Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-10-29
The Aurkrille Guqllirer.
YORKVILLE. s. G..

YORKVILLE. $. G.
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 29,.lSS5.
THE EDGEFIELD LYNCHING.
The two men, Elan and Burnett, impli-
Gated in the Culbreath lynching, who es-
capped from Edgefeld Jail soon after their
incarceration, were re-arrested last week by
Sheriff QUITS in Lincoln county, Ga, and
have been again lodged in Jail. Seven adj
ditional arrests have been made in Edge
field, making thirty-four now III Jail charged
with participation in the crime. On Thurs
day the Sheriff Of the county was arrested
by Coroner Johnson under warrant charg-
ing him with official misconduct in permit
ting and ali owing prisoners to escape. The
sheriff gave bond for his appearance at
Court. Two prisoners, Collier Hammond
and Reuben Johnson, were granted per-
mission on Wednesday night to go to their
respective homes under charge of a consta-
Bile, the party to return on Thursday. For
this offence another warrant was issued
against the sheriff, charging him with ma
liciously permitting prisoners to escape
He was again arrested and again promptly
gave bail.
In reference to the wholesale arrests in
Edgefield in connection with this affair,
the Augusta (Ga.) correspondent of the
Charleston Me,cs and Courier says:
1t is easy to obtain here the gossip con-
cerning Edgefeld affairs which rarely finds
it's way into print. The all-absorbing topic
in Edgefeld at this time is the lynching OF
Culbreath, and it must be admitted that
the statements which are made, in Angus
ia, upon the subject change materially the
aspect of the deplorable affair.
1t is asserted that Mr.. Culbreath treated
his wife with the utmost brutality after her
fathers death, and that his conduct was so
offensive to the people of the county that
it is surprising that he was not lynched at
an earlier day. Among his other, offences,
it is said, that in a drunken fit, he lashed
his wife severely with a buggy whip, and
when demonstrated with by her mother
consequence of his behavior, a separation
took place. Mr.. Culbreath, however, con-
tinued surveillance over his wifes actions
and without any reason whatever was furi-
ously Jealous. AS is known, Mr.. Hammond
was assasinated in the yard of Mrs. Cul-
breath's house where he had gone at the
request of her son to remain for the night.
One of my informants says that he knows
it to be a fact that Mr.. Culbreath caused
Hammond to be aSsasSinated, and that he
was as much the assassin as though he had
actually pulled the trigger. This at all
events was believed in the county and was
the immediate cause of the lynching. The
people of the county felt that such conduct
should be tolerated no longer, and they un-
wisely took the law into their own hands.
An Edgefeld man whom l talked with
said, with great emphasis, that he held that
lynching was never justifiable, but if ever
it was to be justiiable it was so in Cul-
breath's case.
There are now in Edgefield Jail more
than thirty persons who are accused of par
ticipation in the lynching. The accommo-
dations are altogether insufficient, and the
prisoners are threatened with disease by
reason of the condition of the buildings in
which they are confined. They did not ap-
Div 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 population of two
or more townships in Edgefeld county.
They are taken away from their planta-
tions at a busy season of the year, and in
their absence it is impracticable to control
the colOred labOrers, who are filching the
cotton from the fields right and left. 1t is
asserted in all seriousness that many fami-
lies 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 required
give these statements in order that the
public may know what is said by those who
are acquainted with the lynchers, and who
feel that the act was so nearly justitiable
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 had been done:
When it is urged that the Courts should
have been resorted to, it is shown that the
original offences of Culbreath could not
have been made the subject of a judicial in
vestigation without public scandal.
AS regards the assassination ofHammond
there is feeling, am sorry to say, that
whatever the evidence, Culbreath would
not have been convicted, and that lynch
law was the only law that would meet his
case. The accused are said to be highly re-
spectacle, industrious and well-behaved
citizens, who would never, save as a last
resort, be guilty of an act of violence OF any
kind.
All this is given to the public 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.
SENATOR BUTLER SPEAKS IN CONNEC
TICUT.-Thc exercises of the Delta Kappa
exposition convention were held in Mid
dleton, Connecticut, on Thursday evening.
Ex- x-Governor Long, of Massachusetts, de-
livered the presidents address. United
States Senator Butler, of South Carolina,
was the orator. He said he had no concep-
tion until within six or seven months of
what it was to be in accord with the FEEDER
al government, and one result was that he
had had no time to prepare an address,
because he had been bounded by office
seekers. He had two things to say, though.
One was what was illustrated by the same
platform-that the star of freedom had ris
en- for this country. He alluded to the in
Stitutation of slavery, which until few
years ago held the North and South apart
and made dividing line for men who
ght agree on all other matters. 1t is the
mission of such society as this, he said, to
develop the kind of fellow feeling which
knits the country together. 'Slavery is
gone, and l am glad of it. | feel that l
am myself liberated. This country is too
great there are too many interests bound
up in it for it to be despared Of. 1t is far in
advance of all other countries in all that