The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-02-16
The Satterwnite and Workman Case.

The most i'm portant case tried during
the Sessions Court last week was that
of Jno. P. Satterwhite, white, and Isom
Workman, colored, for malicious burn
ing. The accused were defended by
Mr.. Schumpert and Mr.. Culbreath, and
the Solicitor was assisted by Mr.. Pope
and Mr.. Geo. Johnstone. The ofense
for which the defendants were tried is
made a felony by Statute. and the de-
PENDANTS claimed that they were enti-
tied to twenty challenges each; the pre-
siding Judge decided that they were en-
titled to only FIVE each.
The testimony showed that on the
night of the 31st Of October, 1880,
handsome two-storY house belonging to
Mr.. r. W. Atchison of this County was
burned down; the house had never
been occupied, and was not completed.
Mr.. Atchisen secured the services Of de-
tective Henry G. Alley, of Spartanburg,
with whom he made contract to the
effect that the detective should have bis
expenses paid while he should look into
the case, and after that his pay would
depen6upon whether there should be a
conviction-in the event Of conviction
he was to get a certain amount;
(amount not in evidence) otherwise he
would receive nothing. The detective
went to work. On the night of the 18th
of November number Of men arrested
Frank johnson and Isom Workman,
colored, and Jne. P. Satterwhite. white,
upon warrants charging them with the
burning. Frank johnson was arrested
at Mr.. r. S. Satterwhite's. The party
then went to the ''Tribble place" and
surrounded the house. Knocking at
the door they were at first refused ad-
mittance. Some ofthe party saw inside
the house MIR. and Mrs. J. P Satter-
white and Isom Workman, and heard
Isom say to Mrs. Satterwhite,- "Miss
Corrie. l know what these men have
come here for; they've come after Mas
Johnnie about burning Bob Atchison's
house." When the door was opened
Workman called on Satterwhite to save
him, and Satterwhite charged Work
man not to tell anything. Shortly after
being arrested and while the crowd was
in the road opposite Mr.. Frank Wheel
er's, Frank johnson said to Isem, Didn't
you show me $3.50 that Johnnie Sat-
.erwhite gave you for burning Mr.. At
chison's house?" Isom then made
full confession to the effect that J. P.
Satterwhite and himself went on the
night of the burning to the house through
a field; that Satterwhite stood in the
road opposite the house while he went
round and stuck match among the
shavings; that Satterwhite paid him
$3.50 for the job. He told what routes
they had travelled and his statement
corresponded with the tracks that had
been previously discovered. None Of
the witnesses could testify positively
that Satterwhite heard the confession,
but several testified that he was near
enough to hear. One witness, Pickens
James, colored, swore that in August,
1880, Jno. P. Satterwhite returned
home from Newberry where he had
been to attend a Court in a lawsuit with
r. w. Atchison. The witness asked
him how he came out, and his reply
was. that Atchison had thrown the costs
on him; that he (Atchison) was build
inc two-story house, but if be didn't
look sharp ne would never move into
it. The defendant denied this and pnt
up witnesses who swore they would not
believe James on oath. A Mr.. Britt
also testified to threats made by Satter-
white.
The defense attempted to prove an
alibi, and for this purpose called Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Wheeler, the father-in-
law and mother-in-law Of Satterwhlte'
who swore that on the night the house
was burned Satterwhite and Workman
stayed at their (Wheeler's) house; that
they did not leave the house that night
and could not have left without their
knowing it. The State called witnesses
to prove that Mr.. and Mrs. Wheeler
said on the night Of the arrest that they
could have been gone an hour or two
hours without their knowledge.
| SIr. Culbreath and Dir. Schumpert