The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-03-07
"kNIGHTS OF THE ARCHER"
4 Negro Malta Over in Georgia-The
RinsleaderS of the Band are Under
Sentence of Death.

n .\cSlO -udhd oNCt LII VVViSia hV
RingleaderS of the Band are Under
Sentence of Death.
The sentence of death has been passed
on five negroes in Scrcven County, Ga,
who are said to be the charter members
of the black Malta known as "knights of
the Archer" and which had death to
White men" as its motto. BY order of
the Court the five men have been SEN
fenced to the gallows on March 20, and
they are cropping about madly in dun
~eons while their counsel is makinga
determined effort to have the verdict set
aside at Il second trial. Screvcn County
is lust over the line from South Carolina.
When two white officers of the law were
murdered last October and Il posse went
into the black settlement to arrest the
murlcrcrs, part of the band fled to this
State, and those unfortunate enough to
remain were caught like SO many rats.
It had been known that Malta existed
in the Scrcvcn section. Threats had gone
forth from unknown sources, and after
the officers were shot and the blacks ar
rested the charter of the black band was
found
In his.wrath the officer tore the char
ter of the "knights of the Archer into
thousand pieces and scattered the small
bits of paper to the breeze. That hasty
act has saved the necks of bands of ne
rrocs, who undoubtedly would have been
caught and tried hy the Courts. Before
the paper was destroyed, however, some
thing of the object of the Malta was made
known. The charter swore vengeance
against the whites and the members OBJ
lirated themselves to defend one another
to death. The names Of the negroes ar
rested and those who made their escape
appeared as charter members.
Following the arrest of the first leaders
officers came over into South Carolina
and made an unsuccessful search for the
six black knights who fled from home.
The search led through the dark and
treacherous paths of the swamps, where
alligators and black desperadoes fought
for possession, and by the good fortune
of a lucky star the officers were not trap
ped and killed. The band had too many
friends to get caught.
Great excitement spread through the
black settlements when it became known
that the leaders of the Malta had been
sent to prison. Sylvania is the big town
in Screven County. Around this place
negroes thrive like honey bees, and fear
ine that attempts would be made by
members of the band to free the leaders
it was decided to remove the prisoners to
Chatham County, where they were kept
secure.
Arnold Augustus, Andrew Davis, Rich
ard Sanders, William Hudson and Sam
Baldwin arc the five black wretchcs over
whom the doom of death is swinging
with spider wcbbed cord. They are
mourning and weeping. Death has hor-
rors to them, Notwithstanding their thirst
for human gore, and they put great faith
in the efforts of their lawyers to save
them from the ropes.
Fillmore Harrison and Milton Mears
were the victims of the Malta. Both OF
these were white men, fearless and brave.
Mears was Il constable, and, in company
with Harrington and Capt. Wade, a
neighbor, they went one night to the
home of Jesse Zanders to arrest the son
of Zanders, who was wanted by magls-
trate for trivial offence The object OF
the call was quickly explained. With an
oath Zanders said they could not get his
bov, and then he went back into the
house.
A moment later there came shrlll
whistle from the swamp. The white men
heard it. The note went from bush to
bush. 1t sounded like the night thrill OF
mocking bird.
"Thosc mocking birds have a sweet
tone" said Mears, as the trio stopped
their conference to listen.
But am not SO sure that they are
birds" answered Harrington.
While the men waited a long carbine
Was stuck from the window of the Zan-
ders cabin. With the first barking OF the
gun bullet whistled through the air,
lodged in the thigh of Capt. Wood, and
from all sides of the wooded yard there
came bullets and slugs from half score
of guns.
The constables were caught off their
guard. They stood in the binding light
from the cabin window. The negroes were
concealed in the shrubbery and the bullets
kept up their war like sound. Wade,
crippled in the leg, picked his way to the
edge of the yard and crawled into his
buggy. The bullets whlstled over his
head, smashed in the side of his trap, but
the man escaped. He thought that his
companions had been saved.
Capt. Wade left trail of blood on the
highway as he drove into town and told
the news At daylight posse had sur
rounded the ZanGers cabin. The black
wife of Zanders sat in the house, smok-
ing pipe and rocking her child. She
said she knew of no trouble All around
her were the empty shells thrown from
brcech loading guns
Stretched at full length near the spring
was the mutilated body of McarS, the con-
stable Bullets and iron slugS had torn
away his heart. A trail of blood was FOL-
lowed deep into the swamp, and there by
the running brook was the body of Her