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

one party took Isham one way and
the other went toward woods. Mr..
Falk said he was in the party that
took Hannah Walker in the woods.
After searching there and iiuding no
books, they brought Hannah out.
Then she said the books were with
Rosa Kearse. who was staying at
Sandy Campbell's The men drove to
Sandy's house and he followed them.
When he searched Sandv's house the
men had gotten Rosa Kearse. They
then drove toward Broxton Bridge.
lie left them after the men told him
that they did not intend doing any.
thing with the women. Both women
were tied with strap around their
necks.
Mr.. Folk could not identify any of
the men in the crowd, though he
thought he recognized the voice OF
Preston HERS.
Tom Kirk stated that on Monday
night Mr.. Jake Folk, who had just
left the stand, came TO his house and
knocked on his door. MIR. Folk asked
| if Hannah Walker was there. Kirk
swore that there were two buggies and
a road cart outside and that in one of
them he recognized Preston HERS. He
saw Isham Kearse, tied by the neck,
standing behind one Of the buggies.
He was at the Seymour house when
Hannah Walker was secured. She was
tied by the neck behind one Of the
buggies after the men had told her to
consider herself under arrest. There
was no conversation among the white
men that was heard. The witnesses
stated that he was unacquainted with
the defendants except Mr.. HERS, whom
he saw in the crowd. He did not see
Hannah Walker or Isham Kearse af-
ter that until they were buried, when
he was present. On the cross exami-
nation nothing was developed.
Solomon Grant stated that on the
Monday night previous to the killing
he was at his home on the place Of
Mr.. Adam Folk. About 10 or II
o'clock som ; men stopped at his house
and asked if Hannah, Walker was
there. He did not know any of the
people who were in the three vehicles
at first, but later did recognize DIR. Ac-
herman, HERS and Jake Folk. When
the crowd got to the Seymour house
DIR. Alderman told her to consider
herself under arrest. Then he heard
DIR. Alderman ask for line. He then
tied her around the neck. AS he was
tieing the rope Hannah Walker said
Lord what has 1 done to the buckra. "
Witness heard DIR. Ackerman say to
her: You haven't done anything,
and that is the reason we are going to
give you hell" On the cross exami-
nation the defense endeavored to show
that Grant had been approached by
| the detective and threatened with ar
| rest If be did not make certain state
rnents. Pompey Grant corroborated
the statements of Solomon Grant.
Ben Seymour, at whose house Han
nah Walker was taken from, was the
next witness put on the stand. He
was at his house on the night OF the
killing OF Kearse.. Mr.. Folk Seymour
stated they called to him and told him
that they wanted to see Hannah. Han
nah went out and as she did so DR..
Alderman told her to consider herself
under arrest. After that he did not
see Hannah again. He knew that DIR.
Alderman was there because of his red
moustache.
Rosa Kearse, wife of the murdered
man, and one of the three beaten on
the night of the End of December, was
put on the stand. Her story was one
of horror in its details. Rosa Kearse
swore that she was the wife of Isham
Kearse. On the night of the 2nd of
December she was at the house OF her
uncle Sandy Campbell. Jenney and
Ackerman came to her uncle's house
and asked for her. She went out and
then was asked by Ackerman if she
knew anything of the books. She
told them no and then one of them
said, "d-n you, none of you know
anything about it." After this Acker-
man tied line around her neck and
tied it to the buggy in which he and
Jenny were seated. They drove the
horse off in trot. She followed as
best she could, being compelled to run
to keep up. After running for some
time She tripped up and fell to the
ground. She was unable to gain her
feet for the horse was going too fast,
and so she was dragged by her neck.
She clutched at the line with her hands
and prevented the rope from strang.
ling her, while her body was dragged
helplessly over the rough road.
After about half mile they got to
piece of woods, and there by fire
| were the four other men. Press HERS
had gun At the side OF the fire was
her husband and Hannah Walker.
When they got up to the other four
| men Rosa said she was bound to one
of the tree near the fire. Then the
men advised all three of them to tell
about the books if they knew any
thing about them. No information
could be given by the negroes and they
were made to strip. First the aged
negro woman, the mother of Isham,
was stripped of every vestige of cloth
ing and beaten with buggy trace by
the white men. They beat the wo-
man until she could not stand up.
Then Isham was made TO strip himself.
He was beaten until he dropped.
Rosa Kearse was the last to be whip.
ped. She was then but II years old,
but large for her age. She had but re-
Gently gotten up from bed of conline-
ment, but she was stripped of all Of
her clothes. There in the cold of a
December night they beat her unmer-
cifully. After they had finished whip.
ping her one of them handed her a
| match and told her to build fire. One