Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-04-04
Great Trouble in South Carolina.

The attempt co enforce the Dispen-
sary liquor-law in South Carolina, by
means of constables-calle spies in
that State-has resulted in boodshed
and intense excitement, with the citi
zens chasing the constables who take
save their lives from the vengeance of
the people. The Governor orders out
military companies, some of which re-
fuse to obey his order. and he has de-
clared the counties of Darlington and
Florence to he in State of insurrec-
ton, and he has sought to take posses
sion OF the telegraph lines and the
railroads. This trouble originated at
Darlington last Friday, when four per-
sons were killed and three seriously
wounded. A correspondent says
1T began with an attack made, sud-
denly and unexpectedly, by Floyd, the
! Dispensary agent, on young Rodgers,
clerk at the Enterprise Hotel.
| A young man rushed forward to stop
the fight and the twenty constables
who were present covered him with
their guns and ordered him back.
The City Marshal about this time,
with an assistant, came up to queil the
fight and the constables covered him
also with their rifles and refused to let
him interfere.
One of the constab les, McLendOn,
began cursing Frank Norment, who
wished to stop the fight, and on his
answering back shot him dead.
| nt,A I II
guns, and two of them, Pepper and an
other whose name l forget, fell. Pep
per was shot dead and the other was
MORALLY wounded.
The rest of the constables hurried off
a short distance, faced about, fired a
volley and then broke and fled.
| Louis NOrment received painful
wound. Our brave Chief of Police on
this parting volley also received a pain
full wound and young Lewis Redmond
was shot dead.
The train which was fired into by
the citizens showed next morning that
seventeen bullets hit it.
! Constable McLendon, l understand,
was the man who Tiled both of the
citizens. am told that he emptied
his rifle and his pistol before he was
himself killed."
By Monday the Governor had four
hundred troops assem- bled at Darling
ton, by which time the excitement had
abated and all was quiet, and it is
no Jed that there will be no other
trouble or conflicts.
GOV. TILLMAN DISCLAIMs RESPONSE
BILITY.
| &oIo - ii
Coy. Tillman disclaims all responsible
ity for the Dispensary law as follows
That l am in any way responsible
for the present condition of things in
this State is utterly false and absolute
| ly without foundation in fact
| did not make the Dispensary law.
On the contrary protested against it's
enactment and predicted, from my
knowledge of the people of the State,
that it would lead to violence and
bloodshed.
have not tried to enforce its mon
strOus provisions. On the contrary, l
have urged that it's constitutionality be
determined by the courts, and that the
people yield a ready obedience to the
law once the law has been determined.
did not appoint desperate or ire
sponsible men to enforce the law and
arm them with rifles with instructions
to shoot any one who might resist by
look or word the Infamous work of the
whiskey spies.
did not pardon, before reading the
evidence in the case, the first of the
spies who was convicted, although his
offence was searching premises with
out warrant and striking a woman,
the mistress of the premises.
L have never declared that | would
head mob to lynch ii man for any of
fence whatever.
BENJAMIN TILLMAN. Governor.