The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-27
IT WAS A FAMOUS CASE.
Inc Last Conviction and Hanging of
Man I'm This State for Negro
Stealing.

interesting account of the conviction
and execution of a white man. DR..
Thomas W. Kinman, at Laurens for
negro stealing in 1854:
Som stime in the spring or summer
Of 1853, DR.. Thomas w. Kinman was
brought here from Greenville county
(then district). prisoner and lodged
in jail charged with felony, in that
he had stolen and carried away GER
tain negro the property Of a citizen Of
Laurens district.
A few days after his Imprisonment
Kinman was admitted to bail under a
heavy bond for his appearance at the
approaching term Of court for trial.
The sessions court at that time was
held twice a year-March and Octo-
ber.
One Sunday evening before the op-
ening of the October term, Kinman
was promptly in attendance, stopping
at Simmons Hotel apparently in the
best Of humor and spirits, where the
writer saw him for the first time. He
was man Of rather fine personal ap-
pearance. quite six feet In height,
fiorid complexion with light or sandy
hair, a man of intelligence, in posses
sion Of considerable property in LAM
and negroes, and up to the time OF
his arrest bore a good character and
was highly respected. Notwithstand-
ing these facts, and the gravity of
the charges against him, the case had
excited little or no interest until he
went and even then, no one seemed
to think that he would be convicted
and hanged. as under the law of
South Carolina, at that time no other
penalty attached to the crime of me-
gro-stealing. slightly different now.
There was very little direct or po-
sitive proof against Kinman-nearly
all circumstantial but the circumstan-
tial evidence proved, in the end dam
aging and fatal, as will be seen later
on.
1t developed In course Of the trial
that Kinman passed through this
place in possession Of new light
two-horse Cox and Cover wagon, the
cover of which was tightly drawn by
strong cords at front. rear and sides,
so that no one could see it's interior.
Witness testified that the same de-
scription of man and wagon crossed
the Saluda river at Swansey's Ferry.
Another witness. a citizen of the
town of Abbeville, testified that the
identically described man and wagon
passed through that place. 1t so hap
pened that the Abbeville witness
wanted just such a wagon as the de-
fendant had, wanted 1t at once. and
offered to pay a much larger sum for
IT. than the usual cost Of vehicles of
that size, but his offer was not only
refused but he was forbidden to look
inside the wagon, when he attempted
to do so. This action on the part of
the defendant for some reason, II
seems, excited the suspicion Of the
witness, and he so testified, identity
ing Kinman as the man IN charge of
the wagon. And 1t, was firmly be-
lieved, thought not proven, that said
negro was secreted in said wagon.
1t transpired from the evidence
that Kinman adopted the scheme of
the great Land Pirate"-as the no.
torious John A. Murrell used to be
called--made repeated sales OF the
same negro. He or his confederate
with him, would sell the stolen negro
at certain place. secrtely give him
pass with instructions to meet him
at another place. few days later,
where the negro would be sold again,
signing OF course, fictitious name
to he pass. These sales were repeat
ed several times. pass being given in
each instance. And It was these
passes that betrayed him and finally
broke the neck of the accused.
One Of the witness testifying
against Kinman was from Alabama,
and was one Of the unfortunate pur-
chasers Of the stolen negro, but like
other unfortunate purchasers, was
not able to identify Kinman as the
man from whom he bought the ne
gro. The passes given the negro,
three of which the prosecution man
aged tO DrOcrro wora cfUpod xyit h