The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-12-22


of II secret society. Whose Object was to
Steal. to Kill Any one Detecting Them.
and TO Clear accused Members by False
Testimony.
lFrcm he News and Courier
YoEKvILLE, December l5.-About two
weeks ago, or on the night Of November
50, John Lee Good, q little son Of Mr..
W. F. Good, who lives il the western
part Of this county was brutallv muir
dered. The News and Courier has pub
Eshed several very mcagre accounts OF
the horrible affair, from which 1t has ap-
peared that about forty negroes IN this
county have banded together to rob and
plunder and murder all persons who
might detect them in their lawlessness.
ROBBERY AND MURDER.
The coroner's Investigation Of the
murder of little John Lee Good has re-
vealed most alarming state affairs IN
that section, showing most concluslvel!v
that stupendous conspiracy had been
formed among the negroes, the object
being robbery and murder. An inno-
cent child was the first victim Of the
fen6ish nliscreants, hut developments
have proved that ot.1rr murders were
freely discussed and planned, and that
only recently members OF the gang lay
in wait one night for prominent citizen,
knowing he would pass certain point
on the evening named. The confession
of one of the participants IN this affair
is corroborated by the gentleman HIM
self so far as TO place, action OF his horse,
&C., and 8 day or two after the occur
renee he mentioned 1t to friend, but
without the least suspicion that bya for
tuitous circumstance, either lack of cour-
age of the man on watch, or because he
bad fallen asleep, he was saved from SIX
murderous bullets.
Trial Justice j. P Blair, acting as
coroner, summoned a jury Of very dis
Greet men OF the neighborhood, and IN
conducting the inquest they have dis
played considerable tact, and, under the
difficult circumstances surrounding them,
have by practical investigation brought
to light the astounding facts which have
placed the Broad river section IN state
Of terror and spread alarm throughout
the county.
Circumstances pointed almost conclu-
sively 20 Nose Iipscomb, Dan Roberts
and Bailey Dowdle as the perpetrators Of
the deed, with perhaps another accom-
pice; and after the close of the first
tlay'ssession they were committed to jail.
On the second meeting of the jury, on
the Sd inst, after taking testimony, cir-
cunlstances and statements of some OF
the witnesses pointed to Prindly Thomp-
son as another concerned in the murder,
and he was also committed.
THE coNsPIRAToRs N JAIL.
III the examination of so many wit
nesses vague utteranccs By first one and
another OF ''the club, s:the clan. s'the
society" the witnesses membership and
similar expressions gave clue which
was successfully worked up, and the re-
suit is that now 2G negroes, ranging IN
age from l6 to so, are inmates OF the jail,
their offence being murder or aiding
therein. These prisoners are Nose Lips
comb, Dan Roberts, Bailey Dowdle and
Prind Thompson, principals, and the
following, any Of whom viii no doubt
find i difficult to prove innocence as ac-
eessories, by reason OF the conjunction
OF conspiracy they formed, and which
by evidence SO far adduced has been suf-
fciently sustained: Giles Good, john
Good, Les Wood, Dick Thompson, Wm.
Craig, George Jamieson, Scott Thomp-
son, Wadis Bankhead, David Wilkes,
cdases Roberts, viii McCluney, Wallace
Reid, Sam Thompson, Owens Moore,
Alien Good, Bob Smarr, Squire Thomp-
son, Brown Robins, Jack McCluney,
Sam Good, VIM. Washington. Of this
dark cloud OF prisoners Gle Good and
Wallace Reid figured prominently in the
murder for which Columbus Crawford
was hanged IS months ago. Wallace
turned States evidence, and Giles, who
has always been regarded as the instiga-
tor of the deed, though Columbus ad-
mitted on the gallovs that he fired the
satal shot. Giles IS a mulatto, probably
SO years old, crafty and cunning, and
has the power to lead the people of his
race, over whom he has exerted strong
influence.
No attempt to cverdraw the picture,
Or to add a word TO increase the excite
meot this affair has produced, IS neces-
sary after recital OF the bare facts.
After the coroner's jury obtained the
clue as to the supposed conspiracy, they
devoted the third day of the inyestiga-
ton. last Friday, to :lat branch of the
ease, aud the following is specimen Of
the sworn testimony:
THE STORY OF ONE OF TIE THUGS.
Wm. Roberts: l am member of this
clan. l was received by Jack NcClunev
IN August, 1886. l know WHO he said
belonged to the clan-Allcn Good, Wal
lace Reid, Prindly Thompson, Bailey
Dowdle and Nose Lipscomb. Jack said
he had very good men as members, and
he wanted me- to join. Ii a man caughht
a member stealing the club was to make
him suffer. did not attend their meet
ings regularly, but I said to them once:
.sBoys, we must swear together. Though
I have never been with YOU, YOU have
got my name. and l VIII stick 10 YOU.
We Will stick together" I did not tlke
the oath. Ne and Allen Good, Dave
Wilkes, Wallace Reid and Jack McClu-
ney met. knew that they We're mem
bers, and the move was made that if any
one was caught stealing we would make
the man that caught him suffer Our
purpose was to go two or three together
to mans house, and i nc detected us
we would mob him right there. The