Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-28

or foot, armed with shot guns or pis-
tolls. Between seven and eight O'Clock
that night there must have been not
less than seven hundred and fifty de-
termined men in town ready, then and
there to settle the question Of race
supremacy.
Fearing that the discussion Of ru-
mors Of aggravating outrages would
soon develop a frenzy Of excitement
that would urge to some unjustifi-
able act, the plan was adopted of di-
viding the crowd into as many picket
squads as there were roads leading
into town. This took off at least half
, of the crowd. The excitement Of the
other half around the court house was
increased almost beyond control by
the report that an attempt had been
made to set fire to house on Madison
street. Fortunately, some level-head-
ed man met the crowd that was surg
ing In that direction and told them
that the fire was only the burning OF
hole in an ash-barrel in the yard.
The crowd returned to the court
house square and began to form
groups around some reckless takers
who seemed impatient to begin work.
Mai. ]. w. Avery, Sheriff Glenn and
tried to break up these groups, and
from the court house steps made ap-
peals to keep from putting ourselves
in the wrong,-to await some overt
act on the part Of the negroes to
justify our course.
Just when began to fear that our in
fiuence with the crowd was about to be
lost the train from Chester arrived,
bringing the then senator, w. E. Rose,
and the acting adjutant general of the
state.
1t was proposed to call upon them
and to demand from the latter the
surrender of the guns and the dis
bandment Of the companies. The
crowd agreed to keep quiet until our
return and report.
The imminence Of the great peril
was pressed upon Col. Anderson Il
think that was his name) and after
some show Of a desire to ascertain
some facts upon which to base his
action, he wrote out his orders to
the several companies to send in or
bring in their guns, and deposit them
in custody of the sheriff by noon the
next day. Senator Rose and others
promptly offered to have the orders de-
livered before daylight
We reported back to the crowd the
success Of our interview, and persuad-
ed them to withdraw to their homes,
or to the outskirts of the town, to
await the carrying out in good faith
the terms Of the order. Through the
cold rain and mud Of the next day, the
guns began to arrive by II o'clock
and during the afternoon all were
brought in and locked up in back
room Of the sheriff's office.
The tension was over, a horrible
massacre of the blacks, with disas-
trous consequences to the whites, had
been avoided A crowd Of men fren-
zied with indignation is a dreadful
thing.
Now, as to any participation in this
affair by the Ku Klux Klan, can only
say, feel sure that Maj. Avery was
member Of the Klan, and that some
others in the crowd from western
York also belonged to 1t. I judged
this from the amount Of influence he
seemed to exert over them, but other
wise there was nothing to distinguish
them from others, who like myself
were not members Of the organization.
Certainly Maj. Avery was very active
in assisting to pacify the crowd and to
prevent any reckless proceeding.
This affair was epochal in that 1t
broke the pernicious influence Of
the Union League, and taught the
negroes in York county and their de-
ceivers, that the limit Of their stupid
license had been reached. The condi-
tions which led up to 1t, were however.
common all over SOulll, hhS
character of the incidents Of its mani
festations varied.
The novels Of Joel Chandler Harris,
Thomas Nelson Page, and Thomas
Dixon, Jr. give truthful history OF
these incidents, and their pictures
seem exaggerative and sensational on
ly because they have assembled many
of them within the geographical scope
Of their several books.
But. Let the dead past bury its
dead" Yes, let it bury its hatred, Its
injustices and its horrors. But, shall
we, can we, ever forget? No. Human
history would be valueless II 1T failed
to warn the future by the experiences
of the past.
Now, Dave, you may do what
you please with this letter; but II you
think proper to publish it, you must
preface it with your letter, which l
enclose herewith.