The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-04-20
T. J. Mackey.

! South Carolina, Ihe News and COur-
Ter Of Charleston, S. c., reproduces
characteristic charge delivered by
him from the bench Illustrative Of
his methods and conditions in South
! Carolina in reconstruction times. A
Republican member Of congress nam
ed A. S. Wallace had given a note
for 5000 as part payment for a biog-
raphy of himself, published by some
hack writers. It was a favorite
weakness Of the scalawags, carpet
baggers and shabby adventures who
ruled the State to pose as old-time
, South Carolina gentlemen. When
! Wallace made the note he was asked
what interest should be stated in case
! of his failure to meet it at maturity.
He answered grandly that if he fail
ed to pay promptly interest might
be charged at three per cent an hour.
! The note was so written.
When it was overdue five years an
; ingenious and painstaking lawyer CAL
culated that Wallace owed his biog-
raphers $4,000 and brought suit for
that amount in Judge Mackey's court.
The judge in his charge said the evi-
dence showed that the biographers
had described A. S. Wallace as pa
triot, Christian and gentleman
and there damned themselves hope
lessly and inevitably. He quoted
Scripture to prove that the whole
world is inadequate compensation to
a man for the loss Of his soul. There
fore, the sum claimed by the blogra-
pliers was moderate and he directed
that the foreman Of the jury come to
the desk and sign a verdict for the
full amount. Mackey at that time
was a Republican, but, as may be
guessed from his charge and comments
his feeling toward Representative
Wallace was not cordial.
Mackey was one Of the smartest
and most reckless Of the reckless ad-
venturers developed by reconstruction.
and the Palmetto State is full of sto-
ries and memories of him. It was he
who announced, either from the bench
or in a public speech, that he had
made careful investigation and dis
covered that Franklin J. Moses, Jr.,
was lineal descendant Of the impen-
itent thief of the Crucifxion. Dis
cussing the habit of "Tharasparilla" "
Wright, the lisping Philadelphia ne
GRO who was an associate justice of
the supreme court, of getting drunk
and preaching in the Columbia bar
rooms, Judge Mackey said he had in
vestigated Wright'S ancestry and ac-
counted for his inebriate piety by the
fact that his remote ancestor on the
banks of the Congo had, single-hand-
ed, eaten very devout Wesleyan
missionary, thereby acquiring rellg-
ious tendencies, which he transmit
ted to his posterity
Judge Mackey, although native
Of Charleston. was fond Of amusing
himself with the peculiarities of that
ancient and respectable city. On one
occasion he described dramatically the
finding of a dead body at 4 point
equally distant from Charleston, Au-
gusta and Columbia and how post
mortem discovered that the stomach
Of the corpse contained three grains
Of rice and a spoonful Of cistern va
tery whereupon the coroner promptly
shipped the body to Charleston as be-
ing proved by the evidence u2ques-
tionably to belong there. Another OF
his stories was that he had been
forced to flee from Charleston while
yet a youth because he had iaadver-
tentlv remarked that in t1s world
there were steeples taller than st.
Michael's. In the year of the revolu-
ton, 1876, he "erossed jordan, as
the process of going over to the Dem-
ocrats was described, and became cne
of Hampton's most effective, unscru-
pulous and daring supporters. He an
nounced his change of heart oy nd
ing into a public meeting at Edsetield
on an OK and wearing red shicE. 10
ING down to appear before the sp'
preme court in support OF one ii MS
peculiarly outrageous oplnlous' tav-
oring the Democrats, he told the peo-
pie who gathered at station - near
him talk, that he intended to present
to the court 13 conclusive reasons IN
support Of his position, which reasons
he had then on his person. Where
upon he produced and exhibited two
six shooters and a bowie knife. lie
was the originator of the assertion
Il