Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-03-07

Breckenridge, afterward vice-presfdent
of the United States. Cutting chal-
lenged Breckenridge, but friends inter-
vened and prevented an encounter.
Probably few people recollect that dur
ing the discussion in the senate on the
Kansas-Nebraska act controversy
arose between Senators Green, Of Wis
consin, and Douglas, Of Illinois-the
little giant, as he was called. Hostile
notes passed, but friends interviewed
and prevented duel. Douglas was
New England man, native, be-
lieve, Of Vermont, but when he
thought he was in the right was will
ing to fight anybody.
II mention these incidents to show
that in its palmy days the duel had
recognition in all sections Of the coun-
try. OF course, I am not advocating a
repeal Of the statute against the duel,
even If do have an idea that it is q
law that you could drive horse and
wagon through. What I said, when I
started these comments, I believe, is
that II these South Carolina gentle
men, Messrs. Tillman and Gonzales,
had had recourse to duel to settle the
difficulties between them there would
have been friends on both sides who
could, and in my judgment would have
prevented the deplorable tragedy. and
both could have retired with 'honors
easy"
Then up spoke another member of
the assembly. He absolutely differed
from the venerable brother on the sub
ject Of duelling and declared his utter
abhorrence Of it as he did also of
lIynching, even while willing to admit
Ethat neither of these "relics Of bar
barism," as he styled them, were alto
gether and distinctively sectional In
stitutions, and "if," he said, "as our
friend claims, there is Scriptural au-
thority for duelling, 30 Is there the
same authority for lynching."
Where in Holy Writ is there any IL
lustration of lynching bee?" demand
ed another Of the party.
Quick as q flash came the response:
1T is in the same book that records
the duel as our friend put it, be-
tween the giant Of the Philistines and
the sweet minstrel Of Israel-in the
second book Of Samuel-and the event
was the lynching of Absalom, son of
the conqueror Of the great blusterer.
Absalom, If recollect by Sunday
school teachings, flying after his re-
bellion, was caught by his long locks
in an oak tree, and Joab, one of the
successful generals, hearing Of 1t, pre-
cipitated himself upon him, and with
ten Of his men ruthlessly slew him.
There was no courtmarAal Of any kind,
but he was incontinently slain for re-
bellion. If that was not as much Of a
lynching as the encounter between
David and Goliath was duel then I
am not on my reckoning.
"And now let me tell you that once
saw a man a very few minutes after
he had been lynched, though in a
measure I was a forced witness to the
sight, and these, as near as I recollect,
were the circumstances:
lone beautiful summer morning
more than twenty years ago I with
friend, was travelling toward the an
cient city of Annapolis. We had been
enjoying an outing Of two or three
days with some friends on South riv-
er, at a place about six miles distant
from the Maryland capital. On the
morning Of our departure we arose
very early, intending to walk to An
napolis and there take the steamboat
for Baltimore We had completed
about half our journey and had just
turned into the main road at a place
known as the Three Oaks, now called
Camp Parole. There Is a postoffice
stationed at that point, and at short
distance beyond us, going in the oppo-
site direction, we noticed body OF
men, rather dimly perceived In the
early morning twilight. We naturally
halted to see what was going on. They
saw us also and three Of them very
rapidly came back to where we stood.
"'Where are you fellows going
my companion, who Is living today
and is a prominent and active business
man of this city, answered him:
1--WE are going to Annapolis
"'Well, go on, and be quick about 1t,
was the rather menacing command;
| htrf
began to meet on the highway squads
of men coming from the city, and from
them we learned that the old town had
been visited before daybreak that
morning by a crowd Of Anne Arundel
county farmers and others, who had
broken into the Jail and taken Negro
who was in prison for a crime that Is
so often visited with lynching in the
south, and they, out Of curiosity, of
course, for it was too late to prevent
the lynchers from doing their work,
even If they wanted to, were out to
see whatever they could see. We join
ed them and retraced our steps, and a
short walk showed us that the MOP nad
carried out its intention quickly, for
hanging from a tree a few feet from
the road we saw sight that l VIII
never forget. The dead body or tne
Negro was swinging from the limb OF
a tree. BY that time the golden light
of the rising sun was shimmering on
the tops Of the trees, there was a pure
and sweet breeze ruff1ing the summer
foliage, and the whole party Of sight
seers seemed awed by the surround
ings. AS for the lynching party, not
one, so far as we could know, was
anywhere in the neighborhood. There
was the dead man, lightly clad, shoe
less, with CLASSY eyes starting from
their sockets, hanging before us. The
results Of two crimes were merged IN
the spectacle-one that of the dead
man who had been made to expiate his
awful crime; the other that Of the
mob, who declined to let the law take
its proper course. I always opposed