The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-03-20
AFTER TURNER'S BLOOD.
An Angry nIob Como TO Have th, prI,


An Angry Mob Como TO llRvc tho PrIa-
The feelings against Turner around
Valley Falls WAS intense.
On Saturday night rumors Of q de-
termination to lynch him reached tho
city; ON Sunday uneasiness prevailed
hore, but no manifestation was made
until Monday morning.
The people of Valley Falls had re-
celVed notice that party of200 lynch
ers, thoroughly organized, would
reach town. on Monday at noon, and
were instructed to be prepared there
TO assist in the lynching. About two
hundred Of them assembled near the
| Morgan Monument. When twelve
I'clock arrived, and the North Carolina
| lynchers did not come, the crowd
grew restless and ugly. They wanted
| to lynch the prisoner without further
delay; but, relying on the organized
mob which they expected, they were
without concert or leadership. Sheriff
Nichols and his deputies, Brewton
and Vernon with Mr.. AndIew Moore
and Ed: Gentry were in the Jail arm
ed with Winchester rifles, shot guns
and revolvers.
MIR. Nichols was brave Confcderat C
soldier, with a reputation for COURAGE
and devotion to duty which is known
all over the country ahd byeond it. lie
was standing behind the bars declaring
that no man should reach Turner bnt
over his dead hody. They knew the
man and ne one was willing to charge
him.
Finally four men went to the cncamp.
ment for the cannon belonging to the
Spartan Artillery. They raised it IN
with n shout and hurrah, and unlimber-
ed it in front Of the jail
The men who brought the gun were
members OF the artillery company and
knew how to use it. The men in the
Jail were armed with Winchester rites.
The distance was seventy.fiVc yards. A
bloody duel at short range with artillery
and rifles seemed imminent. Men who
had remembered the sscnc Of blood at
birmingham, bcgaN to scatter from the
streets, but still the narrow iail alley
was packed with excited men. No ons
knew whether the cannon was loaded
The men in the Jail thought SO and
were determined that it should
never be fired into the building. They
were ready with lcveled rifles to shoot
OIL the gunncrs at the first hostile move
mcnt. The gun was not loaded. The
men In charge had made their plans to
use iron fish bars from the railroad and
stcclyard peas for cannon shot, but thew
had not yet gotten them. The crowd was
getting momentary more excited. Just
at this moment Mayor IIcnneman mot
the editor Of the HERALD AMI said:
What is to be done now2"
Seize the gun and spike it," replied
Mr.. Jones.
Mayor IIcnneman's resolution was
taken at once. There was no timo to
orgarize force. What WAS to be done
must be done promptly. lie had but
Blk pelicemon at his command, but he
did not hesitate.
''Follow me,' he continued, and they
moved down Jail street, through the
mob.
Mr.. Jones ran through Archers
store and rushed up on the oppesite
side OF the cannop with the shout.
"Spike the gun and arrest the men who
brought it hcre"!
Mayor llenncman placei his foot on
the cannon and said: 81 will arrest
the frat man who touches tho gun"
1t WAS critical moment. The man in
charge OF the qua, takGn by surprise,
stepped back in the crowd. Mr.. T.. II.
he saw half drunken men on all sides.
rcachingfor their pistols, and that he saw
one nan draw self-cocking revolver,
and the hammer was half raised from
the cartridge, when some one seized it |
and stoppcd him. A single shot fred
by drunken coward would have been |
the signal for bloody fusilade Before |
they recovered from their surprise, Mr..
Jones seized hatchet and drove nail |
In the touch hole of the cannon, and in |
less than two minutes six policemen |
and two civilians had captured the |
cannon in the face Of two hundred |
angry men, and spiked it, and the
danger was over, and a dozen negroes
were trundling the useless cannon into
the Jail. Without artillery the lail Is
imprcgnable.
The condition in the Jail was hardly