The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-12-16
Correspondence Of the Mems and Courier.

Correspondence 9f the NccS and Courier.
NEW Zion, December o.
In the absence Of a representative Of
Jour paper, and at the request of many
citizens, both black and white, I send
you herewith full and true statement
Of the murder of Mrs. Kennedy, and the
punishment Of her assassins.
On Sunday last, the 5th instant, Mr..
Thos. Kennedy, living near Salem, in
tending to visit Charleston, went over to
his fathers house q little after nonn,
a short distance from his own, to
ask his mother to stay with his
wife during his absence. Mr.. Kcnne-
dy's wife was formerly Miss Ada Wright,
of Darlington, had only been married
about year and expected soon to pre-
sent to her husband the first pledge Of
their 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 a window to write letter to her
mother, little dreaming Of tho terrible
fate that so soon awaited her. AS she
sat there she saw in the yard Joe Barnes,
colored boy about 16 years old, who
had been employed by Mr.. Kennedy the
previous week, and suspecting no harm
She asked him to bring her All armful of
wood. This boy had been induced by
two negroes living near by, Vance
Brandt and his sister Julia, aged respec-
lively Is and Is, to hang around the
premises, and when Mr.. Kennedy left
the place give a signal to Vance and
Julia who kept themselves concealed in
thicket This couple had heard of Mr..
Kenncdy's intention to visit Charleston,
and thinking that lie would have good
deal of money in the house determined
to break in and get it. When Joe turned
to 70 for the wood lie gave the signal and
soon met Vance coming into the yard.
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 he was determined
to get in she opened the front door, ran
through the yard, and was just going
through the gate when Vance snatchcd
up hoe lying in the yard, overlook her
at the gate and knocked her down. She
implored mercy and told him she would
give him all the money she had if he
would only spare her life. He cursed
l.e. and SAID, "I's been watingto kill You
long time" and ut that struck her TWO
more blows, in 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 lie found his wife
lying outside the front gate, mutilated,
cold and stiff, her head almost severed
in twain The entire cranium was cut off
from ear to ear, leaving the brains scat
tered around on the ground.
A jury ofinquest being held, returned
verdict of murder in the highest de-
gree by unknown hands" Several COL
ored persons were arrested on Monday i;
but no clue to their guilt being obtained,
the colored boy, Joe Barnes, was arrest
ed. He showed so much confusion on
being questioned as to his whereabouts
on 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 it, 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 he had
killed some partridges. On close cXam-
ination the bloody finger prints Oil the
hoe handle corresponded precisely with
those on the shawl worn by the woman
on the ill-fated day, which circumstance
had as great weight to convict her as the
testimony of the boy.
AS was natural the community be-
came so enraged and infuriated that a
crowd Of citizens, numbering between
two hundred and fifty and three hun.
dred, both white and colored, after duo
deliberation decided to hang the murder
ers to the nearest tree in sight of the
place where the murder was committed.
After satisfactory examination, which
fixed their guilt, ropes were adjusted 10
the nearest tree, a cart was pushed under
the tree, and the prisoners ordered to
mount. Just then Joe Barnes begged
to be allowed to pray, ard commenced by
saying he had never prayed before and
never expected to pray again. Nothing
was said by either of the others, except
groan and Lord have mercy" from
Vance. Handkcrchieis being tied over
their faces, the cart was pushed away,
and the trio was soon dangling in the
air. ii.