The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-11

n,s,ent nassed the residence of Wyatt T.. Holmes
Mhsrc there are several houses and It, is quite pub
lie pace. Depouent reached home before DARK ah'
remained there until the next day.
| D.,onent was not at all we'll After reaching home
d.ponent sent tor his family physician, who came and
| remained with him for some time. Dcpnnent was
not present at the killing Of .. T. Culbreath and was
| in no manner connected with the killing, and was
not party to any conbination or conspiracy 10 NIL
or iniure him. WI TALnERT.
sworn to before F. H. Warllaw, r. j., Edgeteld
County, October 90, 1885,.
II. II. Bussey's Affidavit.
Pat II. Bussey, being duly sworn says: That It was
generally known in the neighborh"od that W. H.
Hammond was assassinated and murdered in the yar
of the dwelling Of Mrs. .. T. Cuibrcatn' %he at'enn
On Monday, the 14ih September, 1889. Ihat y. 1.
Cutreath was separated from his wife and had oech
living upart from her for mere than year Ihat her
son Memphis Cuibreath invited w. II. Hammond
to spend the night ut the home of Mrs. 0. Il. Cul-
breath the night that he shot, to protect the fam
lily during the temporary absence of her son.
The murder Of W. II. Hammond caused intense eX.
c,tcrrent and citizens were discussing the murder and
were riding from house to house scckin: clue TO the
murder. w. II. Hammond WIS citizen OF good
character inofensve quiet, well-csteenrd had been
raise, in the ncighborhood and was Hrmoer OF thc
Baptist Church and in good standing The murder
was so wanton and unprovokcd that the citizens We're
greatly aroused and strenuous efforts were made To
bring the guilty parties TO justice. 1t hccane known
received very bad treatment at the hands Of her hrs.
band and the report to the cruel treatment was
very generally believed and aroused great lhtllsna-
ton. 1t generally understood that pubic meet
ing of the heczens would eheld Monday; the Zst OF
September Is s. to consult together about the murder
w. H. Hammond, and make an effort tocolicct evil
drnce usd bring the murderer to trial and punishment
On Monday, 21ss September, 1885, my neghDor'
Mr. Jusper Talb>r rode up to my house and in CON
versatton with me said that there was so mach cS-
citenent IN the ncighborhood that the good citizens
ought to attend the meeting and prevent any bad
action and not permit anything wrong I" be done
replied that agreed with him and that he ought t"
90 as believed his advice would have great intln-
ence and weight He invited me to 60 with him Tor
that purpose and | consented to 60 aud got my
mule and went with him. We overlook some
Bussey and Mr.. Irvine Wolmes NJ. Talbe:t
asked if any others were ahe+at OF US anu wss
informed that many persons bad g'ne ON ne
in expressed his fears that s"meihins rash might
he DONE We urged him TO go ahead and prevent 1t l
WAS riding mule as vase. ID. Bnssey.. We could
not ride fast We did not know that q. I. Culhreath
had been arrested. Mr.. Jasper Talhert and Mr. lr-
vine HolneS then rode on in gallop. When we got
near Anliuch where the roads cross, we saw large
number of citizens going in the direction Of Edge
field aud we followed. again siw Hon. jasper Tai.
bert on the road to Antioch. He informed me that
he had advised the citizens to do nothing rash. ana
that he believed he had accomplished much good oy
Coming and hoped to do more good. l came to q
very large gathering of citiZ.ns The exact number
l. do know but believe there were i,iorr than lQU
citizens sat IN log little distance OIL from the
crowd. After consulting together it was announced
as tn" agreement that the crowd should diSprrse and
70 huiase l heard Hon. Jasrtr Tabert announce
| to the crowd that they must diSpcr>c and g" home:
The crowd then all began to get their horses and
know that WYATT Seigher, Elias Drvore, Calvin
Key aid many others started home before did
While oil were preparing to leave Hon. JAS
per Talbert asked me, when got mounted
% Il 4 Ia IL.
said he would get his horse and go to-" and started to
get his horse, ard while he was getting his horse
rode of with Mr.. d. G. Busscy, Mr.. W. l.. Mcdaniel
and others We met many persons when We r were
going hnune. We saw Mr. Luther Bell at DIR. ". h
prescotts mill where he works He was walking
irnln the mill towards the dwelling house. went di
recty home ard remained there. l live about four
teen ,.ilrs fr,an Edsctird Courthouse. WIS not al
Edge field during the day or II. .ht when .. I. Cnl-
breath was killed. WAS not Il PARTY to any agree
iuent nr conspiracy to Kill or in amy manner njure o.
7. Culhreath. do know that there was any such
conspiracy. was not connected in any manner with
the killing of O. T. Cuircath, and know that Others
OF INV friluw-ciliZvnS who are charged with tho
crime and arrested are innocent Of any connection
with The killing.
am meuber Of the Baptist Church; am q dca
con in good standing; am q Superintendent In the
Sunday .schuol at Red Oak Grove Church feel thai
have been arrested without sufficient cause and that
have been uajasly imprisoned and enter py my Sol
cmn protest. IL. brSsEf.
sworn to before D. r. Dursoc, clvrk Of Court &C
tober %, 1885,
ID. &. Busscy's Affidavit.
D. G. Busscy, sworn. says: "That it was generally
known in the ncighterhoud tllat q. T. Cuo~ath aht
his vile wer. separated and that they had been living
apart in the ncighGo;Toa for mre than year. Tla
Memphis Culbrruth Ind invited W. II. Hammond t,
his ,nothel's where he resided, to spcrd the hight
and protect Mrs. o. r. Cubreeth and her family dur
ing the temporary afsen"e Of her Son, Memphis Gull
of Mrs O. T. Culbr, aih'S attending to the wants of
sick chile OF NJ S. D. r. Cubrcatl he was shot and as
sassinatcd. jury Of inquest Was held on th i4th OF
September, 1855 the day he died. and its session end
ed on Wednesday, 18TH of September, 1855.
The excitement in the nrghtorhopd was intense
and all the citizens discussing the murder snU
were to bring the guilty party to punishment
". H. Iamm0nd was quiet, inofersivt citizen about
25 years OF age, of good family resided in the neigh
borhooG, Of good character WAS esteemed, and was
member Of The Baptist Church. Ills murder aroused
the nesabsrhood for nlany miles around, and III,
neighbors were actively riding from hoase to house
advising with each other and seeSing clue to the
4nurder. IAe neihhors heard Of the cruel treatment
which Mrs. @. r. Cllbrrath had received from hei
husband and it was generally believed aud great in
diSnaion WAS felt
On the 2lst September 1885, it was generally under
stood meeting of the citizens was to be held to con-
suit together ubout the murder Of W. II. Hammond
and agree upon some plan to collect evidence ant
bring the murderer to trial and punishment Feclin.
act, determined to 60 to the meeting and prevent i,
If l could. While on my way to the meeting some
my nei:hbors overlook me. Hon 3asper !Mhert "'I'
p. H. Bussey overlook me. Hon. Jasper Tabert ask
ed me if any citizens were ahead Of U.S. and told hin
number had gone lie spoke Of the excitement
in the n,ghborhood, and said he felt it to be his duty
TO ride on and prevent any hasty action, lie theI
rode on with lIuImes Mr. Pat Bussey mud
myself who were riding mules, and could not rid,
fast having urged him to go on and prevent the rXct
| ed citizens from doing any wrong net. Hon. JaSpc
Tai5ert left us in g"np to orertakc those ahead
It's We did not know then that Mr.. .. T.. Cubreatl
was arrested When Pat Bussey and myself got nea
Antioch where the road crosses, We saw large cr0wt
of men passing In the direction Of Edg fi'd Court
house, which was eight miles distant. We found III,
crowd Oh the road between Antioch AMI Edyetclt
! Courthouse IL was very large crowd. The eXac
number do not know, possibly hundred or nor
citizens. After 'me talking the Hon. Jasper Talber
spoke so We could hear him distinctly, and advised
all to dispcrSe uud go home No interpOsed any
objections. No one dissented and we ul began /" ge
our horses to 60 home. Many persons rode off before
/ got ready to 90. remember that +. L. Devore
Wyatt Holmes and Others rode Oft in the directions
their homes before left. When Pat Busscy and my
Self were mounted the Hon. Jasper Tulbert asked
We were ready to 60 home. We replied that We were
and he said dat he would get his horse and We rod
off while he was untying his horse. Some went be
fore ard others followed behind in sight of US. W
met several persons when we were going home. W,
saw Mr.. Luther Bell at the mill of DR. w. f. Prescott
walking from the mill towards the house about 10
yards distant We saw other persons along the rOa'
home. When Mr.. Pat Busscy reached home he ST. p
ped 1 rode t" my home which is about fifteen mile
iron, Edgehe!d Courthouse and about a uilc and
half beyond Pat Bussey's l was not party to an.
agreement or conspiracy to kill injure o. r.. Cul
BREATH not present at the killing and Was not
Edgrfeld Courthouse on the night he vas killed. an
was in no manner connected with the killing. am
citizen Of Edgcfeld in good standing WAS w0und't
during the late war, and resent with the etlor
to tarnish my record rs citizen. soldier and patriot
and Christian of nearly forty years membership il