Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-29
Three PLANTERS
Hanged for the Murder Of an I'M
known Slave.
AN ANTE-BELLUM TRAGEDY
Related bJ Judge T. J. RaukeJ to Globe
Scrbe-TOm 10 Pieces By Their Hounds the
Slas is Avenged BY The Sovereign State Of
South CaroIIna-Ths Peculiar Ideas Of Law
Entertained BY Justices Of the Peace,

Your arrest anu hulhAhb W NhN
Grand Jury by this fellow Beckwith
reminds me Of our South Carolina JUS
tlces of the peace during the carpet
bag regime and when l was presiding
Judge on the circuit bench Of that
State, said Judge T. j. Mackey to The
Globes editor.
I'm what particular, Judge?"
"Wel. in the peculiar construction
of criminal libel law, or rather the
readiness Of the police prosecutor to
issue warrants Of arrest. Among some
of the absurd cases | recall being
brought before me was that Of wom-
an held by the justice Of the peace,
before whom she was arraigned on the
charge of rape"
"You are joking, surely?"
mo. indeed. The records Of my ju-
dicial circuit will bear me out. The
womans name was Margaret Shannon.
When examined the docket / ordered
the sheriff to bring the prisoner into
court. under the impression that, as in
many Latin countries a woman's name
was worn by a male But great was
my surprise when a handsome, buXom
young woman Of 25 entered the pris-
oners dock. called the prosecuting
witness to the bench and examined
him. He testified that he was stand
ing against the fence, near the edge Of
a swamp, when Margaret Shannon,
whom he knew, asked him If he had
seen a missing COW belonging to her
mother. He replied that he had seen
such an animal enter Ine swamp some
time before, whereupon she assaulted
him and committed the crime. After
lecturing the young man privately,
dismissed the case without asking the
defendant to plead.
There were many as absurd cases in
those days in which our justices Of the
peace displayed a remarkable amount
of unadulterated ignorance Of not
only law but common sense. However,
before the war, South Carolina took
leading rank in the administration or
criminal law, irrespective Of persons.
/ recall one of the most remarkable
cases ever tried, | will venture to state,
below the Mason and Dixon line, in
which three white young millionaire
planters we're publicly hanged for the
atrocious murder Of an unknown ne
gro slave of an unknown master
"That certainly is marvellous infor-
nation, Judge. What are the partic-
| ulars|
About so miles from Charleston,
three young men, two Of whom were
brothers named Blackledge and the
third a cousin named Mott, we're out
hunting with their hounds. They had
combined three packs and had some
80 or so hounds in the hunt The two
Blackledges were aged respectively 26
and a. while Mott was a year or two
the elder of the brothers. During the
hunt some Of the hounds went off on
fresh scent, which the chief hunts
man Of the party declared to be mig
ger" The boys consulted and decided
that It was runaway slave, and they
agreed to hunt down the human game
as more exciting. Calling in all the
hounds. they started them on the trail
of the unfortunate negro, whom they
treed in the course Of a few hours.
Surrounding the tree we're the hounds
when the three young men rode up,
| They commanded the negro to descend
| but he refused, as he was afraid the
| hounds would tear him to pieces. They
assured him that the uogs would not
| touch him, and they drew on the ami
mails to convince him, whereupon the
negro descended, when the three half
crazed young ruffains turned the dogs
! loose and the wretched slave was
speedily torn into shreds. The skull
and bones they threw In the brush, re-
mounted their horses and rode home
u
awful deed.
But an humble farmer had witnessed
| the diabolical affair and gave informa'
| ton to the authorities. The Black.
| lodges and their cousin Mott we're ar
rested, indicted and placed on trial for
| the murder. They we're defended by
/ l6 of the leading counsel Of the bar OF
| South Carolina, and after a desperate
| ly contested trial, were convicted and
sentenced to hang.
John l.. Manning was then governor
| of the State The legislature was
pledged to elect him to the United
States Senate This legislature peti
| toned him for a commutation Of the
| sentence, with the implied threat that
if It was not granted he would not be
]
wealth and influence Of this portion OF
the State was brought to bear but the
| governor stood firm. He pointed out
| the atrocious nature Of the crime and
| that a jury OF slave-Owners and plant
ers had condemned the perpetrators
Finally the sheriff notified him thai
he had been offered $4,000 in gold L
escape with his three prisoners e
Charleston, where a ship was in readi
ness to take them to South America
Ine sheriff also sent the governor
proofs Of the fact that a powerfully
armed organization was perfected ans
i'm readiness TO rescue the prisoners
In case the bride was refused
Governor Manning was equal to tn,
emergency He threw a brigade o
South Carolina militia around the jai
before the mob could act and KEEP
them there, with himself in camp al
ommanderin-chief, until the day o.
execution. THE Blackledge brothers
and their cousin Mott were led out FOL
execution and ascended the sCaffold ii
\ fun view Of the thousands Of people
who hocked from an round the sur
rounding country They were threl
magnifcently built young men, tall
handsome and accomplished, and o.