Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-04-07
THE SLAIN INDIAN.
TRIAL OF DUFFY AND OWENS.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE. I


laughing and talking. Owens proposed that
we should all go out to the buggy and get some
beer. We were drinking the beer at the bug
gy, when an Indian came out from Mag.
Hines, curSing. do not remember his exact
words, nor do l know which one of the Indians
it was. Jim Duffy remarked 81 reckon they
are cursing u.s." l replied 81 reckon not"
lie then laid his bottle down and started to-
ward the house. BY this time the Indian was
in the act of entering the door, and Duffy
caught hold of his coat tail. The Indian got
loose and Duffy stepped in. BY this time l
and Owens got in. l saw two of the Indians
and Duffy fighting. Owens gathered hold of
them. | saw no blow struck. All came to-
wards me. I think Austin made thrust at
me, and l took hold of him and assisted the
boys in putting the whole Of them out of the
door-all out of the same door. After they
got out of the door, Austin, as Learned it was,
struck Duffy on the head with his fist. Then
Owens struck the Indian with a piece OF a
chair. The Indian then left, going across a
field of cotton stubble, between the houses OF
Sarah Hines and RoXana Brown. We-myself,
Duffy and OwenS-went back into the house
and were laughing and talking. Owens and
Duffy went out of the house. I was seated
near the fire place, and John Steele sat i'll my
lap for awhile Owens soon returned into the
house, and speaking to me, said he thought he
heard another drunken crowd coming, and pro-
posed to leave. l assented. All three of us
then started up the road to see who they were.
| suggested, after we had started, to go back to
Rock Hill. But we all went up the road in
the direction of the drunken crowd. We all
went up to the old field before we heard any
fuss | then heard some one hallOO, Cd
d-n them we hain't gone nowhere yet -
We were then near the edge of the old field.
Owens remarked that he believed it was the
Indians. Owens went on a few steps further
and was met by Austin Harris The Indian
walked up to Ovens and called him Henry
Rattaree, remarking, ''Henry, they have been
trying to impose upon me tonight. Come and
60 down with me, and let's clean out the
rancho" When he made this remark, Owens
replied ut is the wrong man you are speak
ing to; we are here now" When Owens said
that, the Indian remarked to the one behind
him: Here they are now." The one address
ed then answered: Cd d-n them, go for
them I've got some rockS.'' He was not far
behind-but not in my sight-about twenty
steps off. When he made this remark; Austin
Harris struck Owens, once or more; think
twice. Don't know whether Owens struck.
They clinched. James Duffy then ran up, and
the other Indian came in sight, about ten steps
from us, but afterward turned and went back.
Jim Duffy struck the Indian several times.
Witness then described the positions of the
different parties, and then proceeded: Duffy.
ran up and struck the Indian two or three
times after the Indian and Owens clinched.
Duffy struck apparently with his fist. saw
nothing in his hand. When 1 saw the other
Indian run, went up to separate Owens and
the Indian struggling with him. Duffy stepped
back after striking the Indian. In separating
them, l grabbed the Indian by the shoulder
and pulled him from Owens Then Jim Duffy
ran up to him again, just as Ipulledh him back.
AT the time Duffy ran up, felt my hand cut,
and made remark to that effect. AS Duffy
ran up he struck. remarked, "My hand is
cut.'' Duffy said, "I've cut that Indian"
said, eyes, and you've cut me, too" He re-
piled that, if so, he was sorry for it. 1 then
left and went on to the house. 1 saw no
weapon in the hand or about the Indian.
went to the house and called Cox, telling him
that had got my hand cut, and asking him to
procure rag to tie it up. Witness then ex-
planned the extent of the cut he received on
the hand, which was yet covered, not having
healed. While Sally Hines was dressing my
wound, Owens called me and said, "Jim has
cut that Indian, and believe he is going to
die" When received the cut, we were in
the edge of the old field. (EXpained position
Owens and Duffy standing in the old field.
house, about two hundred yards distant. They
were tying up my hand when Owens came
and called me. 1t was about five minutes af-
ter Preached the house, when Owens came up
and said Duffy had cut the Indian and he be-
lieved he was going to die did not see the
Indian strike Duffy. saw the Indian strike
Owens-striking towards Duffy. Owens and
Duffy were close together when the Indian
struck in that direction. Duffy stepped up
rapidly; cannot say that he ran. He was not
far off, and was between me and Owens. The
night was dark. 1t was about 9oclock. The
Indian might have struck at Duffy and I not
have seen it. l was, of course, excited at the
time-getting into fuss of this kind uneXpect-
edly. Could not see every thing that happened
or was done. did not see Duffy have a knife.
The Indian may possibly have had knife and
| not see it. saw Austin strike Duffy on the
head in the house. Austin was playing on a
fiddle in the house, when the fuss first COM
menced. When next / saw the fiddle in the
house, it was broken, but how it came to be
broken do not know. Broken parts of fid-
die shown in Court, which witness thought were
parts of the fiddle he saw in Austin's hands,
l think it was Austin who caught me by the
lapel of the coat as went out of Sally Hines
house to the buggy. Wesley Harris did not
pass directly through the house. He was in
the scutfie with the others who were thrusted
out of the door. After the fuss at the house,
l sat fifteen or twenty minutes by the fire.
place. a part of the time Mr.. Steele sat in
my lap and Sally Hines was standing in front
of the fireplace. On hearing the noise of the
crowd, Owens proposed that if it were a drunk
Ell crowd, we had better get away from there
1t was half an hour from the time the first fuss
commenced until we went up the road. The
Indians had time to have gone two miles on
JIYQS fa,tcl fho Co;n
in a lOpe on horseback, they could have gone
three or four miles. At the edge of the old
field, when the Indians returned meeting u.s.
one of the Indians had off his coat. could
not see the other Indian. I did not, at any
time of the fighting, see Duffy have knife.
The Indian might have had a knife and not
see it. The first fight commenced by the In
dian striking Owens, at which time was be-
tween Duffy and Owens. Duffy was not far
from Owens-two or three steps from the In
dian. was ten steps Off-Duffy between me
and Owens. The Indian might have struck
at Duffy and not see it. The Indian was in
his shirt sleeves, which 1 could distinguish by
the white arm when he was striking; but
could not see what was in his hand. When he
came up to Owens, he addressed him as Rata
rec, and asked him to go down with them and
clean out the crowd When left the house
with Owens and Duffy, l had no idea we would
meet with the Indians. Nothing was said on
the way about the Indians Think that Duffy
and Owens were of opinion that the Indians
had gone. After the first fuss at the house,
Duffy and Owens did not seem to be in i'll hu-
NOR or mad. When Austin came up to us at
the old field, it was surprise to me. l have
been on the Cowan road before-once, after
night. Could not exactly locate where the
fight occurred in the edge of the old field.
took M notice Of locations or 6ictanooc of bo