The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-02-26
A CoIIeton Case Of 1853.
How Negro Murder was
Dealt With Then.
Yates Suowden in N. Y. Evening Post.


every newspaper 10 South Carolina.
1t will be remembered that lsham
Kearse. negro of bad reputation, bis
wife aud mother were dragged from
their home one night last December,
and beaten by party Of white men,
one Of whom was physician. Kearse
was found dead the nezt morning 10
the place where they bad left him ; MS
mother was found dead, from fright or
exposure. in small pool few yards
farther or. and his wife barely escaped
With her life The crime was commit
ted near Broxton's Bridge, section Of
Colleton county where negroes largely
outnunber the whites. and where rob
berry aud arson had been very common
aud the guilty persons had been unpun-
ished for year or more. Kearse vas
suspected of having been implicated 10
several ipceu diarisms. but the offenses
for which he was beaten to death we're
attempt at rape and the alleged theft Of
a Bible from Baptist church 10 the
neigbborbood.
The eight iynchers. seven white men
and obe negro man, are pow In Jail.
Governor Evaps ordered State Desec-
tive Newbold to work up the case, aud
lie has gathered a great deal Of testi
mony going to prove "a horrible mur-
DER" and has every assurance of
a conviction The white men charged
With the crime are Dr.. W. B. Acker-
man, Frank Jeuuey. Frank Brand,
Wyman Kearse, Jake Folk, Frank
Stanley aud Press HERS. They have
secured the services Of Col. Robert
Aldrich of Barn well. and four members
of the Colle,on bar to represent them.
Solicitor Bellinger will probably be as
sisted by Attorney General Barber in
the prosecution next week.
The "Broxton Bridge horror as the
aewspapers cell i1,recal's what was per-
haps the most celebrated murder trial 10
the bellum history Of South Caro-
lima. Colleton county was the scene OF
the crime, negro was the victim, and
his two white nurdeiFrs were hanged
The men we're tried, convicted and exc.
cuted at time when, according to all
our northern friends. the negro was re-
garded as ''a cbattel,' y though 90 less
eminent an authority than Jefferson
Davis denied chat the use of that term
was correct. A brief story Of the
crime aud its expiation will be of iote
rest.
THE MOTLEY BLACKLEDGE HORROR
Oo July S. 1858, Thomas Motley
and William Blackledge. two white
men. caught and killed an unknown
runaway negro, stranger who doubt
less obtained his living by petty thiev.
ing from the very men who convicted
his murderers. The negro was caught
in a swamp with the assistance Of
pack of bloodhounds. He was subject
ed for q night and part OF the
succeeding day to torture of so terrible
aud shameful nature that it cannot be
put in print. aud was eventually .hrot-
tied and killed by the ferocious dogs
sent on by their masters. The story
of the crime leaked out and the people
Of Coleton pushed the arrest and pro-
secution of the murderers. Motley.
one Of the accused, was the son of
rich farmer. and money was freely ex-
pended for his defense by the ab!est
counsel his companion, Blackledge.
was one of the poorest class of back
woodsmen. They we're tried, found
guilty and sentenced to be hanged.
The solicitor who prosecuted the case
was NJ. L. Bonham, afterward bri-
gadier general in the Confederate army
and one of the war governors of South
Carolina. The foreman of the jury was
Isaac Marion Dwight, grand nephew
of Francis Marion aud a man of iu-
trepid spirit and exalted character
Mr.. Dwight and several of the jurymeu
were representative men and large
slave. holders. The Supreme Court on
appeal sustained the verdict. Judge John
Belton 0'Neall, before whom the case
was tried, "charged the jury that they
might find that it was done il sudden
heat and passion, and thus mitigate the
ofense, bat a jury Of Colleton couu-
ty found them guilty Of murder. new
ertbeless." Judge O'Neall, iu passing
sentence of death on the two men, said,
Inter ALA
1T may be profitable to you to recall
the borrid deeds which you. jointly and
severally, committed at the death of the
poor, begging. unoffendiug slave. I
will not repeat the digustiDg details Of
the outrages committed; the public
are already fully Informed and your own
hearts, in every pulsatiou. repeat them
to you. I may be permitted, however,
.o cav to Won and to the neonla aronn6