The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-08

"a man of great tenderness Of heart,
and when the whole case was made fully
known to him he said with much feel.
ing: "The poor old man; what suffer-
ings of mind and body he has endured.
have noticed him every time l have
visited the convicts, and wondered if
there was not possibly some mistake.
He had pleading and heart-broken look.
Let us 60 there at once and release him"
When the warden called Benson to
.hem, it was With choking utterance
that the gaveruar uesde. Known tesSs
mission. It came upon the poor man
with a shock of surprise and joy that
sunk him to his knees, and he wept like
s. child. "The Lord be praised" he ex-
claimed. II said that though He slay
rae would I trust in Him. Oh, my
wife and my children-thank God, thank
God, for His mercy endureth forever"
His rhapsody Knew no bounds, and his
fellow prisoners stopped their work to
listen and to wonder. Benson's striped
garments we're soon discarded and he was
Clothed in a decent citizens dress with
glad emotion he bade good bye to all
taking each by the hand and telling
them to trust in God and do right. On
arriving at his county town where he was
tried and convicted he spent day in
meeting the few friends he had there,
and then with the means furnished by
the governor and his counsel continued
his journey to Mississippi in search of
his family.
Some six months afterwards his coun-
sol were surprised by an unexpected
visit from him. He looked once more
like man, and was clean shaved and
we'll dressed and had less stoop in his
broad shoulders than when they saw him
last. 1t did not take him long to disclose
his business. He had letter from an
eminent lawyer of Mississippi, advising
suit to be brought in the United States
Court against his lynchers, the Monta-
CUES and their clan for damages. His
former counsel, of course, declined his
case which was no more than he expect
ed, and he went to Marietta where the
federal court was held, and there pro.
cured the services of an able jurist who
at once filed fifteen separate actions
against fifteen men, and in each action
had the other fourteen summoned as
witnesses by the United States marshal.
Each man was sued for ten thousand
dollars damages for his arrest and i'm
prisonment and NAL treatment while
their prisoner.
WI at CONSERVATION was there in the
Montague settlement when the marshal
served these writsl What shaking
and quaking of dry bones With what
haste and alarm did they hurry to town
and seek conference with their lawyers
But they found little comfort. The law
yers seemed helpless, for they knew the
power and the rigor of The federal court
| They knew the inaexible integrity and
the stern justice of the old judge who
presided, and they knew the ability and
vigor of Benson's counsel. After much
consultation it was agreed that the Mon.
tague lawyers should visit Marietta, and
il possible, effect compromise and take
the cases out of court.
In this they succeeded. Fifteen thou.
sand dollars was paid over to Benson's
counsel without delay. He took one.
third of it for his fee and Benson re.
turned to his family with ten thousand
dollars in bis pocket. With this sum
he purchased another farm and was liv-
ing happily with his wife and children
when last heard from. And Dick was
thers-Dick, who was released without
trial, had followed his mistress and was
her faithful and trustly friend during his
mas :er's imprisonment. We do not
kno. but can only imagine how he re-
joiced with her and her children when
Benaon surprised the long bereaved
household with his presence.
But what of DR.. Robinson, the bold
and dashing brigand-the dupe of such
romances as Jack Shepherd and the
Robber Clifton and the Italian bandit.
In due time he was sent to the peniten-
tiary for twenty years. His culture and
his bearing and good conduct soon gave
him prominence and favor with the
warden. He gave the convicts good ad-
vice and set them good example. He
organized Sabbath school and became
fond of the scriptures. he sought to
make amends for his past conduct by re-
claiming the bad men within the prison
walls. Time and again be had opportu-
mites to escape but he would not use
them. He was urged to ask for pardon
from the governor but he refused, and
even intimated that he would not accept
it if offered to him, for he declared he
had mission to accomplish and there
was work for him to do that nobody else
would do.
Time rolled on-Robiusop had been
in service about three years. He had
minissered like good Samaritan among
his fellow prisoners. He nursed them
when sick, and though there was nom-
inal physician who was paid by the
government, DR.. Robinson was the real
one who used his professional skill and
knowledge among them.
About this time the war broke out be.
tween the States, and when few years
after Sherman made his march to the sea
and was fast approaching Milledgeville,
Governor Brown went down to the peni'
Tertiary and made the convicts speech.
He told them of the wrongs our people
had suffered, and of the invasion of our
State by armed forces, who were burning
and destroying everything in their path.
He pictured to them the utter desolation
of those whom Sherman left behind him,
and how helpless women and children
were fleeing for their lives to escape the
brutality of foreign hirelings. He told
them he was going to discharge them all
and turn them out, and that it did not
follow that they were not patriots be.
cause they were convicts. And he hoped
and believed they would stand up, fight
for and defend their State and their peo'
pie and kindred.
With wild hurrah DR.. Robinson
threw up bis hat and shouted: ITO
arms, to arms ye brave" He had the
kettle drum beat for volunteers, and or.
ganized company of 16O men and was
unanimously elected captain. Their
stripes were discarded and soldiers
clothes were furnished and guns placed
in their hands, and they marched forth
freemen and patriots, and Joined the
State troops aud fought planfully and
well, but their efforts were all in vain to
arrest The onward march of the foe.
| When Governor Brown resumed the oc-