The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-01
THE BARNWELL TRAGEDY
EIGHT PRISONERS ARE TAKEN FROM
THE JAIL AND LYNCHED.
The Murtiercrs Of n HefIernan are Shot
10 Death by Unknown Parties
While the Town Quietly Sleeps.


The Murtiercrs Of HcHernan arc Shot
10 Death by Unknown Parties
While the Town Quietly Sleeps.
BAESwELI, Dec. 2S. a terrible tragedy was
enacted here this morning.
The fair and virtunus name OF BarnWell mas
been baLhed IN the blood of eight victims oi
the passion of vengeance. Whelher tl''.I pas pmi,i
sion was ill-d:rected, or otherwise, the Worlu
will judge by an exposition OF the causes Ih''
lead up to the fearful effect.
This morning, while the citizens OF the
town were rcaccfuily asleep, elgnt GnasI,y
a hundred wounds, lay ut the threshold of tne
municipality. They were the mortar remains
of men who had done violence unto dcath 70
their fellow men-and they had been repaid
in kind The shotgun had been their weapon
10 do others TO death by the shotgun or tpis,
tnD they were themselves ushcrcd out OIL the
world.
TuE VICTIMS.
About $40 o'clock this morning Ripley
johnson and Mitchell Adams, the principal
and chief accessory in the murder OF MI D. D.
Hcifcrnan, which occurred mere on tne Zoln o'
October last, and Peter Bell, Robert Phoenix,
and Judre Jones the nSsaSsns OF young Mr.
Robert Martin, who was killed on last Salur-
day night near Martins, in this county, were
taken from the county Jail by about 25o armed
corporate limits Of the town, tied to me trceS
along either side of that beautiful ana herelo'
fore quiet road, and masSacred.
HEARD AT A DISTANCE.
At exactly 3 o'clock the writer, who was
secping about u mile distant, was awakened
by the report of pistol shots fired in VolleyS
and in quick succession. First there would
be one distinct report, which had noG ulea
away when IL was followed by Hniley oi
u AL, Nst ci
repeated for at least quarter OF an hour'
when II ceased
THE CRIES OF WOMEN.
An hour later there were reports. of three
more pistol shots, followed by the loud anu
ncopiZing shrek of female voice, and Inc
cries and lamentations OF numerous others,
which rent the air and were borne TO the ears
OF the listener in more pitilul tones tnali
were the cries of the frightened on the men,
orable night Of the earthquake. Soon these
cries extended over the larger portion OF the
town, 1t was the cries OF colored women,
who had discovered the bodies OF the victims,
and were bewailing the fate OF the deaa.
THE SCENE OF EXECUTION.
Just beyond the limits OF the town was the
scene of the execution. And 1t was scene
of horror There were the eight bodies OF the
victims, all stone dead On their faces dsa.h were
blood on their clothing and features. The
bodies were in various attitudes, some OF
them still fastened by small ropes TO the
trees, lust as they had been shot, with glazed
and bioodshot eyes gazing out on-nothlng;
Others had fallen sidewise, and were neid
from the earth by the ropes around thelr
waists, while one had broken loose lor Deeii
cut looSe) and lay on his lace In tne Jeily-hhe
clot of his own gore.
RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.
Every corpse of the lot was literally rid
died with bullets. The shots may have Deen
from pistols, or rifles, or shotguns loaded with
buckshot, or from ail three kinds OF weapons
Whatever the style weapons used, they were
used with terrible accuracy; there Were not
half n dozen shots in all the bodies tnat
would not have been fatal nine times IL teh'
THESE EscAPED.
It was rumored at first THAI in addition to
Ripley Johnson and Mitchell Adams helng
killed, Sam Lee and Albert CAN'T, who are
also In Jail for implication In the Hefiernan
This, however proved to be mistake, A
careful canvass of the corpses showed that
Lee and Cn,ntt were not present, and they
were afterwards found TO he safe III jail.
TIE JA1LoR's STORY.
A statement of the affair was obtained
from Tailor Isaiah Neyillc, who said:
"a good while after midnight was ava.
kened from my sleep by some one rapping al
the gate of the Jail wall, and at the same timc
calling me. got up and went to the win
dow. and asked who IL was and what he
wanied. Some one replied, i am Henry
Black, and have prisoner, the one VINO
killed Mr.. James Brown.
"I told him all right, would be out In
minute and began to dress myself. | was
expecting the negro who killed Mr.. brown
to be brought in at any time, as knew tnat
n large posse had been after him ever since
the murder was committed, and Of course did
not hesitate to go out 10 receive him..
Just as I opened the gate was collared ny
n large and powerful man, well masked, ana
found my arms plnioncd by several Others
Several
PISTOLS WERE DRAWN
and put TO my head, and the parties said.
hold your tongue and give up the Keys. !
tried 10 secre.c the keys, but they were dis;
covered and taken from me, when IL seemed
about fifty men entered theJali.
CHoKED spEEcuLEss.
"I was powerless and helpless, and could
offer no resistance. They clicked me until
could scarcely speak. They took eight of the
prisoners out OF Jail and carried them, as well
as myself across the creek about n quarter. OF
a mile. and tied them 10 trees and proceeded
TO riddle their bodies with bullets.
They then brought inc back to the jail,
gave me the keys and released me. could
not make out any OF the mcn."
DEEPLY DEPOSITED.
All the citizens of Barnwell deeply deplore
the horrible work Of this morning. There is
no other topic In town to-day, and everybody
expresses sincere sorrow that the law was not
allowed TO work ont its own way. They all
feel that there WAS cause for disappointment
ut the tardnesS Of the court IN Furnishing the
many crimes enacted in this county Of late
but there was no necessity OF acting thus.
THROWN OFF Ills GUARD.
When MIR. HeGernan was killed there was
considerable talk Of lynching, and Sheriff
Lancaster was especially vigilant TO protect
his prisoners. But Of late the thing had ap'
parently died out; the people appeared IN.
by surprise. The whole thing appears tO
have been planned with the utmost secrecy
If, indeed, 1t was planned ut all.
1T WAS DONE QUIETLY.
Persons sleeping within less than 100 yards
of the jail knew nothing of it until this morn
ing, so quietly was everything carried out.
THE LYScHERs UNKNOWN.
No one has the slightest idea Of the person.
mel of the lynching party. Even the jailer
whom they bound ann took with them, failed
to recognize one of the mob, by face, figure. ol
voice. They were closely and securely
masked, and no unnecessary words or par.
leying were indulged In. They knew the
men they wanted; they secured the keys by
artiflce and force. took the men wanted from
their cells, and killed them then dispersed
as quietly and mysteriously rs they had
come.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT.
II is needless 10 soy that the town is in n ter.
riblc state Of excitement, and especially so
the culored population. There are all kinds
of rumors ufloat, to the effect that the lynch
ing will he terribly avenged by the colored
people But the presence Of troops, and the
In Tint the best cOloreu ciliZenS cOndemned