The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-11-04
A FAMOUS CASE.
TRIAL OF TIE eROXTON BRIDGE
MuROERSRS AT AIKEN.

Over Fifty Witnesses in Attendance and a
Rrinisnt Array of the Fest Lawyers for
the Defense. Solicitor HeliIpger Alone
for State.
AIKEN, s. c., Oct. 27-The famous.
or more properly speaking, the inta
NOUS Broxton Bridge murder case is
now on trial 10 the court Of sessions
at this place, having been begun here
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. Ofcourse there is no say
ing what petty jury will do, but So
licitor Bellinger. on the part OF the
State of South Carolins, 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, a cold, clear moonlight night,
Colleton county was the scene of two
brutal murders. Isham Kearse and his
mother, Hannah Wa''Ier, were so foul.
~ maltreated that they died from their
wounds. These wounds were inaict-
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 a pulp, cut, Ia
cerated and scarcely recognizable.
There could be no doubt but that these
two were beaten to death by tiends in
human shape.
A State dispensary detective, W. Fl.
Newboid, was sent by the authorities
to investigate the case, and his 'lnves
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. It developed that on the
2nd of December, 1895, certain white
men had gone to 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, for whose murder there
are now on trial here DR.. W. 3. Ack-
erman, Frank Jenny, Wyman Kearse
and Frank Brant, escaped from the
mob of yillainous 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
.SSs- 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 nearby church 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 dogged. II was not the irten.
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 a pool Of water, not
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 deGed the men VINO
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 anxiousl y expected. and the
little town has been overrun with
witnesses and others who are interest
ed. There are in all about fifty-ive
witnesses in the case.
The prisoners, who are all lGtelil.
gent looking men, comparatively well
1dressea-an6 prosperous looking, have
been incercerate5-ip Aiken Jail since
Saturday the 18th, when they were
brought up here from WATERFORD by
Sheriff Black of Colleton county. Pre-
vious to that time they had been IN
Walterboro Jail. Attempts to get
them out on bond were made, but
there was never any attempt either on
Il0lr part OF Luat VI lueIT lTieuOS w
break Jail. All of them had given
themselves Up, and so, though incon-
venienced preferred to remain in Gus
tody than to flee the county or State.
They are all in splendid condition and
.her confinement does not seem to
have in the least affected their health.
When the case was called for the So
licitor announced that ne would try
the case against Ackermsn. Jenny,
Brant and Kearse, being that known
as the first case, for numbering Isham
Kearse by beating with buggy trace.
The following jury was sworn:
w. w. Toole, foreman; j. S. Nc
Kie, John II. Redd, G.. l.. Toole, T.
]. Williams, D. T. CAN'T, J. J. Tay.
lor, Il. P. Johnson, S. P. kitching,
A. 81. Asbell, r. Z. Corley, B. +.
Warn.