Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-04
DEATH OF DIR. BRATToN.

DEATH OF DIR. BRATTON.
DR.. J. Rufus Bratton died at his home
in Yorkville, last Wednesday afternoon,
aged 76 years 10 months and 10 days. His
death was not due to any special disease, !;
but rather 10 the general breaking down
incident to cid age.
DR.. Bratton was native Of York county,
having been born at Brattonsville, ten
miles south of Yorkville. He was raised
on farm, received a careful and thor
ough education-academic, collegiate and
medical-and settled in Yorkville about
the year 1916. With the exception
of eight years residence in London, on
tario, he continued citizen of Yorkville
up to the time of his death.
Anything like complete sketch OF DR..
Bratton's life is too large an undertaking
for mere newspaper article. He was a
man with an interesting history, and the
story would be one remarkable for love
of fellowman, love of country, careful,
painstaking labor, high moral and physi-
cal courage, upright business dealings
and indomitable energy. But the story
is too long to admit of details. There was
one incident connected with the doctors
life, however, which Is of international
importance.
When the ignorant Negroes, under the
lead of scoundrelly carpetbaggers, began
to overrun the state after the war, DR..
Bratton was one of those who became
convinced, and who acted upon the con-
viction, that the only defense which could
be secured for home and freside, was
through the Ku-Klux organization, and
with this he became directly or indirect
lu connected. Upon the declaration OF
martial law, and when it developed that
verdicts and sentences were only mat
ter of form with the courts, DIR. Bratton
went to Canada and secured the protec-
ton of the British government. A large
reward was offered by the United States
authorities for his capture, and in the
hope of securing this reward, two Amer
lean detectives managed to kidnap the
doctor in his Canadian home and bring
him into the United States. AS soon as
the facts developed, there followed be-
tween the United States and Great Britain
sharp diplomatic correspondence OF
very threatening nature, especially on
the part of the government OF the latter
country, and as the result of this cores
pondence, DR.. Bratton was uncondition-
ally released. The United States govern
ment afterward agreed to let its alleged
grievance against DR.. Bratton drop, and
in 1879, after an absence of eight years,
be returned to his home in Yorkville.
Immediately upon the outbreak Of the
war, DR.. Bratton volunteered his services,
and for four years did duty as surgeon
on many battlefields and in the Confeder-
ate hospitals. Here be distinguished him
self for his patriotism, ardor, courage and
skill, and won considerable distinction
on the various surgical corps with which
he was connected.
Since the war, DR.. Bratton has been
hard worker. He has DEVOTED himself
closely to the practice Of his profession,
and at the same time made good progress
in retrieving the heavy loss he sustained
by the emancipation of the slaves. But
all his practice has not been for money.
The strong love that he has always borne
his fellow man has become known to
hundreds. His ear has always been open
to the cry of the distressed, and with that
spirit which does not let the left hand
know what the right hand doeth, he has
given, in his own way, hundreds OF. dol
lars and weeks of labor in the cause of
Christian charity. In manner he was
frank and open, even to apparent gruft-
ness; but this apparent gruttness was OF
the kind that is always indicative OF fsincere
honesty and nobility of soul, and beneath
il all there was a consistent tenderness
and sympathy which could but reveal to
those who knew the doctor well, that he
was practical Christian.
Strong and vigorous up to very short
time pack, when the doctor began to fail,
it was with great 'rapidity. His life,
though wonderfully correct, had been an
unusually active one, and when the worn
out machinery began to give way it
seemed to give way all at once. But the
end was calm and peaceful and death
brought 10 terrors.
DR.. Bratton was one Of the most promi-
nent Masons in the country, and had risen
to the I'D degree. He was a member OF
the pr esbyterian church at this place,
and his funeral services in this church on
Thursday morning were conducted by
Rev. w. &. Neville, the pastor. The in
terment took place at Bethesda cemetery
ALONGSIDE of members of the family who