Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-17

A Small Quarrel Over . Boat Id Barn.
well County, So Begins II.

L
Barnwell county, &C., where eight colored
men wefe lynched one night last December, il
again the scene Of Q serious race trouble. A
telegram from Columbia, SC, says: At last
accounts two persons had been killed and one
| mortally wounded. The scene OF the trouble
h the village Of Kearse, in the southern por-
ton of Barnwell county. Early Tuesday morn
| ing the quiet hamlet of Bamberg was startled
by the sudden appearance Of dashing courier,
| his horse all covered with foam. The messen-
ger came for immediate help. saying the white
people OF Kearso feared serious trouble and
called on their neighbors for aid. The news
spread like wildfre and soon twenty of
Bambefg's best men were under arms. A tele-
gram was then sent to Graham and Barnwell.
asking for assistance for the people OF kearse.
Graham responded by sending squad of ff-
teen men under Capt C. L. Wroten. and Barn.
well detailed Sheriff Lancaster and a detach-
ment Of about thirty-five men.
Ihe reports were that posse Of white men
who went into the settlements to make iegiti-
mate arrests were met by force OF 800 armed
co1ored men, who Were determined to resist
arrest
THE TROUBLE BEGAN AT FISH FRY.
The provocations which led to the present
trouble are as follows: Three weeks ago party
OF Young men, consisting OF the Kearse's, Chit
ties and others, about eight or ten in all, went to
the Three Mile Creek on fish fry" At these
FISH fries" the fish are cooked on the banks
OF the river, and the members of the party
necessarily have to leave their boats while at
dinner. A number of colored men took pos
session Of one or more of the young mems
boats, notwithstanding they had been told not
to use them.
Upon their return the white men remon-
strated with them for taking the boat without
Ali Inn kuh ~ H. ns.f-
Priester, IT,. became offensive. For his in
sulting and abusive language he was struck
with buggy whip by Robert Kearse. Enraged
by the blow the colored man retaiiated, and in
the fight which ensued Mr.. Kearse was severely
injured. The young men Of the party went to
the rescue Of their friend. but before they
conld reach him Priester made good his es-
cape, together with the rest Of his party
There were six or eight colored men in the
party. The difficulty was then at an end until
that night. when the young men Of the fishing
party. with some of their friends, went to
Priester's house for the purpose OF arresting
him. On their arrival at the house of Nose
Priester. where Pink lived, they found no one
at home except the parents Of the boyA
FIRINa FROM AMBUSH
After making careful search they gave up
the investigation, and as they were about to
leave they were fred on from ambush. At
least thirty or forty colored men are supposed
70 have been In the firing party. Before the
white men could assume defensive positions
Robert Kearse, J. o. Kearse, p. NJ. Kearse, ]. J.
kssrse. Frank W. Chitty and Henry W. Chitty
we're wounded. The fire was returned az
promptly a. possible, and two Of tho colored
men were slightly wounded, and the others
could be heard scampering in every direction.
Seeing that no arrests could be made the white
men returned to their homes. Henry Kearse,
one of the colored men and one of his assoei-
ates, returned totheir work and offered to suf-
Yer any punishment the whites might infiict.
and begged to be let of with horsewhipping.
As Henry kearse regretted his indiscretion he
was excused, and in return gave tho names of
the parties who had shot at the whites from
ambush.
wednesday posse went in search Of Henry
Carter, but no one was at his house The
posses pe4t move was to find Henry Grant,
another ipf the party Of ambushers Grants
house "a bts q short distance from Carter's.
The posse surrounded Grants house and de-
tailed one of the number 10 inquire whether
any one was at home. He received no verbal
reply, but instead a volley Of buckshot from a
window, which was suddenly thrown open.
The garrison OF colored men there fired into
the posse. One of the bullets took effect on ].
J. kearse, wounding him fatally. w. H.
Cfeech was seriously wounded in the right hip.
and his wounds may result fatally A yoIley
was shot into the window with fatal effect upon
Henry Grant one of the inmates of the house.
Just as Grant attempted to jump out of the
window he was struck. lie fell headlong out
of the window.
AT least forty bullets pierced his body and
his breast presents the appearance of a sieve.
Several women we're found in the house and
thew were unmolested