The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-18


deceased. The court could impute I
him no moral guilt. What happenc
there seemed to be entirely accident;
and to be attributed to the angry an
excited department Of DR.. Earle. Th
Judge explained further that Mr.. Yar
coy seemed to have worn his pistol il
Grcenyille because Of habit acquired il
carrying it while passing through tn
Indian country of the West. In con
sidelation Of this practice the court hat
made up it's Judgment. The sentence
was 81 800 fine and twelve month!
| Imprisonment in Jail.
"Governol Patrick Noble remittct
two-thirds of the fine and released the
prisoner. Mr.. Yanccy then returned
with his family to Alabama"
Maj. Perry was not only the editor
of TIE MoUNTAINEER when Yanccy
became involved in this trouble with
his wifc's uncle, DR.. Earle, but he was
also one of the counsel for the defend
ant, with whom he was on intimate
terms, and he has left Oh record his
testimony as to the character and dis
position Of his client, and gwen a
statement of the circumstances under
which the fatal difficulty took place.
In his "Rcminisccnccs of Public Men,"
which was published only few years
before his death, Gov. Perry has an
interesting sketch Of William l.. YAM
ccy, from which we make the follow
ing extract
Mr.. Yanccy read law in my Office
two or three years, and we were FOR Il
much longer period on terms of great
intimacy. ! knew him well and loved
him most ailcctionatcly. He had many
rare and noble qualities OF both head
and heart. lie was full Of genius and
talent, and endowed with high gifts of
Oratory. In disposition he was kind
and areCtiOnatc, warm and generous,
and devoted to his friends. He was
bright, cheerful face, ever inspiring
confidence and good feeling. II was
rather under ordinary height and we'll
propOrtioncd, with great activity and
strength. His manners were not only
pleasing and polished, but really fasci-
mating, and 10 one could be in COM
pany with him without feeling kindly
towards him but with all his talents,
attractions and brilliancy, he was not
a man of wisdom, or Judgment, OF sta
bility of character. He had strong
feelings and impulses, which generally
controlled his action and Judgment.
He was Il man Of high eplril and daunt-
less courage. His impulses and his
passion involved him in a great many
of a very serious character.
| remember, on one occasion, whilst
he was reading law with me, having TO
rush between HIM and Thomas f.
CAN'T to prevent their firing on each
other. They had commenced poliii-
cal discussion, which did not continue
long before they drew their pistols,
and but for the interference of myself
and others, would have exchanged shots
in the street In Il quarrel with DR..
Earle, the uncle Of his wife, he drew
his pistol and shot him. The doctor
died in few hours. Yancey was tried
and convicted of manslaughlcr.
I'm this affair, however, he did what
few men of spirit might not have done
under the circumstances. The day
previous he had had a difficulty with
Dir. Earlc's son, who was quite a lad
Ianccy sought the doctor and explain
cd TO linn the difficulty with his SOD,
who seemed to be perfectly satisfied.
The next day he was lnquiring for
Iancey with bludgeon in his hands.
Yancey went up to him in perfect good
humor and anticipated no officially.
He gave Yancey the lie and drew his
stick. Immediately Yanccy drew his
pistol, and presenting it, told the doc
tor to uakc it back or take a shot,
DR.. Earle rushed towards him and
Yanccy's pistol fired But Yanccy
assured me, conlidontlally, that it was
not his purpose to fire the pistol, and
that he did fire il invOlontarily under
the excitement. He afterwards made
affidavit TO this fact, and ! have never
for Il moment doubted the truth of the
assertion. He was defended by Judge
Wardlaw, Mr.. Bu:l and myself. Ills
sentence was fine and Imprisonment,
which Governor Noble pardoncd in a
few weeks.