The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-19
DECIDEDLY AN UNSAyORY MESS.
The Dascnport Case in Laurens-Narrative
by Man who Seems to Know the
Facts-Senator lrby's Part In
Compromising Felony.
From the Greenville News.

From the Greenville News.
LAURENs County, S. c., July Ia
propose to give you some facts and
nothing but established facts connected
with the greatest disgrace and scandal
that has ever befallen poor, unfortunate
Laurens county. If this shame could
have been concealed or covered up as
hidden mystery" 1t would have been
better for the honor and fair name Of
Laurens. It is not with jocular feelings
or in a spirit Of hilarity, gloatlng over
the downfall of my fellow man, that L
pen the truth Of this unfortunate scan
dal. The patriotic Englishman of NOBLE
birth will eXclaim "God save the
queenw I, an humble citizen of Lau-
rens county, exclaim, "God save my
county" God save the virtue Of our
pure, innocent and beautiful women!
God save them from the hand of the
destroyers Of virtue! God save them
from the Vaccinations of corrupt and
depraved politicians!
Of all the misfortunes that have ever
blotted the fair name of Laurens coun-
ty the Davenport scandal IS the most
bitter pill that she has ever been forced
to swallow.
What are the facts in the case? An
aged school commissioner nearly 20
years of age, a man once held in the
highest repute; man elected to high
office of honor and trust; a man Sc
lected to watch over and superintend
the educational interests of his county;
to guide and direct the many fair, pure
and model young lady teachers
man accused and the accusations
proven beyond the shadow of doubt
of crossing the sacred threshold Of an
humble citizen and attempting by vio-
lence to destroy the chastity of his
young and pretty wife only about six
teen years Of age. This young woman
was once the pupil of this old depraved
school commissioner, whose name is L..
P. Davenport, which name he has
tried to shadow with dark and black
stigma, for the name AMI family are
among the best in Laurens county.
The victim of this assault, Mrs. S.
w. Fuller, testified in substance that
Davenport came to her home while her
husband was absent working on his
farm, and she was preparing to get
dinner. That he hitched his horse
some distance from her house, came III
and made improper proposals to her.
She screamed and he (Davenport) ran
away. When her husband came home
she informed him of the conduct of
Davenport.
He (her husband, S. w. Fuller,) got
her father, Mr.. Benjamin, and they
started to Laurens to get warrant for
old man Davenport. On their way to
town land here comes another dark
side of this picture) they met J. D. NJ.
Shaw and told him their business. Shaw
told them that it would never do to
expose this matter; that J. l.. NJ. lrby
(.S0uth Cardinals model and distin-
guashed Senator; words and italics
nine) was down at his (Shaw's) house;
to come and go back there and he and
1rby would settle the matter. They
returned to Shaw's house and Shaw
and Irby held a consultation.
They (Shaw and Irby) then told the
party, Fuller & Co., to retire and de-
eide what would satisfy them in the
matter. Fuller & Co., after consulta-
ton, decided that 500 hush money
would satisfy all parties, pay for the
attem pied violation of the virtue of his
wife. and all things would work as
merry as the maj riage bell. Shaw and
Irby agreed to the proposition and
paid cash $50 and executed a note
signed py Shaw and endorsed by Irby
for $50 more to pay damages. This
note has been publicly exhibited signed
by J. D. NJ. Shaw and endorsed by J.
L. NJ. Irby.
But, unfortunately for the parties
engaged in this disreputable transac-
ton, there is another woman in the
case-the old lady Benjamin-the girl
wife's mother. This old woman, God
bless her, would submit to no such
dirty, black, nasty, villanous sale Of
her daughters honor and virtue. She
raised cain and has kept the whole
matter brewing and astewing until the
whole country is aroused and indigna-
ton meetings are being held.
An indignation meeting was held at
Mount Pleasant last Wednesday after
noon and resolutions were introduced
requiring Davenport to resign his
office, leave the State in forty-eight
hours and never return. These resolu-
tions accused Davenport of attempted
seduction, when from the testimony of
Mrs. Fuller the crime was attempted
rape and nothing else. 1t is needless
to say that the chairman of the meet
ing, Oscar Cunningham, was a heart
and soul sympathizer of Irby, Shaw,
Davenport & Co. But the brave,
chivalric manhood of Laurens county
was aroused, both Tillmanite and anti
Tillmanite, and they would agree to no
such resolutions. The meeting on re-
ceiving information that S. w. Full
ler, the husband of the unfortunate
lady, had sent a card to the Laurens
Herald denying that old man Daven-
port had made any improper proposals,
or assault upon his wife, he (Fuller)
was required to ia ke the stand and
make statement. He then and there
did state publicly that the charges
against Davenport were true in toto,
aud that be was induced to sign a pa
per denying the truth of the charges,
and as he was poor ignorant fellow,
LIE Ulu uOG huOW Wu2C SOTC Oh = paper
he put his name to, but if it was con-
Trajectory to the testimony of his wife
he had signed "a lie 6iH' and would so
publish to the world in the next Her
aid. This somewhat allayed the tenn
per of the crowd and the meeting was
adjourned to meet to-day friday at ,
o'clock.
The darkest side OF this picture, if it
has darker side, was the forcing, per-
suading or inducing by any means of
this ignorant fellow to sign this paper
for publication, which article appeared
yesterday in the Laurensvile Herald.
I am reliably Informed that John NJ.
Hudgens, president of the Laurens
County Alliance, did write this article
for S. w. Fuller to sign for publication.
If this be true, God save the alliance!
I can not attend the meeting at
Mount Pleasant this evening, but am
informed that a desperate effort will be
made to hush, smother or cover up the
whole affair to save certain politicians.
If this is done, l repeat: God save our