The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-07-24
NO. 81.

standing on the stand to the right OF
Butler, said:
Yes, but you denied it in Washing
ton"
Butler turned like panthes and
quick as lightning said: "ThatNis q
lie: an Internal lie" It he had stopped
at this thcro might not have been ,slv
trouble at that time, but he repeated
what he said two or three times
Men began to surge toward the stand
while Butlcr continued his denuncia-
tion. In an instant Charles Hammond
jumped upon tho stand, followed by II.
III. TOwnes, each with his hand resting
on tho butt of n pistol in his hip pocket,
1t was then that tho desperate men OF
both sides jumped upon tho stand and
| those OF ,css courage moved Off.
Hammond and Towncs got behind
| Butler, and rillman's friends crowded
around him. The antagonists began to
glarc at each other and to talk in
strong language TO each other. Pistols
were changed from one pocket to an
| other to be convenient for quick uso
1t was u sQually time The excite
ment is beyond description.
Atkinson did not move one inch from
whore ho had been standing. He was
surrounded by excited men.
General Butler quickly recovered his
wits and worked masterfully to check
the riot which seemed imminant. Till
| man did likewise. Each appealed to
mon of both sides to stop lowering.
They begged those trying to get on the
stand to stay off and those who wero
already on to got off.
| Among some of the mon toying with
| thcir pistols were several known to
for GOODNESS and recklessness.
| The nDrOnr continued fpl. what an
peared to be ten minutes. During this
| time the hundreds of men who had re-
mained on the stand had gotten ready
| for action.
know it to be fact that almost
| every man had singled out a target for
his pistol and merely awaited the sig.
nal to turn loose.
The excitement gradually subsidized,
but was really mover oppressed.
Butler resumed his speech to try to
get the audience back in it's former dis
position. He gradually grew salty
| again and there was another outbreak
of cheering for Tilman. Butler got
mad again and said Icre was an at
tempt to drown his soice with their
braying. "Any common jackass, $40
said vchcmently, may bray, but | do
by Il lot of blatant jackasscs. ! cannot
be frightened have seen too much
of real danger to be intimidated.
Governor Tillman says | am not in
this race. He says he will beat me.
| say if he will leave out his rings and
give me a separate box will beat him
three to one. will beat him three to
one in Meriwether Township, where
both of us live"
ring and caucus man ana said it was
charged that there is a ring controll-
ing the Gubernatorial race. Tillman,
he said, has not denied this charge.
Turning to Tillman Butler exclaim-
ed :" dare you-l dare you, sir, to
give me primary. You will mover do
1T because you arc afraid. Even rings
won't save YOU"
Butler took from his pocket tho GER
tificatc relating to Tillman at Ham
burg. He said that he had not consid-
cred it Il matter of much Importance
and had not intended to refer to it
again, but as Tillman demanded it he
would give it. The certificate is as
follows:
This is to certify that at Hamburg,
July, 1876, we, the undersigned, were
present and that Mr. B. II. Tillman was
not seen by any one of us when the fir
ing began. That we were in the thick
est of it from start to finish, and If he
had been there we should have seen
him, and certainly did not after the
firing began.
Hammond, l.. V. Strom. H. ID. Strom,
John Nj. Hightowcr, G. w. Walker,
JOS. B. Mckic, John a. Butler"
The reading OF the certificate finish
ed, Butler sat down.
The Governor waited u few seconds
and walked to the front. His ovca
were flashing. He read the following
certificate rcfuting the charges Of the
others:
South Carolina-Aikcn County.
"To all concerned: This is to certi-
fy that on the night of the Hamburg
riot, in 1876, we, the undersigned, were
In the town OF Hamburg from the be-
ginning to the ending of said riot, and
that we know of our own knowledge
that Is. Il. Tillman stayed in said town
and did his whole duty until the end
ing of the said riot.
(Signed) y" Henry Citizen, L. w.
Reese, j. O. Holder, w. H. H. Butler,
}. G. Hammond, T.. O. Thurman, l.. ID.
Reese, G. w. Mcdlock, j. f. Atkins, S.
b. Mays, II. A. Hays, j. a. Thinner
man, S. w. Miller, w. f. Roper, j. c.
Lanham, j. ~. White, II. N. Thinner
man, w. F.. Dobey"
(Somc of these mon are Butterflies.
asked the signcrs if they were not with
him, and they answered in the aflirma-
tive.
Another row was expected at any
minute during the reading Of the GER
tilicate, but it did not matcriaizc.
a large number Of men who had not
signed theGertificatc shouted to Till
man; Yes, you were there. We
were with you and saw YOU"
The Hamburg riot incident was
wound up by the following from Gov
ernor Tillman: "If any man doubts
that referring to the certificatc) let
him meet me on the public square"
While Tillman was reading. ten or
fifteen of his friends surrounded him.
~ whirlwind Of applause followed him
and q hundred OF his admirers warmly
shook his hand. Governor Tillman's
speech was n fine one in every sense.
1t was impossible to get anything like
II full report of it, because the frequent
interruption by applause made it dis
connected.