The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-07-17
STORIES ABOUT AN OLD TRAGEDY.
Trial and Conviction of VIM. L. Yancey
Conflicting Statements That Are Not Surprising

vile in its carlicr days, and circun
stanLlal accounts are given in whicI
there are evident errors and conflicting
statements, but which ac entirely cX
Cusabc owing to the fact that thCs
correspondents are writing from th
memory of others. The killing Of DIR
Robinson Earle sixty-threc years ag'
might have been forgotten or at lcas
Vile were it not that he belonged tC
an illuStrluus family, whose descend
ants are very numerous in the com
murlty, and that his slayer was VIII.
liam l.. Iancey, who became Il famous
leader in the secession movement OF
1860, more than twenty years after the
unfortunate encounter which ended
DR.. Earlc's life and which doubtless
cmbtlcrcd Mr.. Yanccy's existence
long afterwards. Mr.. lanccy's prom-
nencc as a lawyer and politician in
Alabama never diminished the noto-
licty of this sad tragedy, and i'll fact
only added to the pcrpctuity of the
story IN succeeding years.
"A correspondent Of the Birmingham
Agc-Ucrud, who made Il visit to
Grccnvillc not long ago, has given the
following account of the tragedy:
"Thcre sill stands ii Main street :,
Grecnvillc, :. g., the ancient red brick
court house Of Grccnvillc County, in
which the immortal William J.. Yanccy
was tried, convicted and sentenced for
the mansuughtcr Of Robertson Earle,
then the head of the famous Earle FAM
lily of South Carolina. That occurred
about fifty years ago, though | forget
the exact date, and | haven't got Du-
Bosses Life uf Ianccy within reach
at the moment said IA traveller last
night.
I" While was in Grccnvlllc recently,
q member of the Earle FANNY, Il learn
ed young lawy modcstly proud of his
illustrlOus race, related 10 me what |
accepted as Il family version of that fa-
nous tragedy, and he said it had never
been in print As the story ran, Yam
ccy, chen Il praclicing lawyer, was at
that time Il taciturn but somewhat high
tempered and impcuuous man when
aroused, ard was easily aroused at all
times. His friend Earlc'S son, a young
boy, one day offered Yanccy very Of
fcnsivc rudcncss i'll the public street,
and Nanccy thoughtlcssly struck the
boy a mild blow.
In moment Yanccy regretted the
act, though feeling that he had ust
cause for it, and he sought Earle and
told him the circumstances, saying that
he was greatly provoked. HIS sense OF
propricly, he said, required him to seek
the father Of the boy and tell him the
stony III person.
" Earle answered in friendly spirit,
and SAID 1t was all right with him; thar
he could easily understand how his
sons conduct as related by YanceN
might provoke gentleman. The two
men separated on most amiablc terms.
That occurred in the morning.
g AT noon Earle went home to his
midday dinner, according TO CUSTOM
that prevails still in Ctrecnvillc, and to
his astonlshmcnt he found Mrs. Earle
in Il high state Of excitement. The
boy had gone home and told the mother
about Iauccy having stuck him, and
she was passionatcly angry. 1t seems
that at first Earle sought to soOthc his
wife, but she played upon his feelings
and soon got him wrought up in anger
against Yanccy. Finally his wife de-
mandcd that he should 90 down town
ana have it out with Yanccy. He
armed himself and went. NOBODY
ever yet doubted the courage of an
Earle.
" Earle found Yancey at famous
tavern within a few PAGES OF the court
house, on the site now occupied by
the Grccnvilc Duly News building,
and violent quarrel arose at once.
Almost instantly Yanccy drew a pls,ol
and shot Earle dead.
=" 1t was one of the greatest scnsa.
tions in the history of a State famous
for sensational tragedies. Ianccy was
indicted, tried and convicted of man
slaughter, and sentenced to a tenn of
imprisonment. After getting out of
his tioublc he removed to Alabama,
settling in the ncighborhoOd of Mont
gomcry, and almost at once began that
extraordinary career of political activ-
ity which more than any other indlvi-
dual force caused the disastrous war
between the States, the result of which
he was not to live to see !
'' The old courthouse in Grcenyillc
is a small two story structure of red
brick, and with its walls four feet in
thickness it IS as substantial now as
il VS. Nvhpi, buIIt mara in an 3, ~, ,,turv