Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-18
THE kERsHAw LYNcHINo.
Solicitor Henry Makes His Report %
the Governor. 2

~ SOllcltor u. ~ f1eHrys q EepOEt VI uic
investigation Of the iynching Of th1s
white man, John Morrison. In Ker.
shaw for murder, reached Gov. Hey.
ward last Friday. The report Is char.
acteristically vigorous and at time,
very sarcastic. In his report Mr.
Henry says:
I'm obedience to your request, ar
rived at Kershaw. 8. c., at noon on
Monday, October 8. to investigate the
lynching Of John T. Morrison for the
killing Of William Floyd, on the Sat-
urday previous.
AFTER conferring with the sheriff OF.
Lancaster, John p. Hunter. ESQ, who
had preceded me that morning. I
conferred with and interviewed this
mayor, some Of the aldermen, the
town marshal, several citizens. the
wife and son Of Morrison and two Of
Morrison's neighbors. From these !
learned that the attitude OF the entire
town and surrounding country was,
by hand or heart, His blood be upon
US and our children Not one single
man among them but deplored lynch
ings and excused this one, II ever one
was excusable.'
Every one with whom conversed
seemed to labor to impress me with
the fact that this was the most or
derby, quiet and sober lynching that
ever occurred--a real pious lynching,
with the preachers In the background,
almost audibly saying amen ! did
not get to see any Of the locad preach
ers; but several spoke to me after
leaving Kershaw on the subject Of this
lynching and to my entire astonishr
ment, they voiced the sentiment II
there ever was an excusable lynchine
this was It. Where are we going to
end up this horrible midnight murder
by iynch-law ON all hands and public
sentiment fast heading the same way?
A sense Of paralysis came upon me
with the darkness Of Monday night.
"On Tuesday morning called q spe-
cial meeting of the town council. Ey-
cry member, with the town marshal,
met with US (Sherin Hunter and my
self in special meeting. explain-
ed that the governor had sent me to
Investigate the lynching; they were
sworn officers like myself; wanted
their help; Morrison had been taken
from their custody; they were some
what responsible on this account; I
wanted them to deal with me in a per-
fectiy honest and straightforward
manner; I would do the same with
them. There was no use In my making
efforts Il they were In sympathy with
the iynching. or would obstruct or re-
fuse to help me in the investigation
My appeal for help was In the interest
of law. the name Of the state and Of
our Maker.
after this I asked each and every
one Of them the following questions:
l. Are you in sympathy with. the
iynching? Q. VIII you help the states
officers in ferreting out and bringing
to trial these lynchers, honestly2 3.
Was that lynehing done by town folks
or people from the surrounding coun-
try?
ITO these three questions / have
verbatim answers on file. Two alder
men answered that they were indiffer-
ent as to the lynching and would not
help to ferret out the lynchers. The
mayor and one alderman answered
that they were not in sympathy with
the lynching and would help the
states officers, provided, 1t did not
interfere with their business. (Both
of these had much business). One all
dermari had done all he could to pre-
vent the lynching. and would do moth
ing more. The clerk was In sympa-
thy with the lynchers and would not
help to ferret It out, and would cover
up evidence II he knew Of any. The
town marshal was not in sympathy
with the lynching, did he could 70
prevent 1t and would help all he could
to ferret 1t out; but was busy collect
Ing taxes.
"As to the third question. the opin-
ion Of three Of those present was that
the lynching was done by country peo7
pie, and of four that the crowd that
did II was mixed; but by four that
the country people predominated
becaure nobody could be missed from
the town after Morrison was taken
froru the guardhouse. This last Is The
opinion Of q great majority Of the
town people to whom I talked. After
interviewing the town officers, re-
auested the town marshal to 90 TO
every business place and announce
that I would remain at the council
chamber until p. m, (taking thirty
minutes for dinner), and wanted to
confer with any one who would give
me any assistance. I urged the mar
shal not to pass by a single man, II
possible.
'.As a result six persons called
on me, one Of them a member
VI tHc jury VI AAqeSos SA ~-~
lynching Of Morrison. This mem-
] er Of that jury had taken hand in
the lynching bee to the extent OF vot-
ing to hang the culprit; but this was
for the usual crime OF all six none
knew anything except they say.
II tried The States correspon lent
sent word to him and went to his Of
fee. He was out Of town. asked for
and tried to find a friend Of the dead
iran, outside Of his own family. IL
there was one he would not own 1t.
One man spoke kindly Of Morrison,
and a man who had known him long
est and best.
THE following are my conclusions:
William Floyd was a good average
citizen, sober and popular and Of a
popular and influential family. John
Morrison was cross-grained and killed
two negroes (excusably or inexcusa-
bly) had been acquitted and had had
trouble with several other people,
drank, had no family and no influence.
His killing Of Floyd was az 9Nful
murder and the community's murder