Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-09-24

SaUOeSt anu UtOSt HOETiuic AyuChs
ing That Has Perhaps Ever
Taken Place in the World.
Our readers and the public generally
are acquainted with tho details of the
ruthless murder of VIM. n. Hammond,
at the house of Mrs. Fannie Prescott
Culbreath, as narrated in our last issue
For two days following Hammond's
death an inquest was held upon his body,
by Coroner johnson, Of the County. OF
the legal fraternity, Solicitor Bonham,
Lieut. Gov. Sheppard and N. g. Evans,
ESQ. were present at this inquest. The
verdict of the jury after considerable re-
search, was that the deceased camo to
his death by the hands of party or par
ties unkowh to the jury.
And just hore we are obliged to say
that from the moment Of the shooting,
the strong suspicion of many persons
rested sgainst o. T. Culbroath as the
porpetrator Of the decd. It will he noted,
however, that although the Solicitor OF
the Circuit, man who is never slow to
do his duty to the State. was present at
the inquest and heard much Of the testi-
mony, yet no steps wero taken for an ar
rest.
Tho next step il this gloomy drama
was the arrest of o. 7. Culbreath, Esq,
the husband Of Mrs, Fannie Culbreath.
This was done on Monday last-upon a
warrant issued by Trial Justice Glover,
of our town, upon an affidavit sworn to
by Richard Hammond, brother of the
murdered man. Tho arrest was made
by Constable r. Ramsey, who brought
the prisoner to our town on Monday aft
ernoon. He, Culbreath, was accompa-
MED by neighbor and friend, and was
allowed to repair to the Office Of Messrs.
Gary q, Evans, whom he retained to de-
fend him. twas arranged that he should
spend the night at the hotel, under gnard
of constable Ramsey, and DO surrenuer-
ed to the Justice early on the morrow.
After such surrender, he was to start for
Lexington C. H., accompanied by Messrs.
Gary d Evans, to apply there, before
Judge Kershaw, for bail.
After supper at the hotel, the doomed
man again repaired to the Office Of Messrs.
Gary g. Evans, whore Maj. Ernest Gary
sat down to write out tho petition for
habeas corpus. At this juncture-and it
was as early as eight o'clock in the even
ing-confused sounds and voices were
heard without the Office, and in another
moment three or four masked men en-
te.ed tho front room where Culbrea.h
and his attorneys were sitting. and from
this point on, tho verbal accounts are too
confused to enable US to enter into min
ute details. We will sum up the leading
and fatal features Of the dread affair
The first shots at the prisoner were fired
in the Office, when, worry quickly, no was
seized and carried on the road leading
back of the Court House to spot about
a mile from uaid beildioy-the flat be-
tween Mr.. C. W. Creighton's and the
Eichelberger place-where he was again
fired into, and then left for dead. Tho
number of lynchers, masked men, who
were found outside OF the law office, and
who are said to have lined the road for
mile westward, are variously reported at
from twenty to one hundred.
So soon as Messrs. Gary and Evans
could give the alarm, party of citizens
of our town followed rapidly in pursuit
Of the lynchers. Tho latter, however,
had done their work still more rapidly.
The party OF citizens met tho wounded
man staggering along the road half
mile from town, making his way back.
At the time he did not seem toibe very
desperately wounded. They put him in
a vehicle and brought him 10 the Jail,
where he fingered. through the night and
died at dsy-break.
After jury OF inquest viewing his
body on Tuesday, it was taken, by his
brother and brother-in-law, to the
home of his parents, near Pleasant Lane,
whero to-day, Wednesday, we pre-
sumo, it will be buried in the family
graveyard, among ancestors, and follow
ed by many relatives, upon whose hon
oied escu:cheou there is no shadow of
stain.
Lynch law, except perhaps for one
crime-snd you all know what that is
is almost totally indefensible. And in
this case, where the Solicitor, the sworn
attorney of tho State, found not sufficient
ground to advise or order ON arrest,
how heinous, how lawless, how wicked,
how brutal, docs the crime become! In
deed we have no language adequate to
express our horror and condemnation of
the lawless outrage that has been perpe-
tra,ed in our midst. And beyond doubt
every measure OF the law should be
quickly taken to bring to justice men
who have so boldly and so signally out
ragged and subverted that law.
This matter, in :alI its aspects, is too
horrible for the human mind to dwell
upon. It brings unutterable WOO upon
four or five Of the most beloved families
in all Edgefeli County-and grief and
shame 10 our people at large. Andif we
have ever prayed with deepest and warm
est forvor. we do in this dark hour, pray
70. the venerable father and mother OF
this hapless man. None know them
but to love them and all christian souls
are raised to Almighty God In their be
half.
New and Invincible Conquerors In the
Dry Goods Trade.