The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-20
A BAD GANG.
A Regular Band of RobberssNear
Charleston.
COMPOSED OF cONVIcTS.
Outrageous Cases Cited
to Show The State of Affairs
Where the Robbers

to Show The State of Affairs
Where the Robbers
Operate.
A serious state Of affairs is reported
from St. Andrews Parish. From all
accounts lawlessness is running rampant
across the Ashley River and every day
that the maurauders enjoy enjoy i'm
munity from the law the bolder grow
their depredations and the more auda-
cious become the actors in the play that
is going on. A radius of two miles
from New Bridge seems to be regularly
terrorized by gang of outlaw Negroes,
who are doing the Jesse James act on
the highways, robbing stores and mai
treating all who are so rash as to oppose
any objection for the sake Of order or
self defence. For several months this
disorder and lavlessress has been going
on in a most high-harded manner, and
Unless the officials responsible for the
preservation OF order do something
themselves to stem the tide Of crime or
call on some ono who will there is no
telling where the matter will stop. 1t
is now unsafe to travel the roaoways at
night and residence in that section may
soon become dangerous if more strln-
gent methods are not adopted to re-
store good order.
As said before this lawlessness is
caused by band Of Ncgroes-the exact
number not being known-all Ct whom
are fugitiges from justice. These Ne
groes are organized under the leader
ship of Negro named Henry, hut who
prefers to travel under the intimidat-
ing cognomen Of "Wild Bill"
"Wild William and his gang are a
sweet set of jail birds that would be
perfectly at home in the State Peniten-
tiary, and some Of them have been SEN
fenced there, but escaped before sent
ences passed on them could he execut-
ed. As sample of the character Of
"WilG Bill it is only necessary to
state that he is wanted for criminal as.
sault on Edisto Island, and bunch Of
constables from that place went to st.
Andrews after him last week, but after
loafng around the woods for a few days
returned without him Another man
supposed to be connected with the
gang is Henry Haynes. Haynes killed
Constable Oliver at Ten Mile HILL, was
convicted Of manslaughter and sent
enced to the penitentiary. While con-
fined in the Berkely county jail ne es-
capped.
To show the hardihood Of these Ne
gro outlaws it is only necessary to re-
cite few Of the crimes they have COM
mitted. It was impossible to secure
the names, but the facts were given to
a reporter for The News and Courier
by one Of the most prominent lawyers
in Charleston, who has property IN st.
Andrews, and who has studied the sit
uation.
Lewis's store. about mile from New
Bridge, was robbed by the gang in broad
daylight. They just walked in and
held up the proprietor. Mr.. Lewis very
naturally objected and sought to oppose
them and in the scufie that ensued had
his arm broken by the Negroes. After
helping themselves to ali that they
needed the gang left for the woods.
A few nights after Mr.. Duponts
store was entered and the clerk, who
sleeps upstairs hearing the noise started
down to see what was the matter. A
Negro with gun made him come to a
standstill, and the clerk was informed
that he had better not interfere. The
clerk was powerless and the Negroes
after helping themselves made of.
The store of Mr.. Wigger, in Mary
vile, was the next place Of attack. The
gang tore of strip Of weather board
ing from this place, but found they
could not enter, so went around to an
other 81 lie and endeavored to force
window. Mr.. Wigger was waiting for
them on the inside with we'll loaded
shotgun, but unfortunately, in working
about for position, made noise which
frightened the gang of.
The clerk in Gadsden's S store wa held
up one rainy afternoon BY a single
Negro, supposed to be Wild Bill. For
tunately, while the clerk was looking
down the barrel Of the pistol, party OF
ladies drove up to the store to take shell
ter from the rain. The Negro, not
knowing the invading party was OF
feminine gender, jumped out Of the
back door and took to the woods:
Another dastardly case Of violence OF
which Wild Bill and his gang are guilty
is the serious whipping administered to
the town marshal of Maryville, Negro
named Robertson. \ few weeks ago
Robertson had occasion to arrest re-
latiye Of one Of the gang, and at the
time was threatened with violence.
Robertson paid no attention to the
threat, because he always went well
armed. but as is usually the case, ne
inally threw aside precautioa: One
day he was driving along the she'll road
in wagon and had left his pistol in
the bottom of the wagon body, where 1t
was unhandy to get at. Before he
knew what he was about Negro rose
up out OF the bushes on each side Of the
road and ordered him to throw up his
hands. As the working ends Of two
pistols pointed right at him. there was
nothing to Do but obey orders, and up
went his feeders Robertson was
then jerked from the wagon seat by a
bunch og Negroes. some Of whom came
out of the bushes after the hold-ur.
and was numerically beaten. The
cries of Robertson reached the ears Of
Mr.. kracke and another white man
who were driving along the road in
buggy, returning to the city from Mr..
Kracke's farm. As the buggy ap-
preached the scene of the difficulty
Robertson was released aud his as
r,;1.ntc ,ooGa oood their eScane