The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-21
cAROLINA'S WHITECAP CASES.
,.1tLIAMs CONTRADICTs HIS FIRST
STATEMENTS.

y. Was the Mcin Witness Relied On
en- secure Conviction of the Aceus-
die Now Declares That He
s,,ore Falsely Under Dread of BE-
i-.- Put in JaiI-The story of the
cruel Crime.
Green Pond. S. c., Feb. 2o.-The much
.-,lod of Braxton bridge case came up in
-,.s court of sessions here to-day before
1,fra Aldrich. The town is crowded with
mic Al noon the case was called and
-ba defendants. W. E. Alderman. N. D.,
prank Brant, Frank Jenny and Wyman
E-aarse. were brought into court. The
drsr Indictment. for causing the wOman's
death. was read.
There was very little trouble in getting
a., iurv. 1t is composed as follows: G. F.
roneland. L. ". Crosby. J. NJ. Powers,
w L. Way. r. b. Muckenfuss. r. r.
rlack. W b. Slider. F. G. Groom, J. II.
campbell. W. F. Morer. A. E. Williams.
Jr. and A. B. Kinsley.
After the noon recess three witnesses
we're examined. Or. Bellinger. who made
the autopsy of the woman's body, testified
that the body was beaten up. tissues
crushed and pulpihed. He was positive
that death could not have resulted from
drowning. Qt is understood the claim that
the defense has prepared is that death
was from drowning). Ed Warns testimony
was mainly to show where and when the
bodies we're found and their positions
and conditions.
A. d. Williams proved to be an unwill-
ing state witness. He fatty contradicted
his previous statements made before
trial Justice. These previous statements
were that he had been at JennyS place
on the night of the lynching and that
Jenny. Kearse, Ackerman and Brant had
been there and left together, returning
late at night. The witness said he had
sworn falsely under dread. and that New
hold had threatened to put him in Jail If
he did not sign the statement.
The double murder with which
these men are charged was one OF pecu-
liar cruelty and righteousness, and it is
the first case in this state of a woman
being put to death by mob. One night
in the early part of last December a party
of white men visited the house of old
Hannah Kearse, in Upper Colleton county,
i'm search of Isham Kearse, her son. The
man was charged with breaking into st.
Michael's church in Barnwell, and steal
ing therefrom a Bible. The alleged theft
had been committed some months before,
hut the whereabouts of lsham had but
lately become known in the neighborhoOd
in which the church was located and
these BarnWell men had come after him
into ColletOn county.
Kearse and a 17-year-old wife, with a
"Maum" Hannah. A rope was tied
around Isham's neck, one end fastened TO
a buggy and the vehicle driven rapidly to
BroXtOn's Ferry, or BroXtOns bridge, two
miles away. For part of the distance the
man was dragged along on the ground, he
being unable to keep his feet. Several of
the party followed with the two women.
Upon reaching the place, which had been
selected, the victims were stripped naked
and the work of torture commenced Bug
gy traces were the weapons used, and they
were piled by vigorous arms.
The women denied knowledge of the
commtttal of the crime with which Isham
was charged, and that was the extent of
their oHense. The man denied the theft,
but he bore bad reputation and no mercy
was shown him. He begged the wielders
of the cruel straps that were .peeling
or the skin to shoot him and end
his suffering, but they kept on TIL he
fell unconscious at their feet In the mean
time the women broke away from their
captOrs and dashed into the adjacent
swamp Upon Isham's losing conscious
ness the party dispersed.
me following evening Isham's wife, who
told neighbors of the outrage, but II was
two days later before a search was made
Tor me missing mother and son. Then the
dead body of the man was found where
1t had fallen under the blows of the lvnch-
ers, and few yards away, in the woods
lying IN shallow water on the edge of a
pond, with a string about her neck was
discovered the body of the old woman
she had fallen and died within a minute
after escaping
A coroner's inquest was held. The young
woman who survived the whipping, was
100 seriously injured to appear, but Frank
i1lefS, a COlleton man, testified that he had
heen an eyewitness to the whole affair,
ana had gone with the party to plead with
mem to abandon their purpose. Upon his
testimony testimony the jury. found that the two
heroes mad come to their death at the
hands of DR.. w. B. Alderman, Frank
Jehhing and Frank Brant, a practicing
Buyslclan and two substantial farmers of
6arnWell county. Subsequently these men
we're arrested, together with Wyman
hI4eears, Jake Folk, Frank Stanley. Preston
Hers and Sandy Campbell. They were
lQused IN the jail here, where they have
tain bail u O"-
me defense have a powerful array of
legal talent, and singularly Col. Robert
~ I,i the leading attorney, is a brother
oI gGISe lanes Aldrich, who is presiding
anu Sohcltor Belhnger, who conducts the
prosecution o a for the state, is the author of
iIIIe cause in the new constitution against
Hhchlng, which makes the county and
ofe Iynchers liable in damages to the heirs
der it. Wv - case uA-