Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-05-06
REPUBLICAN, sQUABBLE.
Capers Knocks Negro from Platform.
Things Looked Lively.
columbia State.)

uay, was the scene or the Widest
confusion and excitement, and more
than once there was promise Of
lively scramble; even a free-for-all
fight seemed imminent at one time.
At the afternoon session Capt. j.
G. Capers, United States Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue, knocked
Ed. Thompson, colored, off the plat
form. Thompson was knocked clear
Of the platform and his head struck
a heavy wooden bench. He lay upon
the floor for several moments, and it
was thought that possibly he was
seriously injured, but with the ex-
ception of slight bruises about the
face he showed no signs of injudy
and was soon on his feet. But this
started trouble, and for a while it
looked as II there would be a general
shooting melee. Negroes by the
score slapped their hands to their
hip pockets, and a general rush was
made for the platform, upon which
Capt. Capers was standing.
Friends of Capt. Capers quickly
surrounded him, white and colored
and for few moments the excited
negroes who were attempting to get
at him were kept back off the plat
form. Capt. Capers stood his ground
and for a while refused to heed the
advice of friends to get off the plat
form, where he would prove a good
target for any negro who might let
dhe excitement Of the moment get the
Better Of him. Finally Capt. Capers'
Griends carried him from the plat
form to the far corner of the build
Ing, where they surrounded him until
comparative quiet was restored.
The great majority Of the negroes
kept their seats, and it was only the
more excitable ones who appeared to
be anxious to resent what they term
ed a slap at the negro race. AL
though many put their hands in their
hip pockets no pistols or razors were
displayed, and 1t may be that most of
them were not armed at all.
This incident occurred shortly af-
ter the hour set for the convention to
Teassemble in the afternoon. The
committee on credentials was not
ready to report at O'Clock and the
delegates took advantage of the re-
cess to have some speech-making.
Ed. Thompson, Columbia negro,
not a delegate to the convention,
took the chairman's place on the plat
form. Several negroes were intro
.duced and responded with short
speeches in praise of the Republican
party. Then there was call for a
speech from Capt. John G. Capers
negro Thompson raped for order.
Thompson had in his hand a large
hickory walking stick, used by the
chairman as gavel. He showed
signs Of having imbibed Of intoxi-
Ncants, and when he turned to Capt.
Capers to present him to the dele
gates he said-brandishing his stick
in the air-that 1t gave him pleasure
to present to the convention one of
the "grandest and best Democrats in
Capt. Cepers, but he said nothing
until Thompson repeated the remark
several times and started to make a
speech to the assembled delegates
himself, apparently about Capt. Cap
ers being a Democrat.
At this juncture Capt. Capers call
ed to Thompson to put his stick
down, but Thompson paid no atten-
tion to him and continued his re-
marks, at the same time swinging his
big stick through the air. Capers
then reached around Thompson in
front and tried to get his hands on
the stick. With this Thompson
swung around to his right, with the
stick raised in the air in his right
hand. Without further ado, Capt.
Capers struck Thompson in the chest
and knocked him backward off the
platform.
Deas was not in the hall at the
&ime, being detained in the commit
tee room, but e. w. Screven and
several cool-headed negroes mounted
she platform and attempted to re-
store order. Finally Deas arrived on
the scene and took his place at the
table, pounding viciously with his big
hickory stick, but his efforts to quiet
1he excited and maddened crowd
were unavailing. He pounded the
table for at least thirty minutes be-
l. Ia, tnI Il ,s tI,,
Yor any one to be heard.