Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-04-11
SOME SAPIENT REFLEC-
TIONS BUT VERY
ILLOGICAL CONCLUSIONS.
A Very Startling Position for a
Military Man to Take.

could learn everything is perfectly
quiet and the civil authorities pre-
pared to discharge their duty. 1t
seems that a number of State con-
stables or spies aa they are called,
had been to Darlington for the pur-
pose of ascertaining if there was
any contraband whiskey. In the
search they made, they were sup
ported by the mayor and civil au-
thorities of Darlington, as there
was not the slightest resistance to
this enforcement of the dispensary
law; on the contrary the people of
Darlington co-operated with the
enforcement. This was prior to
Thursday, March %. 1t appears
the force of constables or spies
was increased on that day, by are
enforcement of about eighteen
men, armed with Winchester rifles
and pistols. Why this reinforce
ment of armed men should be sent
into peaceable, law-abiding COM
munity where there had been no
resistance to law, I cannot under
stand, and I think the authorities
will have difficulty in explaining
it. 1t also appears that this armed
band were about to retire from that
community where they had not
been mol oleste d.or disturb When
a personal difficulty arose between
two young men at the railroad sta
tion where these spies were. This
difficulty, from what I can learn,
was an entirely personal matter be-
tween the parties engaged and
in no way connected with the
execution of or resistance to the
dispensary law.
zone of these armed constables,
McClendon by name interfered in
this private difficulty. A citizen,
Mr.. Norment, at the depot on busi-
ness, made some remark, and there
was an Interchange of epithets be-
tween him and this,man whereupon
the constable opened fire upon Mr..
Norment, with the remark, Cd
d-n it, boys, let her ROLL The
firing then became general be-
tween the armed constables and
the few persons who appear to have
been at the station by accident or
on business. The result of this
firing was that two unoffending
citizens were slain, one constable
killed and this man McClendon
badly wounded, and several other
citizens, among them the chief of
police, who was trying to preserve
order, were several times wounded.
"The people of Darlington, natur-
ally indignant at the extraordinary
and violent measures adopted by
the authorities Of the State, were
outraged, and upon the informa-
ton of this emute at the station
they set out and pursued the men
who they rightly thought had COM
mitted a Wanton and unprovoked
murder upon two of their best citi-
zens. They pursued these men, I
take it, as long as there was a pros
pect of arrestlng them, and, we
must assume, bringing them to
Justice for what they considered an
unprovoked homicide. AS a proof
of their conservatism, the wounded
man, Mr.. McClendon, who had shot
Mr.. Norment, was taken to the jail
AMI there protected from further
injury, although the people of that
town were greatly infuriated at his
conduct.
II think it may be safely asser-
ted that there is not a more law
abiding, intelligent community
anywhere in the United States
than the two counties of Darling
ton and Florence. Now. it does
seem to me that if / had been
Governor of the State of South
Carolina I would have felt it to
be my duty, upon being informed
of the occurrences at Darlington,
have gone promptly to the scene
of the disturbance and assured the
people of that hitherto law-abiding
II