The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-26

| CbOEflELD, .. VI, nay ~,
The crime for which joe Stevens uai
hanged here to-day Ia one of the most
remarkable recorded In tho annals OF
South Carolina jurisprudence. 1t hss
engaged the attention Of the courts dur.
ing the past three yeap. But to day the
closing act 10 the tragedy was played
anu the curtain fell upon the corpse oI
the principal actor In the murderous
drama. The history Of Steveny's crime
reads more like some romantic and excit.
ing narrative than the record of true
events. The judges who tried, the sOIic.
oE who prosecuted and The LAWYERS who
o'fo 'ded the murderer, youch for the
substantial accuracy Of the following
sketch
Joe Stevens and Andy Richardson.
alias Andy Mob!ey, were negro men. the
former about forty eight years old, and
the latter somo ten years younger
They had been, some months before the
homicide, on terms of intimacy, working
together on the same farm. A few weeks
prior to the murder they quarrelled over
q game of cards, about small amount at
stake Words were followed by blows,
ana stubborn combat ensued, In which
Stevens was badly worsted. He FASTENED
to trial justice and sHore out y peace.
Werrant against his assailant. Befor
Richardson was arrested, however, the
warrant was withdrawn at the solicitation
OF mutual friends. A reconciliation
being affected, they returned home and
resumed their work. A few days later
stevens was attacked by acute pains In
hin right hand and arm, which incapaci
tated him for any kind of manual labor.
Ihinkiug his aiIment was rheumatism
he called in the services of physician.
who prescribed the usual remedies. but
without success. Stevens'o sisters inform.
ed him that there lived in the CITY of
Augusta woman doctor, O "female
prophet" they called her. who had
wrought the most miraculous cures.
They told him if he would visit her she
would be ablo 70 cure him Immediately.
AT last they prevailed upon hto to ac-
company them to the city. Conseuuont-
ly few days thereafter'iound him In the
presence Of "Old Nell Gyles." She was
most unprepossessing old hag, with
high cheek bones, muddy complexion.
gnaggy teeth, and fiat, ill-shapen nose.
der vinage wao most loathsome, and she
was very allegory Of filth. She lived
in dark, damp cellar beneath desert
Cd old house in tho suburbs Of the city.
She told fortunes to negroes of all sges
and sexee, and pretended to cure their
diseases by the most mysterious methods.
She believed that all sickneaa .vas caused
aud cured by "culjury." That nn enemy
could avenge himsolf by fixing upon his
haPless victim any kind Of plague o. die.
order, and tho only nay &c 1em5ye the
evil spoil was to draw blood from the
"cunjurer." Tho old sorceress took Ste
vens into her cellar and lighted an old
brass lamp, which threw flickering and
sick!ly light over the dreary apartment,
caating weird shadows over the walls,
ceiling ard floor, and enhancing the
soHle.e aspect Of the dismal abode.
Stevens was alarmed, but he determined
70 submit to her treatment She placed
him upon q low stool in the center of the
cellar, and then began her solemn incan-
tations. she uttered the most unearthly
sound, and distorted her body and feS.
lures In tha most uncouth manner. She
told Stevens fortune and disclosed many
secrets which he swore during his exam.
ination in court when giving an account
OF his visit to the strange creature, were
unknown to every one except himself.
She then brought O strange looking
gourd containing o curious ointment, and
began to rub his arm most energetically
with this mixture. During this opera
tion she chanted An inharmonious sort of
gibberish, the burden of which was
IF you wants to git we'll, you must draw
cunjurer's blood" These words abe
kept repeating while applying the lini-
Ii1ii;. Tie pain ID SSssvss;S S. S::d:-
ally ceased, and his spirits began to rise.
Shn told him before closing her seauce,
tnat he must hunt down mis- enemy and
draw blood from his breast, or tho pain
would retuTn. That he mus. 70 homo
and shase hands with ali mis- friends, and
when he touched tho hand of his enemy
his arm he would feel certain pain.
Stevens paid the old witch her fee and
departed for. home supremGly happy
man, determined to test the m crit of her
proposed blood cure.
He apprised his siaterp of his visit 10
the sorcersas, and tho remarkable things
she had told him, and the wonderful
cure she had accomplished. On the
nigtt after his return home, May 2Oth,
1913. he went to large church meeting
on the outskirts Of Edgeneld, and found
there assembled hundreds Of negroes en-.
gagged in devotional aervices. He began
q general hardahaking in pursuance of
his medical advisers suggestions, but no
pain struck his arm He shook hands
with some thirty or forty men and women,
without feeling tho paugs which was
to be the detector Of his enemy. AT last
he came. upon Andy Mobley and gave
him vigorous shake Of the hand, simul-
taueously with which an Gcute pain shot
through his hand and arm. He had
spotted his enemy, and now he must have
his blood. He left Mob!ey, went home
aud procured sharp knife, which he
concealed In his coat sleeve. Upon re.
entering tho church, he vent up the
aisle and took seat upon o long bench
next III front of the pulpit. On the
Andy Mobley, devotedly eDgnged IN the
religious ceremonies. Stevens waited q
few lnornents, until tho entire congrega-
ton were kueellng Ia, prayer, when he
cautiously crept behind his unsuspecting
victim, and hastily drawing, out tho
knife, made . vigorous strike at his
breast. The keen edged blade penetra.
ted the breast aud punciured tho centre
of his heart, causing almost instantane-
GUS death. Without uttering any intel.
ligible words he sank to the floor. The
| widest Consideration followed, amid
which the assassin. fed. Some OF the
men followed in hot pursuit, ard finally
captured him few miles beyond town.
he was brought bsck here eud cast into
prison. TIE negroes were SO much en-
ragged that they vera with great difficulty
restrained from lynching the murderer.
- The following is the comparative