly
when they arrested him; did not sit up,
but laid down cross the bed; did not
cover up; it was cold; Mr.. Gambrell was
not al our house on night of arrest; MIR.
Ragsdale was there; l did not lay on bed
but little while; Mr.. Ragsdale was
there pickingc cotton; he never came there
before to pick cotton; he came about
dusk; he brought his little daughter with
him.
Mary e. Stone, sworn, says: She was
at James Gambrelrs the night of the fire;
retired about IL o'clock saw the fire that
night; brother Jim was helping wait on
children; called him to get water for
one of the children; when he went to the
door next to Williamson, he called and
said come and see what fire; he was
asleep, and 1 woke him up; he did not
leave the house that night were all in the
same room; fire was in direction of Will
liamston.
James Ellison, sworn, says: Lewis Ell
lison is my father; was at home on night
of fire; my father went to Williamson
that morning with my mother; returned
about dinner time; my brother was sick
father went after doctor; my mother took
charge of the child; my mother took sick
that evening, and was bad of; my father
was at home; she was set up with that
night; my father and sister gave medi-
cine to her every three hours / sat up
that night, I and my two sisters 1 sat up