The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-07-30
INNOCENT PRISONERS TO BE EXECU-

AA>NOShSA>i ANiSo-N'SNS ~ i'S iSAEco-
TED.
The awful hours rolled on. another
night of indescribable suffering passed
away, and the day of execution has
come. 70 many Of these men IL
quick death was to be preferred to the
slow and cruel death they were then
passing. The hour for the execution
arrives. All the troops, mostly negroes,
off guard on the Point were formed into
the hollow square. The thirty-two al
most naked, freezing, starving men were
marched out into line in the hollow
square. Major Brady, with the audaci-
ty of the wolf before eatirg the lamb,
proceeded to ask each man if he knew
who Killed the guard. AS he proceeded
he received a positive 10 from the he
roic boys first and then from the Lrave
men. He had not gone far, however,
when an alarm was heard in the direc-
ton of the gate. -Four or five men
were seen coming on horseback at full
speed and yelling at the top of their
voices. 1T was an officer who had
employee in the next cook house, who
could tell them something about who
killed the guard.
SAVED BY a MASON.
But we must go back one day i'm the
narrative. During that day of cruel
mocklngS there was one kind man who
visited the suffering prisoners. lie
was a commissioned officer and Ma
son. Among the thirty-twO prisoners
there was but one Mason. and he gave
signal which will stir the deepest
emotions of brother. This officer lost
no time, but set to work to ferret out
the cause of the death OF the guard.
Major Brady, unfeeling monster as he
was, al tempted to find out the cause 10y
torturlng innocent men.
Ot course the proceedings were stayed
until the yOung man was heard from
lie was placed OH a box to testify, but
he could not do this until Major Brady
had lndulged in some silly, irrelevant
questions. He, however, stated that
ON the evening the guard was killed he
was at the wood-pile gathering some
chips for the fire when he was hit on
the leg 10y the brick. Smarting with
pain he threw the brick back and hit
the guard on the head, and he fell Off
the parapet. Whether. said the Young
man, the brick or the whiskcy in the
guard caused the fall and death, he
could not say; for. said he, the guard
was drunk that afternoon. Then the
young man added: | am sorry did
not know that you were beStOwing this
cruelty on these men, for | should have
| INV i'i ""lN tltiNt hlio" IL lIltSP
things.
| THREE PRISONERS KILLED
The thlrty-twO were immediately
sent back to their quarters, where they
were clothed and fed, bat three Of them
died soon after from this exposure, and
most Of them had impaired health. AS
Tor the young man, he was never pun
lshed for what he did, hut in Il few
weeks he was acting courier for Major
Brady in the prison.
While | was not one Of the sufferers
| was in the prison at the time. and
much Of 1t was related to me by Il Mr..
Jones, of Georgia, who occupied the
same tent with me and worked outside
daily on detail; also, Mr.. Sam Puckctt,
OF l.alrenS County, :. c., who was one
OF those who underwent that terrible
ordeal of suffering, has Il number OF
times related to me the whole story.
lie is Il man Of character and influence
in his community. If any doubt this
story of reckless cruelty let them write
TO Mr.. Sam Puckct, Waterloo, ). G.,
who will endorse all | have written,
and who has several times asked me
to write it out for the papers. was
paroled and left Point Lookout Fcbrll-
AIRY IS, 1850. While free from any spe-
clal sickness, | was reduced IS pounds
in weight purely for want of sufficient
food. What | have written is in no
spirit of vindictiyeneSs, but merely to
| preserve the facts of history