The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-06-12
A NEGRO BRIBED.
a Conspiracy to Drown the Editor OF
the Times-A Judge and Solici-
torInIt-Evidence Against
the Judge to Convict.

the Judge to Convict.
A party of gentlemen, consisting Of
Judge Ernest Gary, Col. B. P. Barron,
Hon. J. T. Rhame, Solicitor J. 5. Wilson.
Mr.. Louis Levi and the editor OF IHE
TINES, equipped with three servants and
aplentv of wet and dry ratlons, went to
Brewington Lake last Friday. The object
of the trip was 70 give Judge Gary an op-
portunity of seeing The Accused Fount,
which John Witherspoon Erwin wrote OF,
aud the chance of eating the toothsome
fish from Brewington Lake.
The Judge had read Alr. Ervlns BOOK
and was, therefore, an interested listener
when the spring was reached as Col. Barron
eloquently related the legend connected
with the place
The scene at the spring was one worth
picturing There, in this lone! spot,
With none to molest nor make airald-stood
circuit Judge, solicitor, two lawyers
! (both of whom are eX-memberS OF the
Lecislatare), merchant, and poor, lnno-
cent, unsophiSticated newspaper editor,
While the party was thus grouped near
this historic spot telling one amusing ln-
cident after another and making the air
ring with laughter, a little further ott were
the three servants busi!y engaged IN pre-
pairing a feast
Occasionally a man from the neighbor.
hood would pass on his way to the lake,
and when his eyes fell upon the crowd and
he recognized them, he would pass on
with merely nod of the head, us though
he did not care to stop in such company
and we did not blame him either, tor such
an aggregation of individuals are not only
seldom seen, but when they are seen to-
gether at such an unusual place, 1t is
enough to strike good. law-abiding citizens
with q holy terror, and cause them to slap
their hands on their pockets and run Tor
dear life.
While waiting for the fishermen to brlng
the fish from the lake the party INDUCED
in Jokes and cigars; also in the humor OF
Solicitor Wilson's mimicry and Pepper,
and after each man gave in his experience
or related m incident Pepper was used to
give it a good flavor. This went on until
the fish came which drew ull the attention
until they were led away for the slaughter.
It was not long before fires were IN full
blast and the frying of the fish added
new accompaniment to the music of the
birds fitting about from tree to tree over
| the heads OF this merry Set OF pleasure
seekers.
About this time one Of the lawyers called
attention to the fact that tue Governor OF
North Carolina had sent O message to the
| Governor OF South Carolina, and when the
message was repeated it was good, and to
keep it and give it flavor Pepper was again
| used
While standing there enjoying the last
joke and its favor, Gentlemen, diuner is
ready - was the sound that broke upon the
air, and out Of the Businesses Of the swamp
several 'razor backs" responded with as
much alacrity IS did these professional
men whom tie servants chose to Ca!
gentlemen.
Under the magnificent oaks the table was
spread, and such !; feast! President Cleve-
land can have his clam and fish chowders
on the shores of BuZzard's Bay, and the
milliopaires of New York can have their
fishing frolics Mt their farorite resorts, but
none Of them ''are in it IN comparison 10
the fish served at Brewington.
Some of the party seemed to think this
affair kind of a contest with prize at
tached for the man who ate the most hSh,
| Judging from the number some OF the
party made way with. We have always
had sort of an idea that our appetite was
good, strong and healthy, and accounted
for it by being what is known as laboring
man, but when We saw such eaters as
Rhame and Wilson, Barron, Levi and the
Judge-men who roll in ease and luxury
! in handsomely fitted mp othces-we Won
dered if the idea of vigorous physical
exercise to get up an appetite was not
false one, for We saw it practically demon
strated that those who labor the least eat
the most. The dinner was fine and iced
Anheuser-Busch was an important factor
toward adding snap to the bounltul re-
past.
After dinner cigars were passed around,
and the party made themselves as COM
Portable as men could after filing them
selves up as this crowd did
Judge Gary wanted to take a hand at
catching some Of tie fish, and the party
all but Col Barron, who remained at the
camp to take a snooze-weut to the lake
with His Honor. Very soon o boat was
procured and the Judge and Mack, our
cook, were out on the water.
In order to prevent monotony taking
possession Of the Judge we, in all of our
innocence, secured the services OF Ed
Scott-who turned out to be 4 devil in
carnate-and in dugout undertook to try
the fishing business, little dreaming that
conspiracy had been formed by which
we were to be made the victim simply for
having expressed wish that the Judges
boat would be turned over. When We
came out of the swamp. on the bridge
stood Messrs. Rhame, Wilson and Levi.
| The ducout was turned so that we could
not see the antics Of those on the bridge,
but we are satisfied that by signs Scott
was bribed 70 sink our boat because, when
we came in sight of the bridge. Scott be-
came vely nervous, not needing our de.
mapd that he should sit quiet or the con-
cern would turn over, but continued rock
| ing until the craft filled itself and like
McGinty, the editor of The TINES, with all
| of his purity and clothes went down and
had to swim or drown. Of course, our
| friends on the bridge were sorry they
fairly bubbled over with sympathy for us.
Wilson felt so awful sorry that we felt in
clined to take Off our pants.loons and Loan
them to him to push back his tears and
prevent q scene before the Judge when,
| 10, and behold we found the Judge cack-
ling with laughter like hen after laying
an egg, and there was Rhame and Levi
fe;ry dancing the can-can in their joy.
| Well, we went on the lake and We got
ducked. Nevertheless, we had lots of fun.
Now, we charge and ask the proper trib-
unal to investigate, that the lawyers con-
spired with the Judge and prosecuting at
tornev to have this editor drowned for the
purpose Of giving the lawyers case to de-
tend ut the next term OF court, and they
let the merchant into the conspiracy with
the promise of the sale of a suit Of burial
clothes in case our body was found.
| We base this serious charge upon the
fact that we saw with our own eyes Judge
Gary pay Ed Scott quarter, and heard
him tell Scott that the money was ''for
dumping Applet into the lake
They did not make fish food of US as we
are here to state, and after We received our
involuntary baptism and got out on the