The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-05

protection. The sheriff of Darlington
telegraphed me that he was poweriess
and that nothing but troops could keeE
the place and restore order. During
Friday night mob had broEeu int
and dstroyed or stolen over half th'
stock in the dispensary at Florence
belonging to the State, and simiIal
mob, or some Of the same, had looteC
the dispensary at Timmonsville.
RAISING an ARMED FORCE.
Feeling that the emergency was such
that could afford to take no chances
and knowing the ugly temper of the
citizens Of this city, whose passion:
were being lashed into fury by tht
utterances of the State newspaper,
had on Saturday telegrahed several o
the more accessible counties, calling fol
volunteers among the citizens to come
to Columbia and support the Govern
ment in its efforts to restore peace anC
! enforce respect for the law. During
Saturday night and Sunday these
volunteers, who had left their busines;
at a moments notice, to hurry to the
rendezvous came pouring in on every
train; while notices by wire of hun
dreds, and even thousands, who were
ready to respond, were received by
Monday morning. I had to counter
mand the orders Monday morning, anC
| decline any further assistance, bul
| about three hundred came in duriHs
Sunday and Sunday night.
| of troopc md vnlt1n
fast as they reached the city, were
marched inside the Penltentiary walls
and placed under the strictest dis
| cipline. Gen. r. n. Richbourg, who
had been given command, and who
deserves great praise for his prompt
action and soidierly bearing through
| out the trying crisis, did all that was
possible for their comfort. Col. w. A.
Neal, the efficient superintendent oi
the Penitentiary and commissary gen.
eral on ny staff exerted himself TO the
utmost to furnish food and shelter. Ii
was happy thought putting the men
in the Penitentiary, as thereby they
were kept isolated, and conflict between
them and the citizens prevented. And
but for the appliances for cooking
which the Penitentiary afforded, it is
difficult to see how the men could have
been fed
Sunday morning the news from the
scene of the disturbance was still of the
most disquieting nature. The consta'
bles were said to he surrounded; some
of them were said to have been killed,
and it was reported that it was the
fixed purpose of the Darlington mob to
lynch all of them, while armed bodies
of citizens from Florence and Sumter
were reported guarding every road to
prevent their escape. Gen. Farley,
having failed to get any troops in
Charleston, dismissed Capt. Davis, OF
the Manning company, who had sue
ceeded in getting together only nine OF
his men, and proceeded to Darlington
alone under my orders. He reported
things quiet in the town but gave no
account Of the constables.
DECLARING MARTIAL LAW.
Saturday morning, realizing that /
had to deal with a dangerous situation,
and being resolved to uphold the
dignity of the State Government and
enforce obedience to the laws; issued a
proclamation, which I had telegraphed
to and bulletiled at every. station in
the counties of Darlington and Florence
declaring these counties in State of
issurrection and ordering all evil
minded persons and unlawful assem-
blages TO disperse-in effect putting
them under martial law. Saturday
evening, finding that special trains
were being used by the-riotersto and
from points in the insurrectiopary dis.
trict and tbatthe telegraph<Wires were
kept hot. with all man1er Jof :iDfam-
matory reports, Keeping, fhetpqblie-
mind in &n angry, excitea State, Wnich
threatened to produce copf st 'hetHeen
citizens :sf different viswg at 0thes
points, I notified the authorities q the
Cost Line Railroad and of the telegraph
companies that took possession of the
telegraph lines and railroad, forbade
the transmission Of any message except
those on business, and ordered that no
trains shoald be furnished except to
the State. The telegraph people OBJ
jected, the Postal Telegraph Company
reluctantly yielding obedience; but the
Western Union Company had to be
served with an INJUNCTION by Judge
Watts, and afterwards took forci ble
possession by means of the military.
The railroad authorities consented cheer
fully to comply with the terms Of the
order, and much credit is dne this line,
as we'll as all others in the State, for
the hearty cooperation which they
rendered the State Government in
moving the militia and volunteers.
THE ADVANCE ON DARLIGTON.
Sunday evening, having arranged
for transportation and provided tents
and commissary stores, l ordered Gen.
Richbourg to take all the uniformed
companies then in the city except two,
the Edgefeld Rifles and the Newberry
Rifles, to Darlington by special train,
which be did, reaching there at lC
O'Clock Sunday night. cannot 90
into details of the military operations,
or rather the occupation of Darlington
and Of Florence during the tive sue
ceeding days. By Monday night all OF
the constaoles had been heard from
and were safe. This relieved my OWL
and the party's suspense very much,
and after keeping the troops at the two
points until the coroner's inquest had
been held, which the constables at
tended in order to testify, and having
had a conference with some of the
leading citizeDs of the town of Dar-
lington, from whom satisfactory as
surances were received the command
ing general advised me that peace and
order were restored, and the troops
were ordered home, being brought to
Columbia before they were dismissed.
They were dismissed on April 7, hav.
ing been paid off in full. The volun-
teers and other companies which had
reached the city after the departure OF
the troops for Darlington on Sunday
evening had previously been paid off,
and returned to their bones on Tues.
day. The total cost for transportation,
subsistence and compensation Of the
troops for the entire affair including
interest till January on the money,
which I borrowed from the Carolina
National Bank, will be Sl3,S98.75. The
vouchers and all the papers are in the
hands of the Comptroller General, and
provision will have to be made in the
next appropriation bill to pay this sum,
to roliova mo arI tho gentlemen who