The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-02-16
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inquest IN Sparfanourg yesterday, held on
the laiesf dispenssry homicide in that
county, We are nov prepared 40 pass upon
The merits of the shooting Of Moore and Of
the killing Of Ballew, and without hesitation
we pronounce it 10 have been n foul en-
spiracy entered into under the name Of law
and terminating in the unlawful killing Of
Ballew.
Ii appears that one of these men, Moore,
was summoned from his house, probably
from his bed, ut the dead of night-at II
time and uoder cir cumstances when he C r.
tainly Guild not have bscn engaged in viola
ting law-was summoned forth and pre-
vailed on TO proceed distance from his
house, for the purpose Of viola'iuga law, it
is true. but n law that does not impose the
capital penalty and i. not Of such magnitude
as purports to jeopsrdise or forfeit the life
of the offender
Thus prevailed upon. he was dccoyei and
led into an ambush which coufessedly had
been secretly and c'andestinoy PREF ar,d
for him by gang of men--we cannot call
them officers Of the law, f,r they were con.
spira, ors who had .cbuded together to vio-
late the gravest of the laws of God and man,
those affecting the life of human being
lie was led into ambush, challenged i'll the
darkness by unknown persons TO chat,
and was finally shct down-though nCt
kilied-whether after firing on his sudden
and unknown a>sai ants, is neither relevant
nor material.
His cries of pain AMI for help were re-
spondcd I, hy his knsman, Ballew, who
ran out in hi. night cothes, and, brave ma"
ns In" must have !, GU, gave the Succor which
In . wounded rela i've hail right to expect
aud which the later had called upon him 10y
name TO render
The coustnblcs thought Bal CIV either fool.
hardy or n fool outright Tor continuing to
advance upon them in til, dark with his
pistols in his han Is. notwithstanding six
Of thee, We believe, had him covered with
their guns.
it is cnsy 10 divine that Ballcw. suddculy
coming out of n lieh'cd room, aS we take j,
must have been the case. Was for Il time
bliudcd TO surrounding OF jccts. he cor
stables knew whp and how many men they
had to deal with. Their pans hnd al been
intel igcntly laid and they themselves were
secured from harm, except by the mc;cst
chance wra, ped around rs they were 10y
the protec'irg darkness. Ballew, on the
contrary, was absolutely ignorant of every
essential, of their numhcr, of their person
ity and, doubtless. of their very character.
lie only groped in the dark, blndly seeking
10 dcicnd himself against hidden foe.
The alleged constahlcs did not set him III ght
by excinimng: I've are officers of the
law: surrender i'll its name; we have Il
Tar1aphS i4g dp iny give MS mSn wGo,
whatever he may have done, was a brave
and faithful friend and hal done nothing to
deserve death.
In tn $ attitude and uuder such crcum-
stanccS-for which we take The statement "f
the r"':S:2kl"s :aym>cIvus-wi n p!S'ols
pointci, s. far as he knew. n nothing, hat
only prepared H. c)rfrout the peril which
menaced him when Il should develop itse;f.
and ward off II law'cSs act, not to cowmit
one, Bal ew the brave man and true friend
MS we or the public a'onc know him, was
slain from ambush, hy whom or for what
cause he never knew.
The who'c course of the cJnst,hlvs shows
cowardiy aud reckless regard for the
sanctity of others lives and an ignorance OF
the first principles of the law which they
arc authorized and empowered to enforce
that must arouse the most infatuated advo-
cate of the dispensary law to sense of the
Instant public danger which continues to
attend the efforts to enforce this law by such
lawlcss methods.
Let us look Mt this astounding affair in the
Light of the evidence of the accused them
selves.
The cNnstablcs, six or more in number,
set forth to arrest these vjolntorS of the law
If they were violaters of the law-at the
dead of night. Why? Thcy claim they
had warrants for the arrest of Moore and
oihe's BASED on atiidavis duly made and
sworn to that they had viuL, cl the law
Why go at night TO serve those warrants !?
But what do they do? Do they 90 to
Moores house, tell him who they are. serve
the warrants and make arrests: No. They
hi1A IN ha L. II II
tempt Moore 10 violate the law and lead
him into ambush. For what purpose:
To get more evidence against him That
was not necessary and could do no good
unless they wcut back and submitted 1t u
the justice issuing the warrant in order ru
strengthen that document. But having ocu-
lar PROOF of Moore offence, why come upon
him suddenly IN the 'la'k To make the ar
rc-:? Why not let him proceed hack to hiS
house and g there and make Ihr arrest
when the papers authorizing it could nc
displayed to him?
Need We hunt further for an explanation
Of the affair These constable. were al
arrant gang Of sNmlking c"wa~dS. They
were INSCRIPTIONS touls. ready mnd vii ing
to commit any crime in the name of law,
providing they could Ito i, with the law )
sanc' on and without cndanccrng their own
''''i'"N 'ViS' h'Il iHtN 'Ii
not ask themselves wha; would he the proper
mode of procedure, but hy what method
Ihcy could proceed with l,rf Ct safety to
ihcm' elves, and that they follow with coh-
sistcncy ami ,tradfas;n"ss Of purpose worthy
If u better cauSc. Assured "i the GOvrrn-
or's all-powcrtul protection. NJ We may
easily imagiac, from the Elliot incident,
they rocked not "f the amount of blood
which might he shed 80 that none Of theirs
was spilled.
And now, We ask Governor Tillman, in
the light Of this dcpl rlblc event. which. in
the nature Of things, can only be III" fore
runner Of n long list of such where men Of
ihis description and chirac' cr are armed 10y
the law and vested with such uuI rcccdcut, i
discretion over the lives aud property of
their fellow offensive ak hm to pau-c
and think where this must aii lead tu--wc
ask him to consider if tho game j. wrr h the
candlc-wc ask HIM II bravcly confess what
We believe he now rciliHcS in his hears of
hearts-ihrt the disrcusary law is a misrkr
an honest mistake. We sincerely believe,
but costly one and one which cnnn"t lie
too quickly acknowledged and rcmCdi"d -
Ch0riCsicn SUH.
NOTiCE.-Wc advise our readers II sen