The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-16

until Il very late hour Tuesday night.
Messages were sent back and forth
continuously until the telephone wire
was cut when nothing more could be
heard. causing the anxiety of the
townsfolll to rise higher for the men
who were out and from whom no word
could be gotten. A company Of men
was organized for general protective
purposes and to start ont next morning
and try TO peaccably straighten mat
tcrs at the scatof the trouble. Ammu-
milton and guns were gotten and at
about ten o'clock Wednesday morning
the company left town.
In the meantime report comes that Il
negro named Hampton had been shot
near Phoenix. He was driving along
in a wagon when met by Il party Of
men who told him to stop for the pur-
pose OF conversing with him. Instead
of obeying the negro jumped from the
wagon and started at run across Il
cotton patch. A number Of shots were
fired at him and he was seen to fall and
crawl off to the woods but could not be
found when looked for.
The company which left Greenwood
proceeded to Piney Grove church
where they met Il crowd Of about two
or three hundred men resting. They
had five or six negroes whom they we're
guarding 1t was reported that large
crowds Of negroes were congregating
at the Harris place-thc home of one Of
the Tolberts. The party proceeded to
this place and found the house deserted
except for Tom Tolbert who was in
bed in serious condition and an aunt.
There were no negroes around save one
or two who were at work in cotton
patches. The swamps we're then
secured but not a single crowd of ne
groes could be found, in fact no two of
the very few seen were together.
About 4:9O p. m. return was made
in the Phoenix direction. At Rehoboth
church large crowd was met. There
were eight negroes seated on a log and
strongly guarded.
Another party had set out for the
Tolbert place it was said. The crowd
at Rchoboth staid commercially quiet
for quite a while but loud talk and
profane language soon began. Twice
was the rising heat suppressed only to
start the stronger. Finally one negro
was grabbed from the log on which the
eight were sitting and forced into the
road short distance from a large oak
and about one hundred shots were
poured into his body. During this fir
ing two Of the negroes OH the log made
o break for liberty and took across a
cotton patch while two more took to
the woods back of the church. The
infuriated mob Immediately turned on
the three negroes who were rooted to
the log from fear and poured volley
of at least two hundred shots in their
bodies before they could move from
their seats. Attention was then turned
to the two men in the cotton patch, a
number of shots being fired at them
and one it is thought was wounded,
but they both escaped. Of the eight
four were left mangled masses, three
piled on top OF one another as they fell
off their seats. The names of the dead
are: Hamp McKenney, Lunn Jackson,
Charlie White and Bob Daniels.
The crowd Immediately began to
dispcrse, going in different directions,
leaving the dead just us they had fall
len. 1t Is utterly impossible to make
even an estimate of how many were
connected with the affair.
Various were the expressions of opin-
ion. Many thought more fuss would
be brought about, while many others
thought that the death of the four ne
grocs would put a stop to all the trou-
bic, and that it would be an object les
son for any black man who harbored
any thought whatever of causing more
trouble.
1t seems that for some time the ne
groes of this section, under the leader
ship Of the white Republicans, have
been trying to come above their nat
ural sphere, while now the general be-
lief is that they will all realize their
error in following the dictates of white
men who get them into trouble and
then drop them to pick for themselves.
Many were the expressions that "this
will end our Tolbcrt troubles" and so
might it be and with them all other
troubles between the whites and blacks,
at political meetings as well as else
where.
Joe Circuit, the negro who is said to
have fired the shots that killed Mr..
Ethcridge, is still ut large, and 10 one
has the rcmotcst idea Of his wherea
bouts.
LATER
Report Yesterday was that John and
.Joo Tolbert passed through Chester
Wednesday night and were thought to
still be in that county: An effort will
be made to find and bring them back
to Greenwood and lodge them i'll jail.
A letter was sent to Greenwood yes
tcr.lay morning from Mr.: Milling: who
lives in portion of the disturbed sec
ton that is settled almost wholly by
negroes saying that while the negroes
were quiet the day before it was be-