The Langston City herald. [volume] (Langston City, O.T. [Okla.]) 1891-1902, 1896-10-10


V trial took place. but
the scene all comes back to me as
vividly as at the time It occurred, now
that . startling revelation has recent
ly been made, after the death Of the
Judge who sat upon-the bench.
Although not more than boy, I wit
messed the trial Of Andrew Hastings
with more absorbing interest than any
thing else in my life has since awak-
ened. / remember the gestures, the
impassioned face Of Hastings attorney,
Col. George Harvey Palmer, and I can
almost repeat the very words he ut
tered when addressing the Jury. It was
a wonderful defense he made-wonder-
ful how he fought every inch Of ground,
while chain Of strong circumstantial
evidence was tightening the halter
about his clients neck. His cross -q,fes-
tioning Of the states witnesses wass 80
exhaustive, his pleadngs to the judye
Ind TO the Jury 20 earnest Is 10 arouse
the sympathy Of many In the packed
courtroom. It was. ss remember. tho
first important case with which Col.
Palmer had been connected In. Monroe
county courts. He had moved to Ala
bama from Virginia and had been in
mis- new home but few months be-
fore the hastings murder case became
the sensation Of the hour.
Last week Judge James g. 0arrow
died In Monroe county, Alabama, and
among his papers was found state
ment, In connection with the state
ment written tc be made public
after his death. have read that state
ment, and Il. in Connection with the.
trial OF Andrew Hastings. makes such
q remarkable chapter Of court history
that ! have written It all down here.
I It was In the days of the noted ku-
klux khan, that organization which
sprang into life IN the south during
the memorable days OF "reconstruc-
tion." 1t is supposed that the organ
izers Of the khan originally intended to
control the suddenly freed slaves by
appealing to their superstition, for the
kuklux gave birth to hobgoblins,
ghosts and spooks. and was shrouded
in the most profound secrecy and mys-i
terry. But the khan soon became chargei
able with many inexcusable and out
rageous crimes.
!. Some time In the spring Of 1867 the
judiciary began to take active meas
ures for the suppression OF violence
attributable to the khan, or, rather, to
the lawless bands calling themselves
kuklux, for the original organization
had by that time ceased to exist.
On March IA, 1867, near the town Of
Claiborne. Monroe county. Alabama.
Amos Bivins, a camp follower Of the
union army, who had opened q store
in Claiborne, was found dead on the
side Of the public road. He had been
beaten to death with club or some
other heavy weapon.
Another kuklux victim" was TIE
public verdict. and with this the people
were disposed to discard the matter
from any further consideration, but
judge Garrow was one Of the most
earnest among officers OF the law, who
had decided the time had come In the
south for the suppression Of crime. He
instructed the sheriff to make a most
thorough investigation, and. II pos
sible, to bring the murderer or murder
ers to justice.
It did not take long to fix the crime
on Andrew Hastings, who clerked for
Bivins. The evidence against Hastings,
while circumstantial, was very strong.
Having been raised In. the south, Has
tings had no love for his employer. who
was regarded as one Of the despised
class of carpet baggers, in those days.
He finally quarreled with. his employer
when reproved for insulting the union
soldiers and negroes who traded at the
store. Witnesses testified to this quar-
rel. which resulted In Hastings being
discharged. and there was an abun-
dance Of evidence TO the fact that as
he left the store he was heard to re-
marx: "Tll fx the d. Yankee"
4, II vas only two nights after Has
tinss' discharge that Bivins was killed.
Two witnesses swore that Hastings
tried to borrow a shotgun from them
on the day prior to the murder. 1t was
Also proven that Hastings was heard
TO say when speaking OF the killing:
"The people ought to give the man who
did II a vote Of thanks"
Added to all this was the fact that
Hastings could not account for his
whereabouts on. the night Of the kill
ing between the hours of eight and
twelve O'Clock. Bivins left his store
about ten o'clock to 60 to his home.
and II was presumed he was killed
few minutes after that hour.
When on trial Hastings stated that
he had gone 'possum hunting alone.
leaving home about eight o'clock and
returning about one o'clock the next
morning. II was for this purpose he
attempted to borrow-a gun. He proved
that It was his custom to go on these
night hunts by himself. With his pre-
vious good, character, this was all there
was TOR; the defense. sss
But Col. Palmer made the most Of II
ana fought the evidence Of the prose-
'cution at times with an impassioned
mannes that almost amounted to .
madness. / reuember an old lawyer
IN the courtroom remarking: well. !
never have seen an attorney so thor
ouRhly Identified with his clients In
terests before" Col. Palmer's argu-
ment to the jury. as said, was most
mastery effort. His face was pale
when he arose and walked to the jury
box. His voice. although stern and
full, trembled as he cried out: Cen
tlemen Of the jury, God Is my witness