The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-05
by BULLET AND ROPE.
A Sensational Incident at Central-A White
Man Lynched by Negroes.
Greenpiue Ne,rs jan, 8.


Particulars reached here for the first
time, yesterday, of a decidedly sensation
al occurrence at Central, Pickens county,
last Friday. 1t was the lynching of a
white man by party of negroes, the first
affair ofthe kind, tits thought, on record
in this State. AS far as could be gather
ed yesterday, the facts ara about as fol-.
lows:
On Thursday of last week, negro girl
about thirteen years of age living about
two miles from Central died under pecu-
liar circumstances at her home. The
circumstances under which she died were
sufficient 10 justify Trial Justice B. D.
Garvin, of Central, in summoning jury
and holding an iDquisition as to the cause
of her death. It was discovered after
investigation that she had died from the
results of felonious assault. Her
assailant was unknown, but circumstances
and the testimony of 8 little negro child
led to the arrest of q man named Wal
drop, who lived in the upper part of
Anderson county on the plantation of F.
J. Pelzer, of Charleston.
Waldrop was arrested and carried
before Justice Garvin for preliminary
hearing. As the testimony seemed to
point strongly to him as the party who
committed the crime the justice decided
to send him up to Jail, ct Pickens court
house.
Waldrop left Central at IL o'clock
Friday night in charge of Constable
Garvin and an assistant. The prisoner
was in the buggy between the constables.
When the party had proceeded to point
about threequarters of mile from Cen.
trail, they were met by party. of twenty.
five or thirty armed negroes, who
demanded the surrender of the prisoner.
Constable Garvin refused and turned
around to drive back to Central, when
some Of the party stopped the mule and
others lifted the prisoner from the buggy
and carried him away into the woods by
the road.
In few minutes the people living
near by were awakened and startled by
pistol shots and screaming. DR.. Folger,
: -Mr. Payne, Mr.. Werner and Dr.. Clayton,
followed the direction in which they
were led by the shots ard other noises.
When they reached the spot they found
Waldrop lying down by tree, wounded
by two pistol balls. He was surrounded
by negroes, who fled at the approach of
the white men.
In Ia short while the negroes returned
and ordered the white men to leave,
which they did, leaving the wounded
man at the mercy of his captors. The
white men were unarmed and could
neither defend themselves nor rescue the
unfortunate Waldrop.
The next morning the dead body of
Waldrop was found hanging on tree
near the roadside. It was found that he
had died of strangulation. The pistol
shot wounds he received were in them
selves insufficient to cause death, and the
negroes had resorted to hanging.
A jury of inquest was summoned Sat
urdsy, but adjourned over till 10 o'clock
this morning. Col. ]. L. Orr, the solici:
tor of the eighth circuit, was notified
yesterday, and will be present at the
investigation to-day. BE is determined
to make full examination of the affair
and to lay the way, if possible, to the.
punishment of the guilty parties.
Waldrop was an industrious laborer,
swas always considered a half.witted and
harmless character. He was an ordinary