The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-25
FORCING NEGROES TO WE'D.
THEY ARE Hailed TO THE LOCAL
COURT By OONSTlBLFS.

So Fnr-The Judge Holds Court with "
Repeating Rife and Two RevOlvors
Handy-Thinks Marriage n Peacemaker.
CHARLESTON. 8. c.. Sept. 23.-Upi in the stretch
Of country north OF Charleston is the Ten-Mile
Hill section. the toughest negro habitatlon in
the South. It has been so for years. and oil
attempts have failed to reform or civliZe 1t.
When about q year ago the Hon. Thomas d.
Green OF this city was appointed Magistrate for
Ten-Mie Hill. his friends begged him not to
take the place. They said II meant certain
death. Green said in reply:
I'm gojnR to thfs the job, boys, and l am
RoinE TO be tho boss up there. too. Ispent lots
OF my time in that country and l know the bad
niggers. They know me. and they will know
mo better II they have occasion to visit my
court"
SO the matter was settled. Green got the
certificate from the Governor which made him
Judge. and the next day he opened an ofnce
with a big sign outside to show that he was the
king. The negroes laughed whom they saw
the sign. or rather when It was read OF to
them, and that night they skunk away to the
swamps to talk over the matter and to decide
on q plan Of campaign. At last 1t was agreed
to buck the new Judge. The word was given
along the black ranks. and the bad niggers"
in the district prepared themselves to shove
Judge Green back to Charleston.
Judge Green. who weighs 300 pounds. got
Henry Wilson. who barely weighs 100 pounds,
to be his chief constable. And when the two
marched up to the little office, fitted up as q
courtroom, two days after the appointment
was received. the black bucks stood around and
grinned and jeered among themselves as they
saw the big Judge and his little constable. The
dust WIS swept from the room and the court
was opened.
For the first day or two there was mot much
business for the court. but after that It came In
with q rush. Some months before. two Italians
we're murdered further up the State and the
evidence shove that the crime had been
committed by one Of the notorious gangs from
the Ten-Mile Hill. There were three brothers
In the gang named Davis. Two OF them skipped
the country for good. but the third returned to
Ten-Mile Hill and then wandered down nearer
the city line to shoot q merchant who had evil
dence which could be used against him. One
night he hid in the woods and emptied nearly
a hundred rifle cartridges into the merchants
house. The next day Judge Green detailed
his constable to arrest Davis. When the
officer located Davis the negro began
shooting before the constable could reach
for his revolver. Tho white man. how
ever. when he got his six-shooter shot Davis in
the pistol hand. and the negro had to surren-
der. He was hailed to court. where 500 negroes
gathered swearing to see fair play done. Green
sat with a repeating rifle on his knees. andtwo
six-shooters on the table. The constable. who
was similarly armed. had Davis. handcuffed.
near him. IN onlooker would not have given
five cents for Green's life. To send the negro to
Jail meant the Judges death. That was what
the negroes said. and that was what everybody
there thought except Green and his brave con-
When the Judge saw the disposition, on the
part OF the negroes to rebel, he took his Win
chester and stood nm That ohanEah tho n
muring and %cursing for an instant. He said:
Now understand this. you black people.
viii take him h!aHt to jail jail When sRe u that o. 5:2 50r train rain, ar.
you don't somebody will get hammered with
lead; Get out. now. every done Of you. and
t aifh 5'E me @ anG e gSm and T bsv fieFs ~ wI u 90 along
wanted ante e to ffs d'S it e oat. but D they q he'd dw Whe S1f f6s
peating rifles and the six. shooters won at the
trial. and from that hour the negroes saw that
Thu following morning the Judge received q
note written With red ink and with pictures Of
only y twelve hours to l iiet,.DH The h" death E"ai ne no nse
was signed by the Committee, and purported
So . nses the the ieaSTst eo his e OF sas Haii and df tei Sp Sim
to arrest the, committee" One man who was
found got frightened and gave the rest away.
Court took its gun and talked: The negroes
DccdIlc, lllkhltucu anu ucRBeu IOT mercy.
They said that 1t was all a Joke: that they loved
and honored the Court and would never harm
the W S91ef I or wa als cV poH 20 9leI love and honor the
Court" said Judge, Green. " but I don't want
you to Joke With it. See am COINS, to let you
committee. responsible for all further lawless-
ness. Here's your letter. You may need It for
iurther copies Now clear out. and be d
Again did law and order prevail. and again
marvel at the bravery Of dat Charls'n ledge"
Not many days after the visit Of the committee
the following notice was posted at the court
room
Notice is hereby given that all negroes in this dis
trict must come into court and marry. The Court
must we'd. Parties Who 10 not HtH secure y m aS TiSp ' ce4.
tihcates from this court will be arrested.
This was a sumner; The negroes did not
with the court convinced them that what the
Court said had to go. So. the next morning, an
Judge tied the, knot. blessed them. and told
yoipnteer ed to marry. but aft SFVis d." eon mssfbIIes
had to be sent out to haul In the negro men
b beinS EG %srri Sho WEI %ItSi liv tRs t Sasf foar T ot sys
ive hundred couples. and still the work goes
run IN t to tell ii e Of tie Ee' &c o Q 'hS Who Sp ePe not
married. and then the constab!es go out and
not to have business with that court again.
II WAS. JuliRt. nTotu > own luea 10 reform the
district by having all the negroes get married.
He said 1t was easier to manage the place when
such conditions existed, as the men would not
fight for their wives as soon as they would for
the women whom they just picked up casually
They don't like the rule very much up
there" said Judge, Green to The Sun eorre-
ssEpondent; but / let them pndterstand that
the district. but the big majority decided to
marry and stay. ! have married more than 500
There is less disorder. the lgnting has
decreased; and fewer murders have been
committed. ,MyAllfe has been threatened
repeatedly. though the threats, came from
cowardly negroes who would not stand
first trial. Well. the other day Frank Williams.
an ex-constable. who WIS ono of the best
was shot at the brink OF, a grave while a cheap
pine coffin and an old colored lady were being
excitement, and there was lots OF Wild talk.
The next day held the ipques.. Fully 800
testifY and others To listen. II was the aama