The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-01-03
Mr.. S. N Cross Visit South.

Derrick very conveniently settled
around each other, and it afforded
me a great deal of pleasure to visit
them and their many kind neighbors.
Many of the good citizens there re-
GREETED very much to relate to me
the circumstances of the horrible
crime OF the killing and burning Of
the wife and four children of Mr..
Gamble. I saw the ruins of the
house, the spots where each body
lay burned into crisps, and saw the
peach tree that stood within o few
feet of the house where the guilty
negro, Joo Lefore, was tied to With
wood piled around him and burned
to death. There were several rem
nants of his bones there that did not
burn. 1 also saw the negro Frank
Nash, who begged to apply the torch
to him, which request was granted.
He only lived sever minutes after the
torch was applied. All the good
citizens there regret very much that
there was a necessity for such a de.
plorable affair. Mr.. Gamble has
only one child and his home is now
in Alabama.
In visiting the friends and neigh
bors in Alfalfa county I found them
to be scciable and kind and they
seem to have a special liking for any
one from South Carolina. While
there I heard the Rev. J. L. Derrick
formerly Of Newberry, S. c. preach
a very interesting sermon in the New
Hope Luthern church. 10 viewing
the cemetery there I found the rest
ing places OF four ministers, all grad
yates Of the Lexington Theological
Seminary. The names OF these min
listers being Rev. BrowD, Stingly,
Sheppard, j. N. Derrick, and also
the grave Of Mr.. Jonathan Vineyard,
who once lived here, who now has a
very large number of relatives here.
In the town of Koscuisko, in q
Mr. Cdny's harness store, 1 found
the faithful servant, Charles, that be-
longed to the Rev. Dr.. Hazelius, at
this place over so years ago. He
was powerfully glad to see me and
to hear from his old home and many
friends, white and colored.
After leaving these two counties I
then went about 50 or 80 miles to
Jackson, the capital Of the State, to
the Governor home, where I found
two Of my first cousins, the daughters
of uncle John RAuch whom I had
not seen 10 IS years, when they left
Lexington, S G.
After arriving at The home Of Gov.
A. J. .McLaurin, who married the
youngest daughter, Laura, CT uncle
John Rauch, and being cordially
welcomed by his family, they tele-
graphed to their surrounding families
and to DR.. J. NJ Ruuch at ElwardS,
that I had come ard to come and see
me, and all be together on Thanks
giving day. A goodly number OF
them came and we had a delightful
time among these relatives and their
large families, whom I had not seen
in so long a time. While in Jackson
the Governor was unremitting in his
attention to me, and his kindness I
can never forget. He showed me the
greatest courtesy and took me around
10 all the. State institutions located
in tie city and other points of
interest that he thought would
amuse snl interest me.
I went home with Dr.. J. M Rauch
on Thanksgiving evening to the
town of Edwards and remained with
him and his family who showed me
every attention and kindness, which
was appreciated. He took me all
over his beautiful town and showed
me a great many interesting things
and places in the town. He told NE
bis brother William and family were
in San Francisco, California and that
be was practicipg law there.
The most important questions that
those people asked was about their
relations and friends that they left
behind in South Clrolina. Then the
next was the advantages of our
county they did not have, such as
railroads running through the dlf-
ferent localities Of cur country and
the cotton manufacturing mills which
are of so much Importance to us, and
the planting Of wheat and fine mills
we have to make fl our, etc. A great
portion Ct the country out there is
very billy and u%plevel while other
sections are level and fine. The soil
is Of different colors though mostly
of a light yellow color, and almost