Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-22
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.

day afternoon until an early hour
Monday morning because of several
incendiary fires on the plantation OF
Mr.. w. ]. Miller. A large forest on
the place was fired three different
times; a crib filled with corn belong
ing to Walter Patton, a colored ten
ant on the place, was burned, and two
unsuccessful attempts were made to
burn a large barn on Mr.. Miller's own
premises.
A searching party was organized
consisting of a hundred or more men
Of the neighborhood, some on foot and
others mounted and all well armed
They secured the woods and fields In
search OF the supposed fire bug from
about dark Sunday evening until
o'clock Monday morning. At o'clock
the most Of the searchers went home
for breakfast, after which they rein
forced their numbers and renewed the
search. Several times during the night
the blood hounds that had been brought
from the chaingang to assist In run
ming the culprit down, seemed to be
giving some one hot chase; but they
evidently were on the trail Of some oi
the searching party, as 1t now turns
out that the one who did the devil
ment was then at his home on Mr.
Miller's place.
| A small negro boy named Alec JOS
eph, apparently not over twelve years
old, and a step son Of Walter Patton
q colored tenant on the place, was
caught almost in the act Of firing Mr.
Miller's barn Monday morning, and
after being arrested he acknowledged
that he had done all the burning; but
said his step-father, Walter Patton,
had forced him to do 1t at the point
of a revolver.
The boy told a right plausible story
about the whole affair, giving his faith
ers reason for wanting to burn the
crib and other buildings, and part
Of his story, at least, Is evidently
passed in a conversation between Pat
ton and Mr.. Miller when the boy was
not present. He, nevertheless, did
more or less lying all the way through
and there is still some mystery about
the affair, giving rise to difference OF
opinion as to whether or not Patton
had anything to do with the burning.
The boy is in the lookup in this
city and will be given a preliminary
| hearing before Magistrate Anderson
Of Ebenezer township today. Patton
has not been arrested at this writing.
Fire was first discovered In large
body Of woods near Patton's house,
about two o'clock Sunday afternoon.
A few neighbors gathered and put the
fire out; but had hardly reached their
homes again when fire was discovered
In another part Of the woods. Anoth-
er party gathered and fought the fire
out the second time. Then the fire
broke out again, this time as before.
in a new place. Burned match sticks
were found at each spot where the
fire originated, and 1t was evident that
there was no accident about the re-
peated blazes; that some one was set
ting the woods on fire appeared GER
tain and the crowd began to look for
the fiend.
The boy who was arrested Monday
morning, and owned to doing the burn
ing, was with the crowd in the woods
and took an active part In fighting
the fire and several times pretended
to see some one running through the
bushes with a convicts suit on, and at
one time after hot chase he brought
back a piece of an old pair Of sus-
penders, claiming that he had gotten
close enough to the fleeing negro to
grab him and tear his suspenders on.
But at that time no one suspected him
Of being the guilty one.
The crib Of corn was fired as the
crowd was returning from the woods
the third time and just after they had
passed the building. 1t was after this
that the search proper for the fire bug
began and was not given up till fve
o'clock yesterday morning. After the
search had been renewed yesterday
morning, the negro boy, Alec Joseph,
ran into Mr.. Miller's yard and an
nounced that his barn was on fire, and
fla hunting
was in the harm. Mr.. Miller and sew
eral hands that he had purposely kept
around the house, ran out and extin-
guished a small blaze in the barn, and
some went up on the loft searching for
the negro; but found no one. During
the excitement Alec went on the loft
and came down, announcing few
moments later that the fire was up
stairs. Mr.. Miller and his hands
rushed upon the loft and found a
blaze making good headway in a lot
Of fodder, stover and peavine hay.
When they went on the loft the first
| time there was no sign of fire and
they were then convinced that the boy
was doing the mischief. They had a
hard fight to save the barn as every
thing was dry and burned so readily.
The boy was held until a warrant
for his arrest was procured from
Magistrate Anderson and he was
brought to Rock Hill.
In the meantime something over q
hundred men were still securing the
woods determined to find the guilty
party. When the crib was discovered
on fire, this same boy pretended to
see some one run into the woods near
by. Others also thought they had
seen some one run away and the
searching party was still under the
impression that the object of their
search was in hiding somewhere IN
the woods.
The boy at first denied being guilty
and said that he had seen an old negro
man who lived on the place, set fire
to the barn; but afterwards acknowl-
edged that he had done all the burn
ing and that his father made him do
it. He explained that his father had
said Mr.. Miller wanted to take his corn
for what he owed him, but that he
would burn it up before he would let
him have 1t. When he was told to go
and set fire to the barn he did not
want to do It; but his father pointei
| his pistol at him and gave him two
minutes to go or be killed, so he went.
He also told a story about his father
going to Mr.. Miller for some money
i ldSl "CSh anu 6Cttiii6 oiiis 20 oiiu
ing after he came home that he would
have more, for he knew Mr.. Miller
had 1t and knew where he kept it and
he would get 1t II he had to burn the
house and pick the money out Of the
ashes, or something to that effect.
1t appears that Patton had sold all
his cotton: but was still in debt to
Mr.. Miller, and that he had also de-
cided not to stay on Mr.. Miller's place
next year and when he so informed
Mr. Miller the latter told him he
would have to pay what he owed him.
The inference was that 1t would have
to come out Of his corn as he had
nothing else to pay 1t with and likely
enough Patton made some threats
about burning the corn, in the pres
ence of the boy.
The theory advanced by some Is that
| the boy was seized with a mania to
burn something from hearing his faith
er talk of burning his corn and when
he fooled the people by repeatedly
setting the woods on fire. he was seiz-
ed with desire to keep up the ex-
citement and just went on burning, at
least that Is what he did. The man.
ner in which he told his story, how
ever, Of being forced against his will
to do the work. impressed one as he
ing the truth and 1t Is hoped that the
true facts in the case may be brought
ont in the preliminary TODAY and the