Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-09

I'm the ninth article of the capitula-
ton of Charleston we read: all civil
officers. and the citizens who have
borne arms during the siege, must be
prisoners on parole"
II should say" interposed st. Jer-
myn, who now, for the first time, open
ed his lips that the prisoner scarce
ly falls within that description. The
words during the siege would seem
to point to a service which lasted to
the end. They are, at least, eqrivocal;
and l doubt Lord Corlwallis would be
loath to sanction a judgment on such
a ground"
] Upon this ensued a consultation
amongst the officers at the table, dur
ing which Butler was withdrawn to a
short distance in the rear Of the assem-
blage. Several Of the unoccupied SOL
diers of the camp, at this stage of the
trial, had crowded into the neighbor-
hood of the court; and the sentinels,
yielding to the eagerness Of the COM
mon curiosity, had relaxed their guard
so far as to allow the spectators to en-
croach beyond the lines. Among those
who had thrust themselves almost up
TO the trial table were few children,
male and female bearing. on their arms
baskets of fruit and vegetables, which
had been brought within. the camp for
sale. smart-looking girl, some
what older than the rest, seemed to
have gained more favor from the
crowd than her competitors, by the
temptation which she presented Of a
rich collection of mellow apples; and
perhaps her popularity. was In some
degree increased by the soft and
pleasant-toned voice in which she
recommended her wares, no less than
by the ruddy. wholesome hue Of her
cheek, and an agreeable. laughing, blue
eye, that shone forth from the shade
of a deep and narrow sun-bonnet, the
curtain of which fell upon her should
ers and down her back.
Buy my apples, gentlemen" said the
pretty fruit merchant, coming up fear
lessly to Colonel Innis, in the midst
of the consultation.
Three for a penny, they are very
ripe and mellow, sir"
The colonel cast his eye upon the
treasures of the basket, and began to
select a few of the choicest fruit
Thus encouraged, the girl set her load
upon the table, in the midst of the
hats and swords with which it was en-
numbered, and very soon every other
member of the court followed the ex-
ample Of the presiding officer, and be-
came purchasers of the greater part
of the store before them. When this
traffic was concluded, the little huck-
ster took up her burden and retired to-
wards the group Of spectators. Seeing
the prisoner in this quarter, she walk
ed up to him, curtsied. and presented
him an apple, which was gratefully ac-
cepted, and the proffered return, from
him, in money, refused.
When about a quarter Of an hour
had elapsed, Butler was resummoned
to his seat, and the court again pro-
ceeded to business. The inquiry now
related to the second charge-that,
namely, which imputed to the prisoner
the character Of a spy in his visit at
Adair's. To this accusation, Captain
Hugh Habershaw and several of his
troops were called as witnesses. The
amount Of testimony given by them
was, that, on the eleventh Of the
month, they had received information
that a Continental officer, whose real
name and title was Major Butler, but
who was travelling in disguise and un-
der an assumed name, from the Cataw-
ba towards the Broad river, in compa-
ny with a we'll known stark Whig-a
certain Horse Shoe Robinson-was ex-
pected in a few days to arrive at Wat
Adair's. That Habershaw, hoping to
intercept them, had secured the coun
try between the two rivers; but that
the travellers had eluded the search, by
taking a very circuitous and unfre-
quented route towards the upper part
of Blair's Range and Fishing Creek.
That, on the night of the twelfth, the
two men arrived at Adair's, unmolest-
ed; and, on the morning Of the thir-
teenth, some Of the woodman's family
had met Habershaw and apprised him
Of this fact; adding, further, that the
prisoner had offered bribe to Adair,
to induce him to give information in
regard to the loyalist troops in the
neighborhood, with a view to commu-
nicate 1t to a certain Colonel Clarke,
who had appointed to meet Butler and
his companion somewhere on the upper
border of the province. That, In con-
sequence Of this attempt, Adair had
directed the prisoner towards Grin
dalPs Ford; and, this intelligence be-
ing communicated to the witness, he
had conducted his troop to that place.
where he succeeded in arresting the
prisoner and his comrade, with the loss
of two men in the struggle. The mar
rative went on to give the partic-
ulars of Horse Shoes escape, and the
other facts with which the reader is ac-
uuainted. This account was corrob-
grated by several witnesses, and,
amongst the rest, by Curry.
Butler heard the testimony with
the most painful sensations. There
was just enough of truth in it to make
the tale plausible and the falsehood
related to points which, as they were
affirmed upon hearsay, he could not re-
pei by proof. There was common
expression of opinion amongst the by
standers-who in general were inclined
to take the side of the prisoner in ref
erence to the charge which was sup
posed to affect his life-that this accu-
sation Of Buffers acting the part Of a
spy was sustained by the proof. In
vain did he protest against the injus-
tice of being condemned on what was
alleged to have been said by some OF
Adair's family: in vain did he deny
that he had offered a bribe to Adair
for information respecting the Tories;
and equally in vain did he affirm that
he had asked of Adair nothing more
| than the common hospitality due to a