The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-01-29
The Recapture of Osborne,


Mr.. EDITOR: After good deal Of hunt
ing the people of the surrounding country
have succeeded in -e-arresting Turner Os-
borne, the murderer of Mrs. R. Compton.
Several raides have been made in the Fork
country of Tugalo and Seneca Rivers, but
all failed even to develop anything. Hay
ing received information that Osborne had
been seen in the neighborhood of his
fathers house, Messrs. w. j. Hix and l..
L. Jarrard collected a crowd of men and
determined to make thorough search for
him. They succeeded in getting between
fifty and seventy-fve men, and left Fair
Play about p. m. on the 22d inst. Pickets
were placed all along the River and Beav-
erdam Creek and along road running
north of Osborne's house. There was also
special guard around the house, which
was to keep sharp lookout and allow no
one to go into or come out of the house.
They thus kept guard till day light at
which time the whole party was to move
toward them, making a thorough search OF
both houses and the woods as they closed
in.
When q sufficient number had assembled,
they went to Osborne's house and told him
of their intention to search his house for his
son. He willingly consented. The dwell
ing and out houses were searched, but no
trace of Osborne could be found. The men
began to think that they had had their
trouble for nothing, when r. Compton,
who was in the crowd, requested to be al
lowed to search small house, which had
heretofore been overlooked, and which, 1
think, was used as kind of meat house
This request Osborne also granted willingly,
opening the door and requesting Compton
to enter and search. To the surprise and
qualification of all, he found Turner o.
borne in large box. He made no resist
ance, but surrendered as soon as he found
out that he was discovered. He claimed
that report had reached him that if he
was caught he would be Immediately hung
or shot, and he says that he believed it. If
there has ever been any such talk it has
never reached my ears, nor can 1 find any
one here who has heard it. Osborne when
arrested appeared to be quite uneasy, and
showed some nervousness, but when he
found out that he would be turned over to
the proper officers of the law to be dealt
with according to law, he in measure re-
gained his composure, and talked quite
freely about the murder, contending that he
did not do the shooting, but that Bradberry
did it. he said, too that he knew law was
founded on justice, but that the law some
times made mistakes, and that his only
wish was that the guilty party should suffer.
He was Immediately sent to Walhalla un-
der guard of four or five men, where he
was confined in dungeon. 1t was report
ed here that an effort would be made to
rescue Osborne from the guard on the road
from this place to Walhalla, but there was
no sign of any such an attempt. Osborne
is now where he should have been for some
time past, and, with him, can say that
my only desire is that the guilty party shall
be made to suffer.
This community owes no thanks to the
Governor in thus getting rid of man who
has been source of great annoyance to US.
The Governor has been requested once or
twice to offer reward for the arrest of Os-
borne, but he has kept perfectly quiet aboutS
the whole matter, showing a perfect indif-
ference that is not at all appreciated by the
people of this section. The credit belongs,
though, entirely to the people of Fair Play
and the surrounding country. They were
determined not to allow felonious crimes to
be committed in their midst with impu-
nifty, and they went to work with COM
mendable zeal in this case and raised SUBJ
scription of over hundred dollars, and
made searches for Osborne until their efforts
were finally crowned with success. They
have set an example that will have ten
dency to keep down crime in the future
here Honor be to those to whom honor is
due. G.
Fair Play, January 26th, 1880.