Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-04-14
Sketch OF His Life.
News and Courier.)

(News and Courier.)
Thomas Jefferson Mackey was
born in Charleston on the 23d day
April, 1880, and was in some re-
spects one of the most interesting
characters who ever lived in this
State. In every county OF South
Carolina good stories are told over
doings in the days when he was one
OF the Circuit Judges, some twenty
five years ago.
Judge Mackey first attended the
Citadel Academy, and was after
wards graduated from Harvard Uni
versity Law School. He took part
in the war with Mexico, and at the
battle of Chapultepec received a
recovered. For gallantry during
this conflict he was awarded medals
by the Legislature Of South Carolina
and by the city OF Charleston. He
ker, the American adventurcr, who
in 1855 and 1856 seized the Gov
eminent OF Nicaragua, but whose
plans failed because the United
States government refused to recog-
nize him, and he was one of Wal
ker's captains in that undertaking..
In the War Between the States
Judge Mackry served throughout the
n
the Confederate army, and was chief
OF, engineers Of the district of Ar
kansas. Whatever other charges
were brought against him, he was
never accused of lacking bravery.
After the war Judge Mackey, des-
pite the fact that he had been iden-
tilted with the fortunes Of the Con-
federacy throughout that struggle.
went in with the CarDet-bag crowd.
He was elected Judge Of tho Sixth
Judicial District of South Carolina,
and served three terms in that ca
pacity. lie was a man of uncom-
mon ability, in manner setcntious
and ponderouS, yet opigrammatic
also, and many Of his witty remarks
still survive. He IT was who said
OF Wright, the negro Judge on the
Supreme Bench at that time, that
'Wright is like necessity, because he
knows no law" His ingenious mind
could always devise some means for
acquitting the prisoners whom he
wished to acQuit and of cOnvicting
those whom he wished to convict, or
for settling civil causes as he might
desire. One of the solicitors OF that
time has told this writer of the man
ner in which Judge Mackey turned
loose one after another OF a batch of
negroes who were clearly guilty, but
whom Mackey did not want to con-
Nict. He instructed the jury to ac-
quit the first because the solicitor
had failed to prove that the gun
was loaded. The solicitor in the
next case proved that the gun was
loaded, but Judge Mackey got
around that by telling the jury that
they must acquit since it had not
been shown that the powder was put
into the gun before the bullet In
the next case he charged that AS it
mad not been proved that the gun
muzZle-loaders were then used-had
been properly primed, an acquittal
must follow, and so on.
When the revolution of 1876 took
place in South Ca olina. Judge
Mackey was quick TO see the way
things were going, md again went in
with the Democrats-whow were glad
at that time to welcome any assist
ance. He did good service for
Hampton, and was the Commission
er from South Carolina, who con-
Quoted the negotiations with Presi-
dent Hayes, which resulted in the
recognition OF Wade Hampton as
Governor Of the State, and in the
giving over TO Hayes OF the Presi-
dental vote OF South Carolina.
Not much has been seen Of Judge
Mackey in South Carolina in recent
years. Reports brought back here
indicated that his career for time
was n cheCkercd one. but little has
been heard of him in the last several
years.