The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-11-19
nation given by T. J. Leftwich).
Lacey and McClusky were sitting


together one night in the hotel.
when Lacey became alarmed at the
disturbance being created by club
across the street known as the
Robinsons. McClusky seized the
opportunity TO work upon Lacey's
fears. He told him that the meet
ing was a Ku Klux meeting and
that they had decided tn kill him
that night. Lacey became excited
and wanted to leave Immediately.
McCluskey offered To help him es-
cape and he sent for a buggy.
They Immediately departed, after
having dismissed the driver. 1t
was rainy, stormy night, but
they hurried toward Egypt, the
railroad station on the Mobile &
Ohio Railroad. They got about
half way when the buggy broke
down, but they continued the
journey, hastily, by mounting the
horses bare back. They arrived at
Egypt and McClusky advised Lacey
to get in box car and not wait
for a passenger train. He put him
in and locked him up and returned
for his trunk. Some time after
1 that, McClusky was i'm Oxford.
/ Miss. and Governor AlcJrn hap
pened to be there also. He sent
/ for McClusky To come to his hotel
and explain his treatment of
Lacey. He said that he understood
/ that in commercial transactions If
merchant got goods that he did not
order he could return them.
Now" said he, Governor.
you republicans shipped Us Lacey
for Mayor, and as he did not suit
us, we concluded that We would
just ship him back to you"
r. f. Houston; r. c. Beckett
Publication of Mississippi Historical
Society-NIII, 177-eS6.
1t is said that the Governor, upon
hearing this. rolled over on the
/ bed, almost bursting with laughter.
! U.eftwicE).
Woodmansce was another carpet
/ bagger of note in Monroe county.
Judge Beckett calls him the prince
Of smooth carpet baggers." Left
witch says: He was a typical car
pet bagger-from Indiana-whose
Idol was Oliver p. Morton of that
state. He came like driftwood from
the ocean, and became at once
identified with the local republican
politicians. He appears to have
been more or less illiterate. He
returned north and married, ard
later lost his wife He encountered
sundry Affections (NOte X. G.
Becket-NII, 177-1S6. Leftwich)
and buffetings and in few years
disappeared from view" Wood
nance got drunk very often and
once while on a spree he fell
and hurt his head. Some negroes
were induced to carry him into the
office of Mr. McClusky, who offered
to dress his head, which was bleed
ing profpsely. McClusky. who was
never known to be excited, claimed
afterwards that the sight of blood
always excited him and that in
dressing the wound he began to
shave Woodmance' head on the
wrong side, consequently in short
while he had shaved and put "A
plaster on the side of the drunken
mans heod opposite the wound.
Woodmansce was then carried
home. He had long. curly hair. of
which he was proud and of course
his anger knew no bounds when,
upon rising the next morning, he
saw one side of his head shaved.
He grabbed his gun and started for
McClusky, but accidentally met
Messrs. Barry and Beckett, who
dissuaded him from such a rash
act. but had him to employ +. o.
Sykes to prosecute McClusky i'm
trial which never came off. Me
Clusky explained, however, that in
the operation he became excited as
usual at the sight of blood-that
while looking for razor Wood
nance turned over. and that when
he began to shave he found no
wound, but knew one was there for
he had seen it, thus he kept shaw
ing and put the plaster where he
had last seen the wound. Negroes
finally became disguised with Wood
nance, as he went about with his |
head tied up. Or. C.. Beckett
VIII, as on p. %, 117-1S6.)
Late one night great knocking
was heard in the back yard Of the |
Webb Hotel. where McClusky |
boarded. Mayor Webb Investigated |
and found that WoOdmance, while
drunk, had been nailed up i'm a |
wagon bed by McClusky and that