The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-16
THE ASHLEYS
Peace Reigns Around Honea Path
NOw-The CIan Ashley Burn With
Resentment Against the People of
the Town.

Whether the trouble is over In An
lderson Or not cannot be stated as the
the Ashleys are not people to forget
IAN injury, real or fanc1ed, and their
chief Is dead. However there is peace
up there at present and they are bury
ling their dead and harbor5ng thoughts,
which NO one can know.
The following is an extract from an,
EXCELLENT letter of Lewis G.. Wood OF
1.-THE State staff who went. to the in
quest yesterday:
John Marion Ashley leader Of the
famous CLAN of Ashleys, liess dead here:
To-day. He has gone to his last sleep,
but his memory fingers for his Co
lhorts are gathered and are loyal. He
was killed yesterday by chief of police
white of this town in what appears
to be a a of self defense if ever that
maltreated term of the law can Be
employed in South Carolina courts.
The streets of this pretty little town
were thronged with people this mOrn.
ling. Upstairs over the CiizeniS bank
the physicians were conducting the
autopsy on the body of OhEo Marion
ASHLEY while. on the streets below
ed scores Of his relatives. Wnen I was
in Abbeville last month for the ex-
lpected trial for the lynching, Of Alien
lPendleton. thought that there must
ibe SO AshleyS living in this section
but now [ am here at Honea Path. |
Jam convinced that there must be fully
twice that number within a. few miles.
There are many different, families but,
oil COON, 10 ha con naptpd in cnmfEs
way or other. There is no race suici1Ee
Iamong the Ashleys for John Marion
ASHLEY leaves about rs children while
Jesse and Citizen" Josh each have
iabOut as many. White related
and intermarried, all Of the families
are not 1aw1ess, for it seems that Jesse.
Ashley and his children are more
law abiding than the others. The
tsame characteristic manners seem
however TO pervade all, for Cal Ashley,
while I was picking" Bob Moore with
unless I had to"
1t seems strange that in a civilized
community such conditions as are
known here can exist. Honea Path is
a peaceful thrifty and law abiding
community, and It is said that almost
levery one of the disturbances which
OCCUR here can be traced to the Ash
Ileys. There must be. as has been said.
hoo of this name. When sober and at
1.-The home, the Ashleys do not eem to
Ebe had citizens, but when liquor gets
lin it's work, Honea Path is the goal
land a general cutting loose" is the
lorder. John Marion Ashley was essen
italy the strong and dominating leader
lof the clan.
A gentleman said today that the fact
that the Ashleys surround the town on
iaIl sides was what interferred materi-
Tally with the idea of having a new
~lcounty with Honea Path as the county
lseat. Now half are in Anderson half
Iare in Abbeville but if all were in one
~lcounty. what could we do with them?"
The asked.
The coroner's Jury rendered a simple
verdict in accordance with the facts
Whenever a stranger Or two well
Iknown citizens stopped for a conver'
Isation, members of the clan passed by
with curious glances and open ears OF
lpushed themselves in, while Others
Istood about retailing information in
1.-THE lime light of publicity.
The young soldiers from Anderson
had naught to do and were kept quar-
TERED in a hall, except for breakfast
land dinner, until they marched to the
itrain this afternoon. 1t is said the
Timely appearance of this fine looking
body of men had a very salutary effect
Hast night.-F9orence Times: