The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-22

w. ASuteS, LII 11u uludIlOu VI q ueOt:
by then and there compelling and re-
quiring the said William Davis, 9th
erwise known as Will Davis, to work
and labor for and serve the said
Joshua W. Ashley in liquidation Of
said debt, the said debt being then
and there claimed to be due HIN, the
said Joshua ". Ashley, from and by
the said William Davis, otherwise
callel Will Davis; a more particular
description Of said debt being to the
grand jurors aforesaid unknown;
contrary to the form of the statate
Of the United States in such case
made and provided and against the
peace and dignity Of the United
States.''
It is further set forth: "The said
debt then and there claimed to be due
one Ionic McGaha, from and by the
said William Davis; 49,. that the
said Joshua ". Ashley then and there
claimed and pretended to have an
agreement and arrangement with the
said Ionic McGaba, the particulars Of
which are to the grand jurors afore-
said unknown, whereby the said debt
claimed to be due the said Ionic Nc
Gaha from and by the said William
Davis was to be paid and liquidated
by said William Davis working and
laboring for and serving the said
Joshua W. Ashley; contrary to the
form of the statute Of the United
States made and provided in such case
and against the peace and dignity Of
the United States. "
The presentment states that on the
18th Of November the said Joshua
W. Ashley held Will Davis in peon-
age for a debt said to be due Ionic
MeGaha, or to John McGaha, deceas-
ed.
The Indictment further alleges that
Samuel Poole was held as a peon IN
November and George Johnson in
January Of this year.
The witnesses named are: Will
Davis, George johnson, D. R. Green,
Hugh Davis, Frank P. Robinson,
Samuel Poole, ". O. Donnella, S. A.
Alfred.
The Ashleys Popular.
Representative Ashley said with
pride few days ago that the Ashleys
had made clean sweep in politics
last summer. He had been elected to
the house from Anderson, his son,
Melvin J. Ashley, comes to the house
from Abbeville county, and his SON
in-law, Mr.. Jas. S. Pearman, made a
remarkable run for clerk Of court in
Anderson and was elected.
"Citizen' Josh has been a stir
ring figure in the legislature fo1
many years and has developed into a
wise parliamentarian since the time
when in stentorian and raucous tones
he first thundered in the days Of
"Reform," "Mr. Speaker, I'm agin
it," Afew days ago he announced that
|he is "agin'' the immigration move
ment. He thinks the negro is the pro
per laborer for this country. Among
his other legislative experiences, il
was recalled yesterday by Mr.. Bacot
that "Citizen' Josh and Hon. R. C.
Watts of Laurens, now spoken o1
prominently for the position Of asso'
ciate justice, once were narrowly pre-
vented from bloodshed in the house
Mr.. Watts resented "Citizen" Josh's
too pointed remarks and drew a re-
volver on him. But that was in the
heat Of days which are practically
forgotten.
John McGaha, who is referred tt
in the indictment, was killed on the
night of September 26. He was a re-
lative and an adopted son OF Repres'
entative Ashley, who resents many Of
the things said about McGaha at the
time.
McGaha had killed three men, one
a white man. He had been tried fol
his life in two counties. The las1
trial was in Abbeville in September
just before he was killed himself. He
had gone to arrest some negroes ano
bring them back to work, it was said
and while looking for them at negro
hot supper near Bolton he was killed
The indictment alleges that Rep
resentative Ashley tried to iqui
date indebtedness of MeGaha to him
self by compelling negroes to pay
with labor their debt to McGaha an(