The sun., 1889-12-29

COLUMBIA, s. c., Dec. 2S.-Three hundred
armed mon with faces masked surround a jail
Just at the darkest hour before the dawn. while
the inmates are sleeping heavily. They move
with caution and as an organized body. The
taller is quietly seized and quickly overpower-
ed, his keys taken from him, the heavy doors
unlocked. and before eight negroes within are
awakened from their sleep their cells are filled
with strange figures. and they are seized
and carried out into the night Their
cries for mercy. their prayers, and
curses are alike unheeded by their silent
executioners. The body Of men is put In
motion and proceeds q quarter Of mile to the
outskirts Of the town. the eight unfortunate
wretches are bound, several hundred shots are
flred and eight bodies lie on the earth liter
ally shot to pieces. Such was the scene OF the
terrible tragedy enacted In the town Of Barn
we'll this morning. a most terrible retribution
for not extraordinary offence. as the orimi-
nal records will prove.
Four years ago flve mon were iynched In
Yorkyille for the murder OF little boy who
caught them stealing; but they belonged to an
organized gang whose members were sworn to
kill whoever caught them. and they were be-
lieyed to have committed several murders
previously. Their conviction was uncertain.
and the people took tho law into their own
hands. But the wholesale lynching OF this
morning is without parallel in the history OF
this State. These eight negroes were charged
with committing and being accessory to the
crimes described below:
On the afternoon Of Oct. 80. John J. Heffer-
man was shot and instantly killed In the town
OF Barnwell by Ripley johnson. HefiermRn
was one OF the principal merchants OF the town.
and johnson was O oolored man. employed at
that time in running cotton gin. There had
been some trouble between the white man and
tho negro the day before, and. although there
we're conflicting accounts as to the difficulty,
It is probable that Hefferman threatened the
negro, for he had been summoned to appear
before the Town Council the morning follow
ing, and had been put under bonds The killing
took place in colored restaurant. where
Hefferman had followed johnson. Five me-
Rroes charged with being accessories to the
murder and who were In the restaurant at the
time fled to o swamp but were afterward cap
tured and jailed A large reward was offered
| for Ridley johnson, and he was captured two
| weeks later.
| OF the two murders for which the men we're
| lynched this morning, the worst was COM
! mitted on Saturday night last, when Robert
| Martin. young man Of great promise and the
| only child Of aged parents, was ambushed and
shot to death while riding to his fathers house.
| 1t was at about o'clock in the evening. The
! -
several negro houses on the side OF the road
when he was fired upon from behind. The oc-
cupants of the houses heard the gun and
heard the exclamation. "oh. mel oh, mel
You have killed me-" but they did
not 60 to the help OF the wounded
man. Young Martin wasn't missed that
Mhen rsaehne ey home late 1s his
rooms. which were separated from the rest OF
the house. In the morning serVant aaotiiGeu ifasi
thn rfl lnrIA
search was Immediately begun The body q. yra Of
public road within hundred yards Of the ne
gro houses; He had evidently lived but a a, lew
either side OF the spinal column. Three had
passed through the body. and any OF them
Se9a bad no am in tho
county that any OF his friends knew OF. and the
whole community WAS greatly excited oyer his
cSrees eoTered that % Martin was shot By a arty Of
negroes who wo ked on his fathers place. and
Work r al ana allowed little license. II was also
believed that the people in the houses no es1 near al
not go to the assistance Of the dying mantb
veil Es sss Tfs nsbs hat n @
Had there been whisper OF 1t the Jail would
have been guarded By troops As Il Was; tss
inS @Srnns 5heth the TGi %as By
formed that constable had arrested the pur-
derer OF James p Brown. prominent citizen
Wished to lock him un. Suspeeting nothing
the ialler came down and opened the 9eaVy
Sss snd 0d S1fd % BY
he would suffer for any alarm made. The keys
were taken from him and nfty men entered the
Eipley Eill Johnson and. Michao Adams. the
ohlHt aesr@ap 3 5oto5sP tss
Iast mSrder and % Peter Bell, Rafe Mcneil Hugh
Furse. Hudson johnson. Robert Phoenix, 4, and an
AUGMENTATION SSs Of Robert Martin on Saturday
night. They were marched to the outskirts OF
town and In few sSch sh man PnnSys5 YEA
men thcn formed n line short distap;,e from on
and p1eS esg seot ate 10 ySey into
pie e9 of the het Town had et the trouble seemed
and aVenge the lynchiDg. In response to 9
request. the Governor ordered company OF
snS Ies
organized. and TO night the town Is reasonably
9uiet., Ripley Johnson and Adams VIII hbes
buried by relatives The other SIX VIII DO
buried by the town.
ATTEMPTED JUSTIFICATION OF THE CRIME.
This evening the following statement signed
RoRF AdeS nSs and 5a%.s
some OF the most ,prominsnt ana influential
citizens OF Barnwell, has been sent to the press
iTpro IN consequence M Of the iyncbl which took
place here last night the undersigned were
this morning requested by the Sheriff to act as
an advisory committees to counsel such steps as as
may be deemed best to secure order. we AZ
first proceeded to Investigate, and deem IL
right to put the public In possession of tho
facts OF the occurrence and causes which we
believe led to II az far as we have gathered %
Hefierman. a prominent young merchant and
brave. publc-splrited citizen, was shot down
and killed In Barnwell by negroes. Public
Indignation ran very high, Threats Of lynch,
cooler counsel. At tho last term Of the court
the Grand Jury found true biz Is against his
murderers and accessories. but the cases were @
continued, The white people were disaDpolnt-
boidened by this disposition OF the case; On
Dec 10 Mr.. James .. Brown; 2 prominent
planter and leading citizen OF Fish Pond town
Ship. was shot to death on his own premises by
negroes Without the slightest justification q
y" On the 18th OF December. while going from
his store at Martins Station TO his house, q
mile away, MIR. Robert Martin, young man oil
the most exemplary character; and OF the
highest standing as a man and citizen. was
followed by negro and she shot in the back with a
road which passes through his fathers panta-