Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-05-04
WHY HE WAS LYNCHED
The 0utspoken Verdict of
the Jury Of Inquest.
THE CORPSE STILL HANGS FROM TEE TREE.
All is Quiet and Peaceful
Where Once Was Ex-
element.

DENMARK, S. c., April 25.-
To-day at Denmark is as calm
and peaceful as the qniet towr
has ever enjoyed, but out at the
\ scene of little Mamie Baxter's
awful experience hung all day
fearful warning to black ano
white unconscionable scoundrels.
Last night after the train fol-
Augusta passed the scene the
crowd of avengers began to dis
perse and the stiffness of death
soon settled over the place.
AS / drove over to the spot just
after the occurrence, Mr.. Baxter,
the father of the girl TOLD me that
after the excitement occasioned
by the negro's presence before her
had passed away, his daughter
said that she felt convinced that
Peterson was the man.
Men viewed the scene with
varied feeling. The majority felt
they were but guarding the most
sacred trustof the husband, father,
brother and son. Their grim faces
still bore the lines of determination
and they seemed oppressed with
the burden of their duty.
And yet in some there was an
awful levity,while the passion for
human blood seemed to be aroused
IN others. One must witness such
a tragedy and mingle among the
crowd to fully comprehend the
elements of character that go to
make up jury of Judge Lynch's'
court. To the casual onlooker, if
one can be So described, life seemed
to be trifle and not God given
eift- --thare is something
: dearer to man than 1IIeJ, anu
was the thought of this that
nerved the hand that slipped the
moose, and steadied the aims of
hundreds of pistols that belched
forth death.
ONE LAST SHOT.
Here goes one last shot," cried
one as he mounted the railroad
embankment and pulled his
pistol.
"No; don't do it," cried dozen
voices, but the man was deter
mined, the last shot rang out and
the dark form swayed in the moon-
light.
Some of the morbid relic hunters
cut patchee from sthe dead mars
breeches but for many the memory
of that night will be a sufficient
memento of the awful scene.
In an hour or so the last man
left the spet but daylight heralded
the sight-seers.
Nobody touched the body, that
solemn duty being gladly left for
Trial Justice R. w. D. Rowell,
acting coroner. who held the in
quest.
The first train to pass was one
from Augusta, and the passengers
looked out upon the solemn sight.
while the curious crowd that
gathered in the vicinity pointed
out to them the black corpse,
others doing the same duty for the
passengers shortly afterward going
i'll the opposite direction.
I went up to Blackville and
came back for the coroner's in
quest. AS the freight slowly
passed the scene a negro preacher
with barred head pointed to the
body and then slowly moved his
hand heavenward, repeating the
movement until the train passed
beyond, then entering his buggy
with companion he drove away
AS the train stopped at the
South Bound crossing I joined 8
group of men in front of a store
and the minister before mentioned
pulled up his horse within earsho'
of the party and delivered a short
sermon on the occasion, pre-
sumably to one Of his race, bu'
really to his white hearers.
He had no sympathy for evi
doors, he said, but be did no
believe in making the innocent
suffer for the guilty.
The majority of the negroes
however, feel that the right mai
has paid the penalty for his crime
and a number of them witnessed