The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-15
A BLOODY DAY IN EDGEFIELD.
A Municipal Election Causes Fatal Al
fray-Pistols and WMskey Connected
with IL,

II
Yesterday afternoon the report reached
Augusta that another bloody vendetta
had occurred in Edgefeld, whereby one
person was even then in dying condi-
ton, and two others dangerously wound
ed. From mouth to mouth the rumor
sped, until the whole town was aghast
at the repetition of a fatal affair of only
eighteen months ago. Telegraph and
newspaper Offices were besieged for news
from the scene of bloodshed, and perhaps
of death, and the evening train of the
Columbia Road WAS boarded by several
natives of Edgefeld, now residents of
Augusta, anxious and apprehensive over
the extent of the trouble. The first
dispatch was brief, but fearfully sugges-
tive. 1t Was this:
"Another shooting scrape occurred here
this morning, about the election of Town
Council, which came off to-day. Julian
Bland and DR.. w. E. Bland, A. A. Clisby
and A. A. Glover were the parties en-
gagged. DR.. Bland was shot in the abdo.
men-cousidered mortal. A. A. Clisby
was shot through the body and received
a wound on the head from the blow of a
pistol-considered dangerous. A. A.
Glover is shot twice in the thigh-not
dangerous. DR.. Campbell, of your city
has been telegraphed for, and will come
up tonight"
Excitement eliminated in the evening
late, when it was announced here that
DR.. Wallace Bland was dead.
Reports reaching Augusta, even up to
late hour last evening, were somewhat
shadowy, but an account of the affair,
from seemingly trustworthy sources, has
been obtained: On Thursday, April 1st,
the voters of Edgefeld met al the Court
House to nominate citizens to fiji the
municipal offices, and the following
ticket was selected: For Intendant, G. L.
B. Marsh for Wardens, Lee Holson, ".
II. Brunson, w. n. Burnett and R. S.
Anderson. During the meeting, howev-
er, trouble arose regarding reduction of
the whiskey tax of the town. One party,
led ne learn by Mr.. w. B. Penn, favored
retention of the license at existing
6gures-S2O0 per annum-and it was
upon this issue that the gentlemen
named above were nominated. The
other party, led by Mr.. A. A. Clisby,
favored reduction of the tax to $3.50,
and finally placed a second ticket in the
field, the nominees for Wardens being
Messrs. A. A. Clisby, DR.. w. D. Jen-
nings, w. E. Lynch and Geo. Simkins
(col]. Wm. Marsh, the regular nominee
for ,intendant, we learn, subsequently
declined to run, and Mr.. r. &. Bonham
WAS put up in his place. Now, among
the supporters of the regular ticket were
DR.. Wallace E. Bland, young physi-
clan of 25 or 30 years of aye, and his
brother, Julian Bland, much younger.
On the other side were Mr.. A. A. Clisby,
one of the candidates for Warden, and
Mr.. Arthur A. Glover, his iather-in-law,
and gentleman well known in the
country. In the course of the morn
ing Lawrence King, colored man, and
former State Senator from Edgeheld
county, came to the polls to vote. His
vote was challenged by Clisby, who con-
tended that King, residing beyond the
corporate limits, could not cast his ballot
in a municipal election. DR.. Bland con-
tended that King had rightto vote, and
an alteration ensued, in the course of
which Clisby shot DR.. Bland in the bow
els. Young Julian Bland Immediately
drew pistol and shot Clisby in the body,
and also shot Mr.. Glover twice in the
thigh. Clisby's wounds were considered
dangerous, Glover's being not necessarily
so. From the first, however, DR.. Bland's
injury was thought to be fatal, and he
fingered in agony, it being impossible
to probe OF extract the ball, and when
late in the evening intelligence reached
Augusta that DR.. Bland was dead, the
news was not unexpected. He was, as
above stated, comparatively Young man
had been educated with care, finishing
up his professional training in Paris a
few years ago. Drs. Campbell and Ford,
of Augusta, were both telegraphed for
last evening, and at last accounts the
surviving men were doing we'll. The
whole affair is greatly regretted both here
and in Carolina that another dark and
bloody day should have rolled over the
records of Edgefeld.