The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-11-16

Edgefeld county and Greenwood
town. The full force all night was
hardly so, and as the negroes were
reported at the Harris place, six
miles off, in strong numbers, the
situation looked grave. Greenwood
men stayed up all night, ready for
the word, but some at Phoenix did
not think it necessary for them to
come or safe TO travel the roads at
night.
Yesterday the crowd of white men,
several hundred in number, secured
the country for the negroes wanted.
Eleven were picked up and six of
these were shot, four being killed in
a bunch. The darkeys were taken to
Rehoboth church, where they were
examined separately as to their con-
nection with the Tuesday shootings.
Many of them lied outrageously and
a rope was put around their necks to
bring the truth and it did, so those
present say. Their testimony was
taken down in writing. Several sup
posed to be innocent were allowed to
escape, but four were shot in
bunch. Harry Mckinney, who is
known to have been at Phoenix when
Etheredge was shot, was the first to
be riddled with bullets. He was
perforated by a volley from every
side. Mckinney was shot in the
leg during the fight at Watson's
store when Etheredge was killed.
Rob Daniel, Sam Baker and another
were shot to death. The four fell in
a heap and they were left until to-
day. Two others were shot while
running and were almost certainly
killed.
After this affair, the crowd thinued
out and scattered, many going home
before the shooting, leaving deter
mined set who finished the negroes
fates. A party went to Thomas Tol
bert's house, the Harris place, where
Thomas Tolbert was in bed from
wounds received at the store the day
previous. The place was searched
for negroes and five ofthem advanced
on the whites but no fight occurred.
It is difficult to get the exact facts
about this part of the trouble, as
here the most serious matter took
place. A few picked men, full OF
grit, went in the house and asked
the women questions. This was to
find the location of Thomas Tolbert's
bed. When this was ascertained,
the crowd retired and at least two
shots were fred at the bed from the
outside and as the rifles were good
ones and the shooters tried men, the
result was supposed to be sati:fac-
tory and the crowd left. J. II.
Just when it was thought that the
excitement incident to the recent
troubles at Phoenix had subsided and
law and order had been established
aod things were settling down to
their normal conditions, new Difficult
ties arose and more blood was shed.
1t seems that nearly the whole of the
up country is in state of disquitude
and that the passions of the people
are so iDfamed that it needs only
the most trifing incident for another
reign of terror and 'snx:ety to be
again inaugurated. On Monday IA,
Eliza Goode, was shot and fatally in
jured by alleged white men shooting
into her house. It is thought that
the white men can be recognized.
Great shame and indignation is felt
among the whites over the dastardly
deed.
On the same day at Hunters, Alb
beviIle county, Kennedy McCaslan,
white, is reported to have been shot
and fatally wounded by a negro
named Charlie Hall. Heis in Abbeville
Jail, and ly nching bee will proba-
bly, follow the shooting.
There was still another murder
reported from near Veldery IN the
same county on the same day. In
an alteration, John Fell, white, shot
a negro.
The whites of in and around Phoe-
nix have met in mass meeting and
passed a set of resolutions recitlng
the causes which led up to the diff
Guilty and calling upon all law abid
ing people, both whites and blacks,
to join in an effort to preserve the
peace of the community and to re.
turn to their peaceful avocations.
H~.S