The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-07-10
COL. BACON ON THE MOB.
A VETERAN EDITOR DENoUNCEs THE
LAwLEss INVASION OF HIS OFFICE.

He Pours Ont His Anger and Con.
tempt on Those Of Hin NcighbOrs
and Fellow Citizens Who Invaded
His Private Office to Menace -
Helpless Man ana Stayed to Curse
and BlaSpheme in the Presence Of
Ladies'.
Editor James +. Icon IN the Edgetleld
chronicle
When Col. John J. Dargan Of Sumter, was
in our Town last week, he was our guest. we
d4tay&oL invite Col. Dargan To Edgeneid 10
spRas; buf after we saw his distinct announce
nAnt In The State, with the date nXed, we
wrote him a postal inviting him 10 De our
guest. We received Col. Dargan not In his
character Of politician or political eVangeilsl,
but as our intimate and cherished personal
friend. He may be an enlhuSiusIlc ana iran
scendental dreamer, but we know HIM 10 be
one of the truest. noblest, most honest men,
and one of the humblest devouiest CHRISTIANS
That ever lived.
Early on Wednesday morning, we advised
Col. Dargan not 10 speak. We saw pretty
clearly that he could not get the court house.
which was of itself an outrage. and we
thought that not man. Reiormer or Con-
seryatiye, would approach To hear him II he
did speak. He made up his mind not To at
tenn ri to speak, and said he would like 10 sit
quietly and do couple ol hourS' ~rlllnB.
We led him up into our private 'front.' room,
went TO the railroad depot ON matter OF bus.
iness connected with our paper. At this
hour, our town was absolutely qulet. A dtad
calm seemed to have settled upon IT. NO
countrynIan nor no negro WAS TO be seen.
From the railroad depot we went TO see the
wreck ed engine, two miles of. We were gone
two hours. When we returned TO the public
suuare we found 1t pretty full OF white men
aud negroes from the country. And we saw
at glance mat the heather were raging furl-
ousiy together. Hastening TO our office; we
found that Il committee OF Tillmanites had
ruthlessly Invaded our rooms, and defantly
informed Col Dargan that he could not speak
in Edgefield. This committee was composed
OF W. II. QUITS. ID. Il. Durisoe, w. l.. Stevens,
Z. l. Ryan, r. K. Steadman, and one, or per-
baps two others.
They were the forerunners, and, by their
lawIess example. the instigators OF squads of
fierce, ignorant, dranken rowdies who suose-
quently and quickly rushed up into our o.
flee and not only insulted Col. Dargan In the
most bloody and cowardly manner, but pour.
ed out volumes Of indecency, ribaldry and
profanity within sightand hearing OF our two
youthful, gentle and delicate nieces who were
in our rooms helping us 10 get off our news
paper mail. On this occasion, In our Office
and at the foot of our sta case, these Two del-
icate girls were forced TO hear language which
they ought never TO have heard ifthey had
lived in this world one thousand years. They
would have escaped summarlly, but their on
ly way Of egress was barred by bowling. dirty
devils. "
NOW, ClllLeUS vi lHhJ VIC hoNS
this 10 say To you: You had no more right TO
thus invade our private office than our .pri.
vute parlor in our home; and your conduct
was ungentlemanly in the eXtreme-in the
very extreme. And further: Rest assured
that had we been present when you entered
our Office, we should have ordered you out oi
IL with Indignation and contempt and as far
as the strength Of one man might have avail,
ed against that OF six or seven, we should
have made you 20. And further: We have
not the slightest shadow of fear OF you-nor
OF your infiuence-nor OF your vast family
connecLuns-nor OF any thing connected With
you, not even your whiskey and your pistols.
We have nothing to ask of yon. absolutely
nothing. In fact. after your manifestation on
Wednesday last. anyt thing that you might or
could give us, would contaminale not only
our hands but our soul.