The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-15
The LAW TAkES4TS COURSE.
YeIdsll Tried ut Edgefeid and Acquitted
i:iickw.irs Friends Make Violent
Threats and. ycldclI is Carried
Away Safely Oh Special Train.
Especial to the Augusta Chronicle.

! the proceedings closely. After lne COIL
pletion of the jury the State began eN-
amining its witnesses. The history OF
| the crime was not a startling one, and
| the crowds that packed the court room
were we'll acquainted with all its de-
tails as below.
The most startling thing in the trial
was the announcement of the defence
! that they would offer no testimony;
vet this was most natural owing to the
i, contradictory statements of the wit
nesses, which were directly opposite III
most cases. Then they contradlcted
their testimony at former trials, all of
which was carefully noted by the de-
| fence and weaved intoa strong case.
1t was very evident that the States
side was very weak and it was the gene
raj opinion that when the jury went out
that the result would be mistrial or a
verdict of not guilty.
NOT GUILTY.
It was no surprise then when, at half
past nine, :hejury announced that they
| had agreed, and John y Yeldeil was found
not guilty. There was disposition to
cheer on the part of the colored popula-
ton, but it was smothered IN It's in
cipiency. There are ominous looks on
the faces Of the Dark Corner crowd,
who have been awaiting the verdict.
They feel respondent too thata jury OF
twelve white men should have ac-
Quilted John Yeldell Of the murder OF
James S. Blackwell.
Mr.. J. Warnock Echols will return
to Pittsburg. His reception can be i'm
asnied. The result to him, as be ex-
pressed it before the trial will be an in
creased practice that will be worth
thousands.
Yeldell is still confined in Jail for
safe keeping. He would not be molest-
| ed by the people Of Edgetield, but 1t IS
feared that there are some here at whose
hands he would meet violence.
DISGUST OF THE DARK CORNER.
Especial to the News and Courier
COLUMBIA, August 11.-When this
dispatch is published in The News ana
Courier, John Yeldell will be over the
hills and far away" in North Carolina;
bound for Pittsburg, whole in body and
happy in mind. The story of his de-
parture will interest the public.
Nv report to the News and Courier
| closed at 10 o'clock last night with the
statement that Yeldell was protected IN
iail by twenty rifles, but that although
there was indignation among visitors
from the Dark Corner Of Edgefeld,
no disorderly conduct had followed the
| verdict. 1t was not proposed to eXag-
serate the danger Of lynching or to
| construct sensation out of the rumors.
| It would not do to take it for granted
that citizens of Edgetield intended to
| disgrace this county by killing a man
lust acquitted by one of the best ]urles.
Mr.. Walsh, the special correspondent
of the Augusta Chronicle, and the
writer determined not to anticipate any
lawlessness in our dispatches, but to
await the events of the night. We ac-
cordirgly remained about the Jail until
| after a. NJ, when our papers had
gone to press, having made in advance
ARRANGEMENTS to send immediate .ad-
vices ofany attack on the jail or prison.
er. No attack was made, and no fur
| ther dispatches were sent.
The situation wasinteresting IN Edge
| field last night. The verdict had
greatly aggravated the intense feeling
Of BlackWelps friends in the Dark Cor
kner. Some were outspoken, Others
I whispered. There was plenty ofrumor,
| but little fact. It was discovered after
midnight that sentinels had beedposted
on the road leading out of town ana
placed in corn field back of the jail
| in order to intercept Yeldell IN case ne
should. leave shelter. ,
An orc, Of the prisoners release had
been signed by the Judge, but not pre-
sented to the sheriff, as 1t was intended
| that he should remain in jail until
morning. There was no crowd on the
square, but groups of men were
gathered in the maanligas ta!k!gS !gS,
earnest: Some of the Dark corner
men I'd been drinking, but were not
Iscsssis' Iscssis'
Capt. Press Blackwell, the prosecu-
tor in the case and cousin Of the Black
we'll who had been slain, was very en-
phatic in his declarations. He told a
party of dozen men, including Sheriff
QUITS, that while he would not inter-
fere with Yeldell in the Sheriff7s hands,
be would kill him as soon as he left
bis custody. John Blackwell, a brother
Of the deceased, made equal threats.
These men should have been at once
placed under peace bonds, but they
we're not, and their example told on
those of their neighdors who were on
the grounds. There could not have
been more than a score of Dark Corner
men, however. Twenty members Of
he IEdgefeld Rifles were in the Jail
guarding it all night.
THE wELt ONE DAWN.
The hours passed, the moon declined
and the hundred peoplein the square
lwindled to a score. Daylight ap-
and it became evident that
he jail would not be attacked. At
laylight few men We're still about
he Jail, but these were chiefly citizens
If the town who wished to defeat the
purpose Of the discontented few.
Messrs Benet and Echols had made ar
to leave for Trenton at $50
|. M, taking Yeldell sand small
,osse with them, intending to board
he1O:2O train for Columbia, but they
;ould not secure transportation.
FEARS OF A ROADSIDE ATTACK.
The Blackweils and these friends {
we're still about, and Sheriff QUITS de-
dared that an attack on the road was
ertain if they attempted to move Iel- ,,
lell from the jail to Trenton. Then
Ir. Benet and the sheriff visited Judge
the writer accompanying,
nd laid the facts before him.
DETERMINED JUDGE.
The Judges ideas on the subject j
we're positive, and he expressed them
He thought that peace
ought to be sworn outagainst
he Blackwe!s and every man associ- !
ted with them; that they should be
rrested and searched for concealed {
Weapons, and he pledged himself to
,ut them in Jail, even to the number of
fifty. until they gave good, heavy
urety that they would keep the peace;
III who had concealodHe cOIIectlol
hould be prosecut1Ae half dollar OF 1ot
aged in m ~p22}tyFdGnded By a amystery equal
TItfr,>rofouo6 There we're OyGl. lOO, ,O(