The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-10-29
Tnr npanrIE1p LYNonrNa. !.
Extenuatng Statements which arc Made
In Behalf of the Accused.
(Speo.al to the Ne,cs ana Co,1,yor.1

In behalf of the Accused.
(Specsdl to the Nesos and Cou,4er.)
AUGUSTA, GA, October 22.--Tbis
beautiful city is so near TO Edqefield
and is SO intimately connected with,
the county that no day passes that
several Edgefeld men are not seen on
the outrageous streets. 1t is easv,
therefore, to obtain the gossip con-
corning the Edgefield affairs which
rarely finds its way ilto print. The
,all-absorbing topic i'm Edpefield NJ
this time is the lynching of Culbreath,
and it mnst be admitted that the stale,
ments which are made in Augusta
upon the subject change materiaIlv
the aspect of the deplorable affair.
1t is asserted that Mr.. Cnlbreath
treated his wife with the utmost bru-
tality after her fathers death, and that
his conduct WAS so offensive to the
people that If is surprising that he was
not lynched at an earlier day. Among
his other offences, it is said that in y
drunken tit he lashed his wife severe
ly with buggy whip, and when re-
monstrated with by her mother lashed
that lady in the same way. Asa con-
sequence of his behavior, u separation
took place. Mr.. Culbreath, however,
continued surveillance over his wifc's
actlohs, ana without any reason what
ever was furiously jealous. AS is
known, Mr.. Hammond was assassinated
in the yard Of Mrs. Culbreath's house
where he had gone at the request of
her son to remain tor the night. One
of my informants saws that he knows
1T to be q fact that Mr.. Culbreath
III M nd fn 1,n nt,1
and that he was as much the assassin
as though he had actually pulled the
trigger. This, at all cvcnl3, was be-
lieved in the county and was the immc-
diatc cause of the lynching, The peo-
duct should be tolerated no longer,
and they unwiscly took the law into
their own hands. An Edgefield man
whom l talked with said, with great
emphasis, that he held that lynchiny
was never iustifiablc, but if ever it was
to be justifiablc it was SO in CulDreath's
case.
There are now in Edgeticld Jail moro
than thirty persons who arc accused
of participation in the lynching. The
accommodations are altogether insult
1icicnt, and the prisoners are threaten
ed with disease by reason Of the condi-
ton Of the buildings in which they are
confined. They did not apply for
bail, but have suffered severely al
ready, and their suffering is not in
their confinement alone. The accused
form the bulk of the adult male popu-
lation of two or more townships in
Edgefeld county. They arc taken
from their plantations at II busy season
of the year, and in their absence it is
impracticable to control the colorcd
laborers, who arc filching the cotton
from the fields right and left. 1t is
asserted in all seriousness that many
families will be deprived of bread and
meat by the arrest of the accused, all
of whom, it is said, are ready to give
bail to any amount that may be rcquir-
ed.
give these statements in order that
the public may know what is said by
those who arc acquainted with the
lynchers, and who feel that the act was
so nearly .iustifiablc that there is no
reason to keep the accused in Jail, and
who maintain, further, that the facts
to be developed before the grand Jury
or in open Court will satisfy the public
mind that no great wrong has been
done. When it is urged that the
Courts should have been rcsortcd to, it
is shown that the original offences Of
Culbreath could not have been made
the subject Of a judicial investigation
without n public scandal.
AS regards the assassination of Ham
mond there is feeling, am sorry to
say, that whatever the evidence, Cul-
breath would not have been convicted,
and that lynch law was the only law
that would meet his case. The accused
arc said to be highly respectable, in
dustrious and wcll-bchaved citizens,
who would never, save as q last resort,
be gully Of an act of violence of any
kind.
All this is given to the readers of the
Ne,cs and Courier, without comment.
and in order that they may know what
is the opinion held by those who claim
to be familiar with the facts of the
case.
Moro Lynchcrs Committed to Jail.
EDGEFIELD, October 22.-Shcrifl
QUITS brought to Jail last night Morgan
Dorm, Ebert Dorm, Richard Ham
mond and w. II. Hammond, charged
with being accessories to the Culbrcath
lynching. He had warrants for two
| other parties, but could not find them.
The sheriff was arrested to-day by
Coroner johnson under warrant
charging him with official misconduct
in permitting and allowing prisoners
to escape. The sheriff gave bond for
his appearance at Court. Two prison
| erS, Collier Hammond and Reuben
Johnson, were granted permission last
night to go to their respective homes
ttu TO return tonight. For Fort this ,t offence nee
sheriff, charging him with maliciously
| permitting prisoners to escape. HC