Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-12-21
LAND TITLES.
CnAnLEsrowN. Dec IA. 1881

State, I beg leave to call the attention of
the public (thropgh the columns of your
paper)f to a subject, which is in my-humble
opinion, of great Importance to the whole
people of our young Commonwealth, aud to
which We should invite the earnest thought
and labors of our Legislators at as early a
day as possible. Wei have no record evidence
of the original patents or grants which form
the basis for all of our land titles. Within
the ffty>four counties of our State, there is
no land the title to which is net based upen
a patent from tho State of Virginia, or from
some of the original proprietary grantees of
a section of country, with original surveys,
which marx aud determine the boundaries
ofesch separate grant. These patents, gita
their accompanying surveys aud warrants,
Military and Treasury, arc of course all re.
corded in tho Land OHfae of tho State OF
Virginia from the time Of the first patent.
about 1923, down to a period when all tho
lords within the boundaries of the territory.
comprising the two States of Virginia and
West Virginia, had been surveyed and con-
veyed. When West Virginia became a
separate State Government. the record ties.
timnny of the origin of title to all the lands
included in her present ffty>tour counties
remained in the Land Office of tbs mother
State. That each State Government should
have in its archives the original patents and
surveys of its lands, the foundation of its
titles and estates, is a truism that needs no
argument to sustain it Tn many of our
land suits application has to be made for in
formation to tho Register of the Land Office
of the State of Virginia. Whenever i. bo.
comes necessary to trace a title to its origin,
or-aoy confusion arises with reference to IN.
eient boundaries, recourse must be had to
the same source. Many of the lands in the
western part of our State, particularly. have
never passed in grant since the original pat.
ents were Issued. The evidence of title TO
thom stands alone upon the graft from the
State, and their boundaries can be deter.
mined alone upon their original surveys. l
would propose some legislation at this ses>
sion that would look to.ths obtaining Of GER
titled copies of all tho patents. surveys and
warrants, Cloth Military and Treasury which
have reference to, and determine tho titles
OF the lands that now lie in the City four
counties that comprise tho present State Of
West Virginia. Have them classified and
indexed as the record of our coHveyanccs in
the Clerks Offices of tho different counties
are, and deposited at the seat of Governmen.
IN the Auditors Office, OF any ofic 20 that the
Legislature may see fit. The convenience of
such an arrangement, and the advantage
that would spring frem it, would be more
than q compensation for the expense incur.
red In Its execution. b..
Murder and Lynching in South Caro-
lima.
CHARLESTON, 8. c., Dec. IL The Ne,cx
and Courier has received details Of the muir.
der of Mrs. Kennedy, in Clarendon county,
and of the subsequent lynching of the three
murderers. Last Sunday Dir. Thomas Ken
nsdy, living near Salem. intending to visit
Charleston, went over to his fathers housc,a
short distance from his owu, to ask his
mother to stay with his wife during his ab.
sence: Mr.. Kennsdy's wife was formerly
Miss Ada Wright, of Arlington. aud had
only been married about a year. She was a
young lady of only 10 or 20 years of aye,
intelligent, refined and highly respected.
When her husband left she shut the door
and ect down by a window to write a 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 Mr..
Kennedy the previous week. This boy had
been induced By two ncgroca living near by
Vance Brandt AID his sister Julin, secd
respectively, Is and 15-to hang around tho
premises, aud when Mr.. Kcuuody left the
place give the signal to Vance and Jn'is, who
kept themselves concealed in a thicket.
This couple had heard of Mr. Keuncdy's i'm
ata ~ S!hib SHSEISSbOl, ANN IhtuEIn0
tina. no wonld hare a good deal 81 money in
the house, determined to break in ard get
u. WbPn Jos gaze the signal, Vance went
immediately TO the win3ow and thrca times
tired to get in. and csoh time ho was showed
out by MCs. KenGsGy Fisding that he vas
do;ernised to get in. she opened ths f.crt
Goo., ran through the yard, ind was lust
going through the gate when Vance snatch
ed up a hoe lying in the yard overtonk her
at the gate and Knocked her down Che im>
plorcd mercy, and told him she would give
him al: the money she had If he wonld only
spare her life. Flo cursed her and said, Use
been waiting to kill you a long time" and
at that struck her two more blows, in at
tempting to avert which it is supposed her
hand was broken. just then Julia came M
with another hoo and severed her head.
When Dir Kennedy returned, about three
hours afterwards, he found his wife living
outside the front gate mutilated, cold and
still, her head almost severed in twain. The
entire Uranium was cut off from ear to ear.
leaving the brains scattered around on the
ground. A jury of inquest being had, re,
turned a verdict of "Murder in tho highest
degree by unknown hands" On Tuesday
the colored boy, Joe Barnes. was crested.
de showed SO much confusion on being
questioned as to his whereabouts on Sunday
that only a few questions served TO bring on,
his full confession, from which the. above
account is taken. An examination of Vance
aud Julia ELECTED evidence showing that
they woro the murdercrs, marks of blood
and brains being found upon their clothing.
The horrible character of the murder
awakened intense indignation in the neigh.
6orhood. and a crowd of one hundred and
fifty white men, and fifty colored men as.
sembled to punish the murdorers. The ne
groes begged the whites to permit them to
take the prisoners and burn them alive.
This was refused ; but a vote vas taken