Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-27
The Butchery in Bnrnwell.

Tho grand jury of Barnwcll count,
have been discharged from further
attendance upon tho Court now in
session. Their final prcscntmcnt
which is published to-day, is re.
markablc document. We are told
by the grand jury that the rccen,
butchery in Barnwcll Of eight dc.
fcncclcss prisoners by mob OF
masked men was "thc most coYardly
and cold-bloodcd assassination chat
has occurred in any part of oul
country since the foundation of on,
Government" that it "has shocked
the civilization Of our country" and
that eve have approached the con
sidcration of this crime with an
abiding faith in the loyalty and
humanity OF our people, rcsolutcly
determined to discharge the oncrous
responsibility dcvolved msought
upon us by our country, with fidelity
to our country, to our State and to
society. But SO far no bill Of indict-
mcnt has been laid before us; no
information, direct or Indirect;
nothing tangible upon which to pro-
coed" The gran' jury then con
csudo their prcscntmcnt us follows:
eve stand in the temple Of Justice,
erected for its administration be-
tween man and man, under the
shadow of the unspottcd crminc of
your Honor, conscious OF the far
reaching consequences of such crimes
when they go unpublished, ready to
discharge our duty, however unplcas-
ant or painful it may be, to God, to
humanity and our country"
Was there ever such waste of
words? Is it any wonder that vio-
lent men mock ut the Courts and
that the administration of justice is
II failure when the grand jury of Il
county, whose duty it is 'to take
cognizancc of all violations Of the
law too excessive to be dealt with
by single Individuals" profess that
they had emo information, direct or
indirect; nothing tangible upon
which to proceed ?" The grand jury
dcnouncc the butchcry Of the eight
dcfcncclcss prisoners as "thc most
cowardly and cold-bloodcd assassina-
tom in the history of the county,;
from which it appears that the Jury
really had some "information" 1pon
the subject. 1t is pres,,m,d ,ha,
when the jury made ar investigation
of the jail they fc.und that ci"h,
prisoners were al sent on some nc.
count, but, so f'.,r as the prcscntmcnt
SHOWS, no r4quiry was made rs tc
tne "here'. .,bouts of the missing men
" are cold, however, that "thc iai
was trnnd in good condition, and the
pf'soncns spoke well Of the Sheriff:
treatment" What did Harrison
.Johnson and Judge Jones and Pctc1
Bell and Hugh Furs and Ralph Nor
raj and Robert Phoenix and RIPPLE,
Johnson and Mitchell Adams sa,
about "thc Shcriif's treatment? p
Where were they when the gran,
jury visited the county Jail and dis
covered that the prisoners wcr
"complaining only of little suffer
ing from cold, caused by 4 dcfcctiv
heater" which the Sheriff woul,
have had ''rcpaircd had not the cN
cccding mildncss of the winter rem
tlcrcd its use unnecessary until re
Gently ?" Did the grand jury rcpor
to the Court that the Sheriff ha'
failed to account for eight prisoner
who had been placed in his custoI
by the law? Did the grand iur
find "no information, direct or ind.
rect ut the county Jail when
"approachcd the consideration o
this crime, with an abiding faith i
the loyalty and humanity OF our pco
pic p
The grand jury say SO far, II
bill of Indictment has been lai
before u.s." Whose fault was that
Is the Solicitor to blame for not pc,
forming his duty, and whose busincs
is it to report the officers Of tn
Court for failure to discharge thci
duties? Was there ''nothing tang
bic upon which to procccd' in tn
failure Of somebody to prepare bi
OF Indictment The grand iur
conclude us follows: "Awaitin
your IIonor's further instructions i
the premises, we respectfully submi
this, onr prcscntmcnt." Did hi
Honor give any "furthcr instruction
in the premises 2" and if he did no
why not? His Honor must hay
had some information, direct or ind
rect, in regard to the lynchng of tn
eight dcicncclcss prisoners, or h
could not have denounced it rs
"brutal butchcry." The grand iur
must have had some information
direct or Indirect, in regard to th
; violation of the law or they coul
not have characterized ii as the mos
cold-bloodcd crime in the history {
the country, and yet they were sti
found standing in the temple of ju:
: ticc, 'undcr the shadow Of tit
; unspottcd crminc Of your Homo
conscious Of the far-rcaching conS(
) qucnccs Of such crimes when the
go unpunishcd, ready to dischare
our dutyw
Where does the responsibility t,
the murder of the eight absent pris
) oncrs rest? How is it to be fixed
Is this crime to go unpunishcd ri
: grand jury of Barnwcll county ha,
. ioilrI IN do thnir I,,ty opJ ~, ,,,