The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-10-12
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Gel. Tllman Prosecuted for Crn-
city 70 Little Negroes.
THEY STOLE A PISTOL.
And Were Severely Beaten to Ex-
tort a Confession. Preliminary
Hearing Was Held in Co.
lunbia Wednesday
Afternoon.

| he city was 1IleC Will StoIIco OI
Lieut.. Col. James II. Tillman 5 cruelty
in whipping three little negroes. Arthur
Fair. jim Smith and another named
Wiley. aged about II years. for steal
ing a pistol from Uncle George.
trusted and faithful old negro servant
who accompanied the First regiment
on its travels. Capt. o. X. Mauldin of
Company II, and Lieuts. Walter NJ.
Dunlap. Company G, and Wade II.
Lyon, Company II, were very active IN
preferring charges against Col. TlI!man
and sworc out warrant for a prellml-
nary hearing before Magistrate Clark
SON
The affair occurred Monday afternoon
from 5 until Z o'clock, and the cries OF
the negroes were pitiful at the time,
although they seem quite satisfied now:
The hearing was to have been held
at / o'clock. Col. Tillman and his
counsel. B. L. Abney. ESD, appeared
promptly at that hour and asked for 50
minutes in which to confer. At 1870
the trial was commenced IN the court
house. the magistrate s Office being too
small to accommodate the crowd. Be
fore the testimony was taken Col. Till
man made short statement. lie very
much regretted this whole occurrence.
The officers were ignorant of the fact
that he could not thus be arraignd, but
he waived all such technicalities. All
that he asked was that the matter be
sifted to the bottom. Then 1t would
appear as it is-perSecution not prose-
cution.
Capt. 0. X. Mauldin, the first wit
ness sworn, said that he was captain
Of Company H, First South Carolina
Volunteer infantry. He was sitting in
his tent on the afternoon Of October /.
His attention was attracted by the
sound as of the popping Of whip.
Stepped out of his tent and saw a
crowd gathered around the examining
tent near the spring. To satisfy his
curiosity he walked down and saw them
whipping negro. Col. Tillman. who
seemed to be directing the affair, told
them ito lay it on him until he tells
where that pistol is. Later another
negro was brought from the First bat
talon. This negro was Arthur Far.
Under direction and by order OF Col.
Tillman some of the privates took the
negro's Iaats off and turned him across
barrel. Then private named Rob
ison by Col Tillman's order took a
strap. He was told to whip the negro
until he told where the pistol was.
They whipped him for some time.
When one would get tired another took
strap. Under the pain negro screamed
at different times and writhed off the
barrel. Col. Tillman ordered the pri-
Yates to put him on the barrel and hold
him there and to choke down his
screams. They grabbed the negro by
the hands to hold him on the barrel:
but he would rear up his feet to protect
his body. Col. Tillman then put his
feet on the negros feet, holding the ne
gro $ down. Then private volunteer
ed to hold one Of the negros feet down:
Col. Tillman holding the other, and
the whipping was continued. The ne
gro applied vile erithet to some one
in the crowd. There was some confu-
sion and he could not see everything.
Col. Tillman said: Who are you ours
ing, you black scoundrel. He then
told the men to give him hell and
to hit him even if he did move his
arms and legs. The negro screamed
that he was cursing at a negro and not
the colonel. \ little bit afterward the
boy exclaimed, Colonel don't whip
me any more. I will tell where |, or
we, or he. didn't catch the pronoun)
hid the pistol" The crowd then went
to some place in the First battalion,
near Col. Tillman's tent, but soon came
back with the negro and began whip
ping him again. left about that time.
| had gotten enough Of it.
Lieut.. J. H. Grant Of Co. c, was the
second witness. He said that on the
afternoon of October +, about o'clock
he went down to Col. Tillmans tent
and found quite crowd assembled, at
tracted, as he ascertained, because Col.
Tillman had had two pistols stolen from
him. Asked Col. Tillman and he said
that some one had stolen his servant S
pistols. As different soldiers would
come up Tillman would say that he was
glad that they had come, for he wanted
two negroes whipped. He told the two
negroes present, Wiley and Jim, that
if they didn't produce the pistols he
would frail them. After some time
Col. Tillman said. All right, boys,
let 5 take them out here and see if We
cant make them tell where the pistols
are. Jim's pants were taken down,
he was thrown across barrel and given
good whipping. During that time he
implicated Arthur Fair. As soon as
Fairs name was mentioned, he ran. the
crowd pursuing and overtaking him.
As they were struggling to put Fair
over the barrel he outrageously cursed
the soldiers graphing him. Each SOL
dier began to beat the negro, asking at
the same time if he had reference to
them. Col. Tillman then asked them
to let up on the negro. About this time
the negro was sent to find the pistol
which be had hidden. Witness went
along with them. The pistol could not
be found and they started back to the
place of whipping. Lieut. Grant then
went to supper and knew nothing Of the
subsequent proceedings. When he came
back from supper they were still there
and the negro Jim claimed that he had
pawned the pistol down town. Lieut..
| Grant then turned him over to man
in his company, and told him to keep
him until this morning when he came
down town with the negro and found
that he had not pawncd the pistol.
p. II. Hendrick, quartermaster ser
... of n, IT tactitiaI that hp was