The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-12-16
Correspondence If lie Neus and Courier.


NEW Zion, December 8.
In the absence of representative OF
your paper, and ut the request of many
citizens, both black aud white. l send
you herewith n full and true statement
of the murder OF Mrs. Kennedy, and the
punishment Of her assassins.
On Sunday last. tile 5th Instant, Mr..
Thos. Kennedy, living near Salem, in
tending TO visit Charleston, went over to
his fathers house littlo after nom,
short distance from his own, to
ask his mother to stay with lis
wife during his absence. NJ. Kenno-
dys wife was formerly Miss Ada Wright,
of Darlington, had only b6cn married
about year and expected soon to pre-
sent to hor husband tho first pledge of
,neir mutual love. She was young
lady only 10 or 20 years of age, intelli-
gent and refined and highly respected by
all who knew her. When her husband
left she shut the door Of tho house and
sat by window to write n letter TO her
mother, little dreaming of tho terrible
fate that so soon awaited her. AS she
sat there she saw in tho yard Joe Barnes,
cClOred boy about l6 years old, who
had been employed by Mr.. Kennedy tho
previous week, and suspccting no harm
she asked him to bring her an armful of
wood. This boy had been induced by
two negroes living near by, Vance
Brandt and his sister Julia, aged respec-
lively lS and l5, to hang around the
| premises, and when Mr. Kennedy left
tho place give n signal to Vance and
Julia who kept themselves concealed in
| thicket. This couple had heard OF Mr..
kennedy's intention To visit Charleston,
| and thinking that he would have good
| deal of money in the house determined
to break in and get it. When Joe turned
| to go for the wood he gave the signal and
Vance asked him where Mrs. Kennedy
was and went Immediately to the win
dow and three times tried to get in and
three times he was showed out by Mrs.
| Kennedy. Finding ho was determined
to get in she opened the front door, ran
through tho yard, and was just going
| through the gate when Vance silatchcd
up hoe lying in tho yard, overlook her
| at tho gate and knocked her down. She
| implored mercy and told him she would
| give him all tho money she had ii he
would only spare her life. Ho cursed
lie; and "a a, rs been waiting to Kill you
! :. .oi.s lime," and at that struck her TWO
more blows, i'll attempting to avert
which, it is supposed, her hand was bro
ken. Just then Julia came up with an
other hoe and severed her head.
When Mr.. Kennedy returned about
three hours afterwards he found his wife
lying outside the front gate, mutilated,
cold and stiff, her head almost severed
In twain. The entire Uranium was cnt off
from ear to ear, leaving the brains scat
tered around on tho ground.
a jury ofinquest being held, returned
verdict of murder in tho highest de-
| gree by unknown hands" Several col
| ored persons wore arrested on Monday :;
but no clue to their guilt being obtained,
we're promptly released. On Tuesday
| the colored boy, Joe Barnes, was arrest
ed. He showed so much confusion on
| being questioned as to his whereabouts
| OH Sunday that only few questions
served to bring out his full confession
| from which the above account Is taken.
Vance and Julia denied having anything
to do with 1t, but the clothes which they
wore ON Sunday were very bloody, with
small particles of brains upon them.
The money and pistol OF Mr.. X. found
| In their possessions were bloody, and on
| being questioned about the blood upon
their clothes, the woman said sho had
| Killed chicken and the man said nc had
killed somo partridges. On close exam
ination the bloody finger prints oil the
hoe handle Corresponded precisely with
those on the shawl worn by the woman
on tho ill'fatcd day, which circumstance
had as great weight to convict her us the
testimony of tiie boy.
| AS was natural the community be-
came so enragcd and inturiated that a
crowd Of citizens, numbering between
two hundred and fifty and three nm
dred, both white and colored, after due
deliberation decided to hang the murder.
ers to the nearest tree in sight of tho
place where the murder was committed.
! Alter satisfactory examination, which
fixed their guilt, ropes were adjusted 10
the nearest tree, curt was pushed under
the tree, and the prisoners ordered to
mount: Just then Joe Barnes begged
to be allowed to pray, aud commenced by
snying he had never prayed before and
never expected to pray again. Nothing
was said by either of the others, except
a-groan anu Lord have mercy" from
Vance. Hnrdkorchieis bei:g lied over
their faces. the cart was pushed away,
and tho trio was soon dangling in tho
mir TT