The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-08-29
OLD LYNCHING RECALLED.
Journal.

A. 3. Williams writes in The Rich
mond News-Leader: One episode Of
the lynching at Salisbury takes US
lack twenty-eight years to famous
lynching in Spartanburg county, S. c.
John Moore was white man Of con-
siderable property and political influ-
ence, but evil repute, a distiller and
neighborhood usurer and boss, turbu-
lent, immoral and tyrannical. A girl
Who was making her way afoot
through the country from one Of the
factory towns back to her home in
the mountains, a three days journey,
sought his hospitality one Sunday. He
misdirected her When she left his
house, followed her to lonely place
in the woods and murdered her most
rarbarously after a worse crime, rob-
bing the body Of some poor trinkets.
She was 20 years old ard her good
character was beyond questions The
evidence was chiefly circumstantial,
but very clear. When it became
known that Moore had engaged two
of the best lawyers in the State for
his defense the feeling that he would
find some loophole in the law-he
had escaped punishment fer other Of
fenses several. times-swept through
the mountains, and it. was like the
message Of the fiery cross calling the
clans. Fifteen hundred mountain
eers from three counties, led and di-
rected by veteran Confederate caval-
rymen, RODE into spartanburg one
night in military order, noiseless but
for the confused clattering of their
horses hoofs, and as they swept
through the town were cheered by the
citizens. They found Moore, and
through the darkness rode back with
him Is miles to the scene of his
crime.
Just at daylight the gathering was
formed into great ring about a.
plateau with Moore, his wife and
mother, and clergyman kneeling in
the middle. To this group two SOL
emn figures in black were led. They
were the sisters of the murdered girl,
mountain women, strong with the
primal passin Of strong, remote
and seouestered people. They were
brought there according to the noun
tain idea Of stern justice, appointed
by their clansnen to determine how
Moore should die. The silence was
profound, broken only by the first
chirping and whistling Of the birds,
and the sun was gliding the tallest
tips Of the forests. rising darhly on
the surrounding hills. The two wo-
men looked at the abject nlanacled
figure groveling in the dust at their
feet, concentrated hate marking
deeply their white, attentive faces.
1t was intensely tragic, serious, dra-
matte. One of them murInured pres
emily that they would be satisfied"
to have him put TO death. They de-
manded no torture. Possibly breath
of feminine pity for the old mother
and the wife softened the demand for
vengeance for a betrayed and butch
cred sister in their breasts.
The man had been soldier and
begged hard to be shot, but those who
had been his comrades ruled that he
did not deserve a soldiers death, and
he was hanged, the dead woman's
relatives claiming the privilege of ad-
justing the rope and pulling the
open buggy from beneath his feet.
That was one lynching to which
there was no dissenting voice. AS
man present, remarked, Moore had
been a candidate for that every thing
a long time, and when the time came
his election was unanimous.