The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-24
Will the Lyncllers be Tried.
Especial 10 the News and Courier.

Especial 60 Inc news anu COurler.I
EDGEF1ELD, November 1.-THE cor
respondent Of the NeWs and Courier
reached here at Don to-day in company
with Attorney-Genera Miles, who comes
to conduct the prosecution of the Gull
breath lyrchers, whose trial is appointed
to take place tomorrow. The village is
crowded with people, but a more or
derby and quiet crowd / have rarely
seen in any country town On Court day.
The accused, those who are not on bail,
are summing themselves in the Jail yard
and frequently converse with their
friends through the iron railing fence.
Gen. Butler and Lieutenant-G Governor
Sheppard, the counsel for the defend
ants, are also here.
The impression prevails here that the
trial will not take place, although I am
informed by the States counsel that they
are ready for and will press a trial.
There seem to be several reasons, how
ever, for the statement that it will not
take place at this time. 1t will be re-
membered that there are thirty-one
prisoners, who, if they are tried to-
gether, will require $40 jurors to meet
the peremptory challenges alone. In
other words, it would require about one
fourth Of the voters Of the county to
fill out a panel. This would nccessari-
ly consume some time. Then, too, the
Legislature meets or Tuesday next, and
Lieutenant Governor Sheppard, who is
Of counsel for the defendants, and
Senator Talbert, who is one of
the defendants, would both like
to be at their posts in the State Senate.
Under the circumstances, it is said, a
continuance will probably be asked fer
by the defendants, but then there arises
the question Of bail. Those Of the pris-
oners who have been refused bail are
said to be very much dissatisfied. 1t is
said that many of them were persuaded
to surrender themselves by the advice
of their counsel, and under the impress
sion that they would be allowed bail. I
was told to-day by a gentleman, who is
in a position to know, that unless bail is
granted it is not improbable that some
Of the men will give leg bail, j. g., es-
cape from Jail. So that it is not i'm
probable that another effort will be
made for the release Of the prisoners on
bail. ,
The defendants counsel are somewhat
reticent on the subject Of their move
ments tomorrow. One Of the best evil
dences Of improvement in the tone of
public sentiment is to be found in the
fact that the grand jury rendered a true
bill against the alleged lynchers. This
is regarded here as a victory by those in
the County of Edgefield who uphold
law and order. It is, perhaps, the only
case on record in which an entire party
of fynchers has been indicted, and be-
fore the meeting of the Court it was
openly boosted, I am told. that the
grand Jury would follow the example of
that Of Fairfield County. which refused
to indict the Regulators in that coun-
.ty.
The lynching of Culbreath is admitted
to have been a cowardly and shameful
outrage. and I am told that if the case
ever comes to trial revelations will be
made which will show it up in all its
glazing and disgraceful features. 1t is
. openly limited, indeed, that the MUIR
.derers Of both Hammond and Culbreath
are the same people. At least a good
many people in the county believe so,
although many do not believe that the
parties have yet been arrested. But.
aside from this, l think the law-abiding
people of the county have awakened to
the fact that such crimes as this, by
whomsoever perpetrated, mean death to
its prosperity, as well as disgrace to its
fair name.
Business is to q certain extent para
lyzed. A case in point has been brought
to my attention. An estimable and we'll
known citizen Of the country had been
negotiating the sale of large tract of
land upon very favorable terms. When
this lynching took place the intended
purchaser at once withdrew from the
bargain, This, said a gentleman to me
to-day, is one of the ~fairest, most fertile
and richest counties in the State, with