The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-25
MORE! !BLOOD IN EDGERIELD.
THREE MEN KILLED IN LESS THAN F1F-
TEEN MINUTES.

Bob Jenes Shoots Edward PRESLEY
Jr., StabS His Brother Charlie!
PresseIy, and after Walking uE
to their Father, Edward PRESLEY
Sr., said Dog Gone it, 1 will Shoe
you, too" and Thereupon RAISED
his Gun and shot Him.
News and Courier.
EDGEEIELD, C. H.. November lS.-Over ter
years ago l had OCCASION, as the correSpon
dent OF, ,thc .Ne.ns and Couuter, to visit Edge
field, The inciH ents Of that visit are SUI
fresh in my mind. 4 certain black lni'llls
captain, known as Neil Tenant had "oecl
his doughty warriors, upheld MS they were a.
that time by the State Government: Ines
had burned several houses, Gen. But!er
among them; if l remember rightly, ana hilc
been contributing their modest quota towarC
keeping up the reputation OF ola tuseneio
for lawleS;ncsS. Those We're troublCsomt
times. The State. county and municipal gov
ernmentS were in the hands OF the carpet
baggers, who plundered the public till, rob
bed the taxpayers, and kept The two races IN
4 con tinual state OF STRIFE II was ABOUT
o'clock in the afternoon when arrived ana
: the town was filled with an excited and an.
cry crowd of men Of both races. remnant
had been arrested and was lodged In jail: IT.
rcpreSsible Judge r. J. Mackey was holding
(eurt, and had issued orders Tor the diSarin
ing of the militia. 1t was he who took your
correspondent 10 The Jail, introduced hlin u
Ned Tenant us the Governor. .Ohamberlaln,'
and persuaded Tennant to tell all ae know
ahoa,t it, The readers of the Nctcs and coz
sScr will perhaps recall the relation.
Ten Years Have Passed
since then. The reins of government lave
been wrestcd from alien hands and have
come into the hands of those who nave Inc
ItIsefi elJ has been under Democratic rule for
Ten pears, but Edge1ic!d has managed, 10 Keep
ap It's reputation. am told That something
over century ago an old newspaper publish
ed in the State used TO keep ; S,ano.,ne I. M,
other Murder in Elgcticld.n 1t does seem
that the newspapers of to-day coulu save
cor, poSits on hy following the example Oh
the old gazette.
The Edgcfield OF to-day. as far as material
prosperity is concerned, Is far behind even
The Edgcteld of ten years ago. ERE ana
blood have done their worF. "llhin a
Culbreath was so pitilessly and ruthlesNy
dragged to his death q granite cross, the cnl-
blem OF peace and good will towards men,
tops the spire OF the handsnmeSt gf"m,.e
=,ild at the same distance in another direction
stands neat wooden church. with its grace
full spire pointing to the heavens.
The Triple Murder.
The church bells were ringing when the
news reached the town to-day of the horrible
tragedy, with which the world is now fami-
,iaS. When Robert Jones, the murderer, his
hands reeking with the LloOd of three m*n.
knock ed at tile gates of the Jail thirty-one of
the respectable citizens OF Edgefie'd were
Lying withiN its walls awaiting trial for the
murder of o. e Culbreath- The Court which
was 10 try them was in session, and the VII
iaSe was filled with visitors from all parts OF
the county. The crime with which Jones has
dyed his hands was known in all its horrible
details 1t had been told upon the public
square BY eye witnesses. And Jones himself
doubtless fled to the Jail so as to put the pris-
on walls between himself and the avengers OF
blood who he doubtless supposed were on his
tracks. He walked through that crowd OF
men with head erect, placed the gun with
which he had s,ain father and son in 4 store,
and wiped off the blood which sireamed from
tire knife with which he dispatched his Third
victim, rs he entered the jai!-yard.
No Lynching Then.
No lynching then, no cry OF blood for blood,
no shout of ven Leance! Oh, no. There was
probably no good reason fer removing Jones,
and in any other community perhaps this
woul | be coinmendable. The Nc,os Gad Cou-
a'ier is not an advocate Of lynch law, and its
correspondent would not be understood as
cndeavoring, even by implication, to cast u
rep:oach upon the people OF Edgefield for
their mildnesS in the case. But l cannot re-
srain from commenting upon the way in
which the news of the event was received. II
u bulletin stating that the Gar of Russia had
decide to visit Bismrack, the impression
made upon the crowd would have been about
the same as that made by the news f"JOnes'S
celebrated unrivaied triple MURDER
How the News was Received.
"Jones? Who's Jones? Oh, yes. Bolivar
Sones-uSed TO sell beef here. Lives out yam
der on Cd map Pressseys place ~ PRESLEY
granddaughter. Good people, Pres>lcys; al
ways quiet, peaceable disposed. Old MAJ,
must be nigh on 50 years old, and got the pa.
TOO fss Wonaer what Is sa hm tS5
asd Ned, tooe Well. that's pretty lively,
anyhow. Good boys, Charey and Ned: Jest
as good as they ever make 'em. Never know
Sa s% K ghe ghe m os M sry SeS he
was Jest like hawnetS Where's John Press
leye No he wasn't the oldest. The Oldest
hoy was killed in the wah. John he fit
Well, must be going. When you coming out
to see fellow? SO long!'
This is no fancy sketch. 1t is just how tho
news OF the murder was received by most
people here-a reproduction of street talk
which could be heard by anybody. Nobody
seemed bit surprised; few seemed shocked
1t was just looked upon by majority Of the
II is not for me TO say that the people of Edge
field are any better or any worse than the pco
pie OF any other county, and it is not pleas
ant FOR s. TarOinian to have to write such
things about CarolinianS but am forced 10
the conclusion that there must be something
wrong In Edgeficld, and am very much mis-
taken If this conclusion has not also been
reached by quite number OF the ing
sons and daughters of Edgetield.
The Effects Of Lawlcssness.
Does not all this iawlessncss retard tho
growth Of the county? Look at the illage It
self. Situated on site which is fair 10 look
at- q sight intended by nature as the spot fol
thriving, progressive, go ahead prosperou:
county seat, surrounded by the richest anC
women as pure and as fair and as bright n:
those of any other portion. OF the land, and b,
men as brave and as intelligent and as DARN!
as can he found elsewhere, possessing every
advantage of soil. climate and situation tha
q county seat could desire, the village o
Edgetield to-day is rs ia behind the age as i
was fifteen yearsaeO. No railroad leads 10 1T
doors; no factories hum here; the busy haunt
of trade are not here; the telegraph keeps a
q distance as If afraid TO venture closer, ant
ruin and deSolation seem to brood over tht
land. The waste places are still marked BY
ruined chimneys and heaps of ashes; no new
buildings, are to be seen going up on the tracl
of the fires that have ravaged the place. EV
erything looks duh. shiftlcss, diSprited: l
one Of the grand old men who spranS from
the soil Of Edgefield. and who acquired name
and fame in the world of letters and polite
in the days when giants were born here. coult
revisit the old town fancy can hear hin
mourning over the ashes Of Edgefield'S peac
and prosperity.
-Sweet smiling village. lovclest Of the lawn,
Thy sports are fed and all thy charms ar
gone.
Amid thy bowers the tyrants hand is seen,
And desolaton saddens all thy green."
rhare ara worco tyronts than kings NOR