The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-09-15
UNION SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER Is 9O5

frequent exhibitions of reckless
insolence excited perhaps more
disquietude than all the other
causes combined.
About this time too, there
were a great many incendiary
fires, but whether they preceded
or followed the Ku Klux crimes
was never definitely established.
1t was during the early winter
that followed the sselection of
1870, that the, .Ku Klux Klan
seems to have been reorganized
in the County of York, which
was the scene of it's greatest
activity. The organizations
which had been formed in 1868
had practically died out, or at
least there was no evidence that
anything had ever been done by
Ku Klux or any like organization
until some time in the winter of
'70-'71. York County lies along
the North Carolina line, and it is
not unlikely that the success of
the Democratic party in that
State in overthrowing the Radical
Government, aided, as it probably
was, by the Ku Klux, stimulated
the organization in that county.
About the last day of Decem-
ber, 1870, there was an occur
renee near the town of Union
which led to fearfal consequences
and probably excited the public
mind both at home and abroad
more than any other incident in
those troublous times. A young
man named Matt Stevens, who
had lost an arm in the war and
was generally liked in Union be-
cause of his good nature and ac-
comodating disposition, was COM
ing to town in a wagon, hauling
a barrel of whiskey, when he
was met a mile or two from town
by the negro military company
which had gone out there for
some purpose that never was
satisfactorily explained.
He was halted in the road and
some of the negroes asked him
for whiskey and he gave them a
flask. They then took possession
of the wagon and helped them
selves out of the barrel. When
Stevens attempted to get away
from them he was shot and his
body mutilated. This atrocious
murder naturally created intense
excitement in the village. The
citizens at once took the arms
from the militia and arrested five
of the men who were supposed
to have been chiefly concerned
in the murder. The deputy
sheriff, who was engaged with
the posse in making the arrest,
was shot at from the house
where some of the militia were
and mortally wounded.
A few nights after band of
Ku Klux, variously estimated
to be SO to 100 in number, rode
into town, all being disguised,
took the five prisoners from the
county Jail and carving them to
the edge of the town, shotethem,
two of the men being killed; che
other three were wounded
and escaped, and subse-
quently rearrested. All this was
SO quietly done that a great
many of the citizens knew moth
ing of it until next morning.
The regular term of Court for
Union convened the week follow
ing, and / went there in the
usual discharge of my duties as
solicitor. Union at that time
was a quiet little country village
a d such an occurrence as this
naturally caused great excite
ment. Upon my arrival l went
to the Jail to see the wounded
prisoners and to ascertain, if 1
could, whether they had any
clue to the identity of any of the
band. One of the men had been
a waiter at the Tavern, where |
had been in the habit of stopping
and / knew him very well. The
poor fellow was terror stricken.
He was badly wounded and was
still under the spell of the fearful
night through which he had
passed. He said that he did not
recognize any of the men: that
they had been taken from the
Jail in the early morning by men
who were completely disguised,
and carried to the edge 6f town,
not a word being spoken on the
road. There were several per-
sons with me when / made this
visit to the iail.