The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-12
A DAUGHTERS LETTER.
A TOUCHING DEFENSE OF A DEAD
FATHERS CAREER.

The Pititul Side CT the Recent Biackvllle
Tcsgedy-An Explanation From Const2-
bic Gribban's- Eldest Dauzhver--The
Story.
COLUMBIA, S. C., Sept. 4.-There is
another chapter Of the recent tragedy
| in Blackville, in which Liquor Consta
BILE GTibben and Mr.. Sol Brown LOST
their lives, that presents very pathetic
side to the picture. The chapter is from
| the pen Of the deceased constable's
| daughter. and it was received by Gov eT
| nor Tiliman Saturday. The constsble's
daughter, under the caption "a Few
| Remarks to Explain Matters to Your
Excellency, Governor b. r. Iillman,
writes as follows, endeavoring. as any
true daughter should, to shield her faith
er's career:
You are no doubt aware of the cir
custances of the butchery OF our dear
| father.
Sudden and unthought Of as was the
| shock or his tragic death-3udden as
the shock was to his widow and Or
phan children-it scarcely seems as if
| it was near so bad or unlocked and
uncalled for as the defaming of his
character by Col. Mike Brown and Ed.
mund Fielder, which neither one of
them would have dared to do, or ever
did as long as there was breath of
life in his dear body.
No one would be surprised at the
statement Of. Col. Nike Brown, who
was the brother of my fathers muir
derers. But for Edmund Fielder, who
my father has defended from himself
many and many time, it looks to
any one who knows my father and his
character, moral and otherwise, stran ge
and unchristian.
He was on their hot tracks the last
few days of his life and was expecting
liquor at any hour on any train or any
conveyance, in any shape or form, to
be delivered to them or GALE ed for by
them at any stations, Blackville or
other where's. as they have been get
ting it left off at different stations. Of
course it was mineral water. but it
occurs to me, and no doubt it will to
you, that innocent mineral water would
rather face its accusers, instead OF
coming home roundabout ways like an
influential drunkard who has been
painting the town red and not coming
home till 2 in the morning.
My father always did his duty and
any other constable you choose to send
here, who tries to do his duty, as papa
did, will be served the same way, no
doubt, as my father was, as the Browns
are still at large and at present it looks
as if nothing is going to be done to
them. AS regards my father being dis
charged by the present town council
for lack of judgment or political faith,
owing to pledges made by town coun-
Gil before being elected, there is no
truth in such statement. The pre-
sent town council was elected by bought
negro votes, and old Simon Brown
was the purchaser. AS the present
town councils principles, not political,
did not agree with my papa's, he hand.
ed in his resignation. 1t was accepted
with reluctance, owing to my fathers
general competency and superinten-
dence for the good of the town. They
had no idea he was going to resign and
thus avoid collision with Simon Brown.
AS he bought the election, it was sup
posed that he would run the town too,
and Furthermore he served as town
marshal term during your administra-
tion.
Ny father Joined the British army
when mere boy. He did not like it,
neither did his friends and relatives
like his being there, so he left, owing
to the influence of his friends and rel
ativeS, who where very influential
with the government, and to prove that
it was not desertion pure and simple,
my father went to Scotland, then came
to America; then went back to the old
country and stayed there two years,
part of the time in England, Ireland
and Scotland, without any attempt
being made to touch him.
As 10 Joining the United States
troops, that Is what brought my poor
papa to the South. He came in '76
He stayed in the army about six
months. AS before he did not like it,
and he applied for his dismissal. Ow-
ing to his good behavior and good
conduct, Capt. Cline, of Company G,
$50 far as can remember it was Capt.
Cline of Company CD secured his pa
pers for an honorable discharge.
l had forgotten the circumstances
about my father leaving the Marine
Corps. l remember now that he told
| me about it. He got the colonel at
Edgefeld to have his papers straight
ened. The papers came out correct.
If the living liars about my dead
| father were to take the trouble to find
out, they would find the papers still
correct instead of using the word
'deserter."
AS to being straggler Of Sherman's 5
army, one does not know whether to be
| amused at or to pity Col. Browns Ia
mentable ignorance. My father, as fa1
as he can rem ember, was at that time
between nine and twelve years of age.
At that time he was in Ireland with
his mother.
AS to his not resenting the abuse OF
the Browns awhile ago, [ am reliably
Informed that my fathers muIderers
| were in waiting for young Brown to
fight with papa and then come up and
butcher him as they did the other day.
It was a feud Of long standing owing
| to the fact that my father did his duty
and did not allow the Browns to run
the town.
No matter how jealous he was in bis
duty he had always the endorsement OF
his superiors to support him.
When my father opened the box IN
the freight deopt there was not one
word said to him, but Brown went
home and armed the family to be ready
to butcher my farther when he made
his appearance on the streets again;
and they succeeded, but it took four
to do it. Before the fight my father
offered to fight all of them one at a
time, after trying his best to ward OIL
the fight.
If you want to publish this you can,
as l think that if my fathers murder
ers and Edward Fielder can write lies
and untruths. l think that, in the alb,
sence of any male relative, l am Justl-
fed in coming forward with an expla'
nation OF the truth.
One ward more. Neither the dispen-
sary or Your EXcellency is responsible
for the tragedy. The opening OF the
box was only the match to the maga'
zine of their internal hatred Of long