The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1885-10-02
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN EDGEFIELD
COUNTY.

fore Trial Justice Glover for U. Il. Cul- |
breath, charged with the murder of w. II.
Hammond on the night of the 18th instant.
The warrant was placed in the hands of
Constable Ramsey, who Immediately re-
paired to the residence of Culbreath, some
twelve miles southwest of Edgefeld G. Fl.
He arrested Cu!brcath without any trouble
and brought him to the village between 5
and 6 O'Clock the same evening.
1t was the understanding that the prs-
oner should remain in the custody of the
constable until this morning, when Cul-
breath, with his attorneys, Gary & Evans,
would go to Lexi,gtor and there apply for
bail before Judge Hudson. About 8
o'clock at night, whilst the streets of the
town were almost deserted, the citizens
| having retired from business and gone to
their houses, crowd Of masked men from
the country, some thirty-fve in rumber,
surrounded Gary & Evaus's Office, where
| Culbreath was at the time, and a number
of them entered the cficc, covering both
Mr.. Gary and Mr.. Evans with pistols,
whilst two others went on into the back
room and shot at Culbrealh. He then
cried out that he was shot to death and
begged them not to shoot any more. They
thereupon took Culbreath, dragged him
out of the Office and carried him about
mile from town, Culbreath begging most
piteously for mercy. Here, probably think
ing that Culbrcath was near deaths door,
they again shot him some three or four
more times, and then left him for dead on
the roadside.
Some of the citizens heariog the firing
went out in that direction, but met Cul-
breath making his way back to the village
They assisted him ia vehicle and brought
hun to Jail where he received prompt at
tcntion. lie fingered through the night
in great agony and died at O'Clock this
morning.
Culbrcah was the husband of Mrs Fan
ME Culbrcath at whose house Hammond
was killed. From all accounts, in conse-
quence Of Culbreath's $ long continued and
most shameful treatment Of his wife they
separated over year ago and since then
his reported ceaseless espionage ever his
wife aud enGless annoyances to her, as we'll
as the vile but unsustaincd slandcrs against
her with which he is credited, and Cul-
breath's open threats to take the life of
Hammond were source of great trouble
to Mrs. Culbrcath and her relatives and
friends, and then came the horrid assassi-
nation of young Hammond under the cover
of darkness.
Whilst there was no positive proof againt
Cu.breath yet the people in the ncighbor-
hoGd were almost solid in the belief that
Culbreath was the guilty party or was
alone instrumental in having Hammond
killed. Al! these things combined, aud
the fear that in the end the law would
be evaded and the guilty so un-
punished, induced these people to take the
matter in their hands with the above result.
The whole proceeding was so quickly
and unexpectedly inaugurated, and so
quickly were the participators out and
gone, that vast majority of the people of
the town knew nothing Of the affair until
this morning. There is universal excite.
mcnt in the village and many prominent
citizens openly denounce this the first
lynch law act i'll their midst. We hope it
will be the last.
The jury Of inquest has been in session
for several hours and will probably not
adjourn to>day. 1t has been given in evil
dence before the jury that Culbreath stated
after he was shot that he knew the two
men who shot him in the Office and gave
their names. Cu!breath maintained until
the last that he was innocent of the murder
Of Hammond
o. Il. Culbreath was a gallant Confed>
crate soldier and for many years was es-
tecmed an honorable gentleman and a
worthy citizen.
MdWnation an Eolycfeld--Clinto
September 22 An indignation meeting
will be held tomorrow by the citizens of
EdgcGeld Considerable excitement pre-
walls. The lynchiDg of Culbreath was an
outrage Of the deepest die ever perpetrated
in the State.
Scocrat cfMc Perpetrators McntHed.-
Trenton, September 24.-The jury in the
Coroner's inquest over the body of Cul.
breath, who fell a victim to lynch law, con.
vened to-day, and Mr.. james Minis, q