The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-02-27
AN ATROCIOUS MURDER.
Lexington County White Caps
Negroes Appeal to the Governor
and He Orders an Investigation.

Lexington County White Caps
Negroes Appeal to the Governor
ana He Orders an Investigation.
An atrocious murder was committed
in Lexington County on Thursday
night, 18th inst, and the facts are
just beginning to come to light. 1t
was the brutal slaughter of colored
man by by number OF white men.
The man who was killed was Gage
Robertson. He lived about three
miles from CASTOR, the place where
three negroes were lynched some time
ago, and from all that can be learned
was a peaceable and quiet negro who
stood well with the better class Of white
people.
On Thursday night, according to
the story told by his wife, seven men,
who had their faces and hands BACKED,
went to Robertson's house and asked
him to come to the door. Ono of his
little daughters started to go to the
door, but being slow Robertson himself
went He was confronted by the men,
who were armed with guns and pistols
When he reached the door he was
ordered to throw up his hands. He
did not comply, but smilingly said to
the men that he didn't like joke of
that kind, and started to turn away.
AS he turned, the weapons were dis
charged at his head and face. Part of
his mouth and face were torn away,
and he was shot in the neck. He fell
dead in the doorway of his own home.
The men cursed his wife, who had
begun to scream. They then went
away.
The only reason alleged for the
murder is that last year Robertson
was burning off some new ground. The
fire got beyond his control. and burned
some of the fencing Of white man.
1t is said that those interested in the
burned property swore to have revenge.
The deed of Thursday night was the
bloody revenge.
The killing was investigated by the
coroner, but the testimony has not
been made public. 1t is understood
that warrants have been sworn out for
hite man in the neighborhood and
for three of his sons. Whether the
men have been arrested is not know II.
a delegation of Lexington coorcd
men called on Governor Tillman and
asked him to investigate the murder.
The Governor has ordered the trial
justice in the vicinity to make an in
vestigation. The Governor will also
! offer reward for the arrest of the
murderers.
The Governor has received tho
following letter from responsible
man in the neighborhood:
Il suppose you have heard before
this of the murder of the negro man,
Gage Robertson, u few miles above
here, in the Sand Hills | take the
liberty of writing you about the matter
as far as [ know, as | have doubts your
ever getting the truth about it for
several reasons. / will tell you in as
plain way as know how. | have known
the negro since he was boy, and he
with his father and brothers arc con-
sidered among the best behaved and
| most 'shifty' negroes in this county.
Gage bought n small tract Of land from
! a. Ii. Wolfe several years ago and un-
fortunately for Gage it joined West
Hawsey's place, who is Onc-legged
| white man. Last year about this time
fire got out from some one and burned
little OF Hawsey's fence. 1t seems
! that he had q grudge against Gage
because he got the little piece of land
| near him and accused Gage of burning
his fence. | will say here now that
Gage has always been respectable
boy Ito those who deserved respect)
and ever since from what | can learn
he has been prosecuting the boy. A
few days before the murder son of
Hawsey's rode across Cages wheat.
Gage told him not to ridc across his
wheat and the young Hawsey told him
damn him he would get him before
long
"Thc day of the night of the murder
Hawsey had log rolling and had
several bad fellows, so hear, helping
him, and that night the negro was
brutally murdered in his own home.
never heard OF worse case, | do not
think. If you will hire detective
and send him down in the nighbor-
hood of Huckabec's mill you will find
out who it is in less than week.
Huckabee | think knows all about it,
il he did not help commit the deed.
The people in that back country are
hardly civilized yet and don't mind kill
ing a negro any more than they do
chicken. Something ought to be GER
tainly done, and il the decent white peo-
pie do not see to it it will soon die out
| felt that it was my duty to write you
this knowing that you did not approve
OF such"
Solicitor Nelson was attending court
last week i'm Lexington. He has made
u report to the Governor about the
Castor assassination and urged him to
take some steps to ferret out the other
murdercrs. Four white men are
already in Jail, but there are others
implicated and it will take some detec-
tive work to find them. The Solicitor
says it was most cold -blooded out
rage and that 1T is necessary that the
perpetrators be caught and punished.
The four men who have been arrest
cd charged with the murder are David
and Preston Harsey and Ben and Boil
var Neese. Governor Tillman has
offered a reward Of $50 for the convic-
tion OF tho party or parties who
murdered Robinson.