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

day; there was not single act of vio-
lence committed after the handouts were
put on him, neither were there any
threats ihade; was in the Trial Justices
office; Mr.. Pinson told him he need not
say lie was giiilty unless he was; he said
that he was not guilty; heafd Ellison
say to DR.. Epting that ha went through
the grave yard home, and that he got
there about o'clock was with Ellison
at Rogers store; his son came and told
him not to. tell anything; brough ut El-
lison to jailj he told fi1e on the way i
was not going to be like ne had told it; !
asked him ifthcre were as many rs he had
said, he said, Yes, just the same, but
there Is negro woman who will tell all
about it;':: 1arrested Gambrell, Hancock
and Poore; l went with Gambrcll down
to his fathers after his coat; he said he
did not know anything about it; he said
he did not see tho fire nor hear of it until
next morning, when he went up to Sam
Moore's; I took him on to Williamson !
brought him hero to jail in wagon
with three planks laid across for seats /;
I and Gambrell were on the first seat,
Hancock and j. +. Ragsdule on the Soc
o;ld, and Mr.. Acker and Bill Ragsdale
on the third Acker was on the same
side with me, two seats behind; talked
| with f1r. Gambrell something about it; I
said hated to bring him; he said, "As
for my part, I am sorry ever went into
it," he said this on the other side OF
Rocky Creek, coming down hill heard
| Poore, when he was arrested, say that he
wished he had died during the war; we
were talking about the fire; Gambrell
said he didn't careI Mr.. Poore said, i
wouldn't, but for my conscienceI" we
were talking about the arrest and the
burning at the time; this was about one
and half miles, going to Williamson.
r. V. Acker, sworn, says: I live in
Williamson; the evening before the fire
saw Gambrell in town am Constable for
Mr.. Pinson; made all the arrests; We
went to arrest Ellison; went in and told
him he was my prisoner; two or three of
the women took hold of me; he said he
was not going; called Bladon to assist
me; ; the women gathered us on the out
side of the house; he had been resisting
little before Capt. Alley handcuffed him;
different ones were with him on the way
to Williamson; no inducements or
threats were made by me or heard made
then nor afterwards we got to William
ston and thought of putting him in the
calaboose, but had heard of threats made
against the calaboose; some one sug-
gested that we put him in the ticket
office; it was cold, and we concluded to
take him over to Maj. Anderson's house,
where there was fire and where there
were people on guard in the spring lot
next morning some one called me up to
hear what Ellison had to say; Maj. An
what you told me;" Ellison then said
he stopped at the cut on the railroad, and
five others went and burned the house
before Esquire Pinson, whether he was
guilty or not guilty, he said not guilty,
but re-af1irmed all that he had said in the
spring yard was present when Gam
brell was arrested; I arrested Poore the
same day; Gambrell wanted his over
coat; sent Gambrell and Bladon on
after the coat at GambrelPs fathers
house; Poore made the remark that he
wished he had died during the war;
Gambrell said, 81 don't care bit for
its" Poore said, 81 wouldn't, but for
my conscience;" came over to Ander-
son in wagon; rode on the back seat;
Mr.. Bladon and Gambrell were on the
front seat; Bladon was driving; ourcon-
versation generally was among each 9TH
er; my conversation most of the time
was with the two Ragsdales; don't re-
member anything that passed between
those in front, only when they spoke di-
rectly to me; did not hear the conver-
sation between Bladon and Gambrell
I saw Frank Ragsdale in town one day
after the fire, and before the arrest Of
Ellison; he is the only one remember
to have seen.
n. r. Wilson, sworn, says: Was along
when Ellison was arrested; Mr.. Acker
asked me to 60 did not, neither did
hear any one in my presence, offer Mr..
Ellison any reward, inducement or threat
at that time, nor since, to confess; Mr..
Ellison complained OF being cold, when
Capt. Alley pulled off his coat and put it
on him.
j. J. Cooley, sworn, says: Was along
the night of Ellison's arrest, at the re-
quest Of Acker; did not, neither did I
hear made any threat, inducement or re-
ward offered to Elliso n to confess 1nev-
er heard any agreement made by the
parties on the way to obtain confession
from Ellison.
Elvin j. Pinson, sworn, says: am
Trial Justice at Williamson held in
vestigation of case againt Ellison. At
the preliminary trial, I charged the
prisoner that he must not criminate him.
self, nor was ne expected asked him
if he was guilty, and he said no; asked
him if he knew any one who was, and he
said no; asked him if he did not say so
in the spring lot; he said yes, but that he
ought not to have said so. After his tes-
timony was taken down it was read to
him, and he said it was all correct; I told
Epting that Ellison had made clean
breast of it, and Epting commended him
for doing so; Ellison then said he went
out through the woods by the graveyard
home.
A. H. Ford, sworn, says: Testimony
taken before Esquire Pinson on the pre-
liininary trial of Ellison is in my hand
writing; the Trial Justice asked the
questions, and so did Mr.. Gray; I tried
to take the words down in his own Ian
language; Ellison said he confessed to
Mai. Anderson in the spring yard, but
that he ought not to have done so; Mr..
Ellison was not excited when he signed
the paper.
David Cooley, sworn, says: Lives at
Williamson, and knows John NJ. Gam
brell; was at Anderson's store evening
before fire; heard Gambrell say to Maj.
Anderson that he had been sueing and
depressing the poor people long time,
and that the money he had paid him
shouldn't do him any good this occurred
just after Maj. Anderson had given him
a receipt.
w. B. Thornton, sworn, says: Was at
Maj. Anderson's store evening before
fire saw Gam brell there was out at
door; heard some loud talking inside;
Mr.. Gambrell and Stone came out; Gam
brell appeared enraged they went up
street, and then came back; Gambrell
told me if lived on Anderson's land I'd
better get away-he would break me up; ;
that he was trying to break him up;
Gambrell said that the money he would
pay him shouldn't do him any good /;
Maj. Anderson told Gambrell he would
take SAT for the account Gambrell paid
him; Maj. Anderson gave him receipt,
and said now there is no use Of any hard
feelings between us; Mr.. Gambrell told
Mai. Anderson that he was not an honest
man, nor had he made his money hon
estly; Gambrell and Stone were gone up
the street about fifteen minutes before
they returned.
w. F. Boatner, sworn, says: Lives ut
Williamson was there Mt fire DrOm.