Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-05-15
The Leaplart Case.

The Developments in this case during
tho past week have been highly sonsa-
tional. Tho verdict Of tho Coroncr's S
jury was "that Willie Leaphart camo to
his death by gunshot wounds inflicted by
parties unknown" This was the verdict,
notwithstanding tho Sheriff and his wife
testified that they recognized certain
persons among tho lynchcrs at tho Jail
Sunday morning, when Lcaphart was
shot to death.
On Tuesday afterwards, Gov. Richard
son, as if just awakened from his Rip Van
Winklo sleep, made public tho affidavit
OH which tho respite was granted. This
affidavit was made by one w. j. Miller, Il
Deputy United States Marshal, and was
to the effect that no outrage had been
committed upon Rosa Cannon, according
to her own confessions made in certain
alleged letters which she had written to
her mother, and which Miller sworc he
had seen. This affidavit was hid away in
tho archives of the Governors office
from April l2th to May 9th, when if it
had been made public ut first the falsity
thereof could have been established in
day, just rs it has since been done, and
Leaphart would have suffered death at
the hands Of the lawful authorities in
stead of passionate mob, and Lexington
county would not have broken her record
us a lawabiding community But most
unfortunate termination for all parties
concerned was put to the existence of
| nn oyf and In Il ,,f l,n -,
cited by him arc not yet.
The alleged letters of Rosa Cannon to
her mother have been pronounced for
gcrics, and the said w. j. Miller was ar
rested on the charge of forgery on the
7th instant. G.. II. Graham, Esq, the at
torncy who defended Lcaphart and oh.
tanned tho respite on tho Miller affidavit,
was arrested on the Sth instant for for
gerry and subornation of perjury. after
fleeing from Lexington to Columbia for
fear of being lynchcd. He was released
on bail in the sum of $1,000.
Miller attempts now to deny his first
affidavit and seeks to pose rs the tool
later affidavit in which he says that he
was drunk when he signed the first, and
had no knowledge Of what it contained.
lie seems to have the facility Of swear
ing anything one day and contradicting
it the next, and when all he has sworn is
put together, doubled and twisted, there
Is about as much dependence to be put
in it as Il rope of sand. lie sought to
take refuge from his crimes behind his
commission rs Deputy United States
Marshal, and accordingly sued out n
writ of habcas corpus before Judge
Simonton, of the District Court, by whom
he hoped to be rclcascd; but at the
hearing Of the return to the writ ut Char
lesion last Saturday, Judge Smonton
held that while he was charged with
forgery, committed without the pale OF
his duty as Deputy Marshal, he would
| have to answer for his crime before tn,
Court of Sessions of Lexington County,
and accordingly rcmandcd Miller to the
Sheriff, and he is now confined in Rich
land County Jail III obedience to the ordc,
of Judge Kcrshaw.
Three of the lynchcrs have also been
arrested. Attorney General Earle went
to Lexington last Thursday and had war
rants issued for the arrest of +. G. Caugh-
man, Pcarcc Taylor and A. Marks.
They have been arrested and arc now in
Lexington Jail, awaiting trial on in,lict.
mcntS for murder.