The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-04-20


three federal soldiers and brought
them into our lines, One of the pris-
oners was a lieutenant and lie had
very fine gold watch that he offered to
& T. and asked him to take care OF it.
for him. He was afraid that some Of
our men would take it from him and
right he was for thinking so. But I.
promised him that he should not be
robbed and he had some trouble III
carrying out this promise, but he sue
ceeded in saving his watch for him
aud when he left them this lieutenant
asked Il. his name and he gave him
his name, county and state. He wrote
it down in memorandum. This was
the last they saw of each other dur
ing the war, and so far as L. was con-
cerned, he forgot the incident until
after the war, in the days of recon-
struction here at the south when ev-
cry old Confederate was considered
Ku Klux and all that was necessary
to have them arrested as Ku Klux
was, for negro to 60 to the COM
mandant of any Of the posts and
swear out warrant for any man and
say that he belonged to the Ku Klux
Klan, and he would be arrested and
lodged in prison and never given any
showing whatever. He was denied the
right Of habeas corpus and had to lie
in prison until his friends could ram
som him or get him out some crooked
way probably to be rearrested in
few days and he would have to pay
another ransom if he could. This
caused great many Of our young
men, to leave 'and seek homes in the
west. IS
During this time r. had settled
down in his old home in Laurens coun-
ty and was trying to run farm with
newly freed negroes who felt their
freedom too much and their RESPONSE
bility too little, which made them
hard lot to get along with. If you
had any difficulty with one, he would
step into the yankee camp and report
you as Ku Klux, which would III
sure your arrest in few days. T. had
difficulty with negro boy and gave
him Gaming. The negro went to the
yankees and reported him and swore
out Ku Klux warrant for him. II.
left home and came to Newberry and
in company with T. NJ. Paysinger was
standing Oh law range, near the Office
of the commandant. They saw tho
officer coming to his office. He stop
ped and took a close look at II. and
as he started to leave, he asked him
to come into his Office before he left
town that he wanted to see him. The
officer went in and left him and Pay
singer talking. Paysinger told T..
they had warrant for him and that
Z he had better not go in. T. was con-
siderably worried about it, felt sure
they had warrant for him and he
did not intend to hide out and it was
only question of short time before
they would have him and he did not
relish the thought Of having to lie in
Jail and be denied the right of giving
bail and probably be in Jail for
months before he would be tried and
doubtful of what the end would be,
he decided to 60 in and see what the
yankee officer wanted to see him
about. So he mustered up all his
courage and put on a bold front and
stepped in. The officer took another
close look at him and asked his name
and then. referred to little memo
randum which he. took from his pock-
ct and remarked: eyes, that is the
right name.' He then took from Il
pigeon hole bunch Of warrants and
ran over them and took one from
among them saying, "I have war;
rant for you as being captain Of n
Ku Klux Klan and the names Of sew
eral of your neighbors as be longing
to your Klan. Now, I am not asking
you to say whether you or they are, or
are not xu Klux, but look over the
batch and whenever you come to a
warrant for one of your neighbors,
you throw it to one side.' AS he did
so, the officer would put red cross
mark on them and then took them up,
bundled them together and put them
!. into his pocket. r. expected to be ar
rested then, but he thought he would
make out like he was going to see. if
/, he would arrest him, but instead the
officer asked him to sit down that he
; wanted to talk to him little more, so