The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-26


IN editorial. | leave it en-
your judgment.
.Iy wish that | could soften tho
facts. Most OF my youth was
mt in tnat community. have
oxen bread with the men who uId
ne decd. Some OF their families have
bc<n intimate friends, and-"tcl il
not in Gath Il was the ra3tOr OF two
Of them. Two Of them arc connected
by marriage with my own HON" people.
| could not, would not, m,srcprcscn'
thom Gladly would | hear any real
yindication they could bring.
Let me give again the simple facts
Isham kcarso was man Of bad rcputa-
tion; he had many things laid to his
chargc-guilty, doubtless in some i
scapcgoat in others.
AS to his attempt at rape, | know
nothing.a' l first heard it mentioned
nfter tho murder. IIe broke into
Folks storcland stolo some goods, 80
have been told. Afterwards the store
burned down-this, then, withnu,
, proof, was also laid to his charge. II,
became kind ofpariah even his own
color shunncd him. Two wore stead
( fnst, his martyrcd mother and his
bruised and beaten wife. He urlird
IA in tho woods, poor, hun.rd scmi-sav
ago, and his mothcrand wife Stcalthill
conveyed him food.
Mr.. Hers and others in tho neigh
borhOcd lost some hogs This wa.
also added to tho long sum already
cast up against him. They found out
where lsham stayed, and sent word tC
parties in Barnwol.
Onco before an organized party had
come over, hunting him. Such was
their mood that my stcp-brothcr said
l,~ lrrn u, o,i u II IA,
would not inform thcm.
On that cventful Monday night tho
four men named in the coroner's vcr'
dict came over on u still hunt for this
OutcaSt. In the same crowd was Frank
Stanley, clerk at Folks storo, who
lost his clothes when the store burned
down Mr.. Preston HERS and Mr.
Jake Folk wore also with them when
tho negro was taken. They wanted
him out OF tho community, but did not
seek his death. They tied rope
aronnd his neck and roughly dragged
and trottcd him along tho road. MIR
Folk soon left them and returned tC
his home.
Tho avowcd purpose OF tho party
was to recover tho stolen Bible and tt
punish Isham for tho theft. On th,
way it was suggested that his mother
could tell whore tho Bible was. Tho
gang then divided, part going aftc,
lsham's wife and mother, and part
moving on with tho doomed man until
they reached tho old spring, near the
river ford.
There they waited until thoir &C.
completes came with the helpless,
trembling women. Out from undcl
tho spreading branches Of the great
oaks they took their way down the
swamps until they reached an open
place, partly enclosed by sand bat.
tory, erected in war times to command
the passage oyer BroXton bridge.
Here the victims were stripped and
10 brutal beating inflicted. Again
10 &vOwod object was the discovery Of
@ stolen Bible. In vain did MIR.
iers entroat the negro to confess,
.ying he would be killed If he did not.
II vain did he beg the rest to stop
their cruel work. The heavy trace,
ike q sounding Rail, rosu and fell with
ic!soning thud on the quivering
I. On deaf ears did his cries for
fall, and to hearts hot with
and inllamed with drink did his
.ls vainiy come that his suiforings
the ended by death. Only when
TX, manglod and unconscious. did
lesist Then, as If half-mock ing,
elenting, they built u fire by him,
over him his old coat and left
.aten wife to watch by his side
the long hours of that cold De-
might. He nevor spoke. When
gave surcease to his pains only
erciful, all-seeing God knows.
sealed his own lips and mado
her dumb as to the stolen BibC
ret yet unlocked.
tho whiskey which thoy say
.nk, it was told mo that he was
to drink it by the ones that
i him. His old mother, beaten
cruelty hurried in q iazed way
scene of horror. Traced by
Its and pieces OF her clothes,
@ had made q small circle
sold Ford Field" back
}; and there in small
'-nee-deep, they found
glare OF pine
death-her
arms
Gloss !,