The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-10-15
THE STAIN OF HUMAN BLOOD.

Some Observations on the Hofr"rs
that Attend a Slayer of his Fellow
Man-Some Famous South Carolina
Killings.
This thing of taking the life of human
Being except in self-defcncc, during eX-
citement or on the field of battle, is a ter
rible thing and unless man be hardened
into brutality and is utterly devoid Of con-
science it will haunt him to his dying day.
Three times during my career have de-
liberately made up my mind to kill, but
determined to make my antagonists first
the assailants and to give them a fair
showing, and thus put my own life in
jeopardy. But when the necessity for any
such encounter had passed the feeling OF
relief was indescribable.
Thousands upon thousands Of useful
and brilliant lives have been blighted and
rendered miserable blythe takingof human
life; and even when the killing was justi-
fed in the sight of both man and by the
laws of the land, the curse of Cain fol-
lowed the slayer his entire days.
MY father, think, was with the hon.
VIM. L. Yancey, the great Secession lead
er, when he killed Dr. Earle, of Green
vile. They were boys together, were
warm friends, and | have often heard my
father speak of the circumstance. Yam
cey killed Earle as the latter was adyanc-
ing upon him with an upraised walking
cane, and when the fatal shot was fired.
Just before the beginning of the late war
between the States my father and Mr.
Yancey met in Montgomery, Ala. Mr.:
Yancey, in discussing the tragedy, stated
that he had no intention of shooting Dr.
Earle, but the encounter took place in
the piazza of the post-office, an old wood
en- building opposite the Mansion House
in Greenville, and which piazza had no
railing, being several feet from the
ground. DR.. Earle attacked Mr.. Iancey
because he had slapped the face or his
little son, Elias, there being no very KIND
feeling between the two men. DIR. Earle
raised his cane and advanced on Mr..
Yancey, who drew his pistol, presented
it and retreated backward. MIR. 1ancey
stated that he had no intention of shoot
ing the Doctor, but wanted to intimidate
him. In stepping backward he felt that
he had reached the extreme end of the
piazza and, in order to prevent falling
off, had inadvertently pressed the trigger;
But. this great Southern statesman told
nv father, he would freely give fame.
fortune and all he possessed and again
start life poor, Ignorant and obscure
man, could he, by so doing, only wipe
that blood from his hands; that often, in
the midst of his most brilliant orations,
would he see the figure of DR.. Earle, as
he appeared with that upraised cane and
when the tragedy was enacted, rise before
him. 1t haunted him day and night, and
while he was justified in the killing and
the sentence imposed by the law was
light, his life was unending remorse and
self-reproach. Years after the killing,
when Mr.. Yancey returned to visit his
mother-in law, Mrs. Earle, in Greenville
and Elias had grown to manhood, the
young man, who had innocently caused
the death of his father, appeared before
the gate with shotgun in hand and asked
to see Col. Yancey. Mr.. Yancey, from
behind the closed door, told Elias to 60
away and he would return to Alabama
and not visit Greenville again that he
had more of the Earle blood then upon
his hands than he could ever wash away
and did not want any more. This visit
would probably have resulted fatally had
not the old lady, who like all of the Earles,
was as brave as lion, seized shotgun
and told Elias that he must 90 away and
not further moiest her guest, and that If
he attempted any violence toward Yancey
he must first fire through her. The next
day Mr.. Yancey left for Alabama and
did not return again, / think, to South
Carolina until IS delegate to the Charles
ton Convention.
If the killing of human being can be
made iustifiable it was that of Bynum by
Perry. Bynum was noted duellist, and
had been employed to provoke Perry into
a fight and take his life. The two men
represented extreme factions in South
Carolina politics, and which were as Bit
ter as in the days of Tillmanism and Con-
servatism. Bynum was an expert with
the pistol, and had killed, so I am told,
more than one man. On the other hand,
Perry had but little if any practice with
that weapon, being a man of peace, but
undoubted courage. But Perry's steady
nerve and cool head proved superior to
the skill of his antagonist, who was kill.
ed at the first fire, and his grave is still
pointed out 1t the old historic Rock
Church, near Clemson College. But even
the knowledge that this duel had been
forced on him, and that his enemy was
given an equal, if not better, showing
for his life, could never wipe the red
stain from the tender conscience of Gov
ernor Perry One of his sons told me he
never heard the subject mentioned but
once in his fathers presence, when his
face grew deathly pale, he raised his
hand, and stated that he never again
wanted to hear that duel spoken of by
any member of his family. That the
horror of that tragedy, committed on a
little island in the Savannah River, haunt
ed this great and good man all his days,
is not doubted, and it cast a dark cloud
over brilliant and useful life.
have known great many men who
had taken human life, under all manner
of circumstances, and without a single
exception they wore the brand of Cain
upon their brows. There was no pleas
ures or happiness in life for them. Their
existence was one long reign of remorse
and self-reproach, and if they did not
manifest the same by word of mouth, it
could be seen in the restless eye, and ner-
Yous starting at every unusual noise.
Many turned for consolation to drink,
and which only added fuel to the internal
fires that ever burned within them.
Others prospered, but during those inter
vals when the mind was permitted to
wander back to the past, a look of haggard
misery overspread their faces. The
brand of Cain was fixed upon the brows
of those shedders of human blood by
Divine vengeance, and only death could
erase it..
remember, while living in Oglethorpe
County, Georgia, talking with young
friend of mine who had gone with party
to chastise negro for reported insult
to white woman. This young man was
stationed at a window, through which
the negro endeavored to escape. He
fired on the man and shot him dead, his
body hanging over the sill. This young
man, and who was successful merchant,
stated to me that he afterwards discover
ed that he had killed an innocent and
slandered man, aud the party who had
made up the story was enraged against