The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

at thlS place, having Deen peSuii lere
this morning. There is not in the
criminal annals of the State OF South
Carolina, noted for its many Horrible
MURDERS more truly revolving crime
than that for which six of the most
prominent citizens of Colleton county
are now on trial for their lives.
Already have these men been tried
for the murder Of an aged and inof-
Tending negress and have been cleared
now they are on trial for the killing
of her son. Of course there is no say
ing what a petty jury will do, but So
licitor Bellinger. on the part OF the
State of South Carolina, the peace,
good order and dignity thereof, will
do all in his power TO convict these
men.
On the night of the 2nd of last De-
cember, q cold, clear moonlight night,
Colleton county was the scene Of two
brutal murders. Isham kearse and his
mother, Hannah Walker, were so foul
ly maltreated that they died from their
wounds. These wounds were inHlct-
ed upon them by means OF a buggy
trace, and the two were literally beat.
en- to death. Their bodies were found
in the frozen ground the morning af'
ter reduced almost to pulp, cut, la
cerated and scarcely recognizable.
There could be no doubt but that these
two were beaten to death by fiends in
human shape.
A State dispensary detective, w. II
Newbold, was sent by the authorities
to investigate the case, and his inves
tigation brought TO light one of the
most horrible stories ever in print.
The inquisitors of the dark ages could
have been no more diabolical in their
treatment than were the murderers OF
old Hannah Walker and her son. and
of Rose Kearse, whom they unmerci-
fully beat. 1t developed that on the
End of December, 1895, certain white
men had gone 10 The houses OF these
negroes, secured them, tied them with
ropes TO their buggies and literally
dragged them for over mile. Here
the three were beaten with buggy
trace.
Rosa Kearse, who was The wife OF
Isham Kearse, fer whose murder there
are now on trial here DIR. w. B. Ack
erman, Frank Jenny, Wyman Kearse
and Frank Brant, escaped from the
mob of villainous men and fled
through the woods, not however, be.
fore she too, was terribly beaten.
Rosa Kearse was terrified, and though
she still remained in the neighborhood
she was at the house of relative and
afraid to speak of the affair at all.
Finally, however, she told her uncle
and then little by little the detective
was enabled TO make out his clue.
There was no reason assigned why
these men should have committed the
crime that they are charged with.
While it has never developed in
court it is said that there was missing
from a nearby church a Bible. Be
cause these negroes were supposed TO
be the ones who stole the Holy Book,
so the theory has it, they were taken
out and logged. Itwas not the inten
ton of the mob who whipped them to
whip them to death, but they carried
the matter further than they thought.
From the circumstantial evidence
in the case there seemed no doubt but
that the men mentioned were the
guilty ones. They were accordingly
arrested and in February last, before
Judge Aldrich, tried in the Colleton
court of sessions, holding at Walter.
boro. This trial was had upon the
first count in the case, that of the
murder of Hannah Walker, whose
body was found in pool of water, moi
very far from that of her son.
This first trial was one of the most
noted ever had in the State for the rea
son that at it the solicitor had great
trouble, and his life was threatened.
In spite of this, however, he later
went to Walterboro on campaign
business, and then delied the men who
had threatened him. After the men
were acquitted of the murder of Han.
nah Walker, there being still another
indictment against them, the solicitor
petitioned for change Of venue, and
the case was set for hearing berore
Judge Earle here.
Ever since court opened in Aiken
over week ago, the calling of the case
has been anxiously expected, and the
little town has been overrun with
witnesses and others who are interest
ed. There are in all about fifty five
witnesses in the case.
The prisoners, who are all intelli
gent looking men, comparatively well
dressed and prosperous looking, have
been incarcerated in Aiken jail since
Saturday the 18th, when they were
brought up here from Walterboro by
Sheriff Black of Colleton county. Pre-
vious TO that time they had been ir
Walterboro Jail. Attempts to gel
them out on bond were made, but
there was never any attempt either on
their part or that OF their friends tC
break Jail. All Of them had given
themselves up, and so, though incon
preferred to remain in Gus
= lody than TO flee the county or State
They are all in splendid condition and
heir confinement does not seem tc
have in the least affected their health
hen the case was called for the SO
icitor announced that he would try
he case against Ackerman. Jenny
Grant and Kearse, being that known
Is the first case, for numbering Ishan
Mearse by beating with buggy trace
The following jury was sworn:
w. w. Toole, foreman; j. S. Nc
lie, John Ii. Redd, G.. l.. Toole, p
Williams, ID. T. CAN'T, j. j. Tay
pr, III. p. Johnson, S. L. kitching
!. II. Asbell, II. f. Corley, b. E.
arm.
Before going into the evidence ir
he case as far as it went today, it will
- rroll to cfofo copoa f,rt bor n o nj ion