The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-23
FENCES BURNED
VERY SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS
AT SMOAKS.
White and Colored Men Said to be
Seen Together at Night Gambling
and Setting Fire.


and Setting Fire.
If the conditions at Smoaks are
as bad as depicted by Native" in
the Walterboro Press and Standard
it seems to us that something ought
to be done to improve them.
Smoaks is short distance from
Branchville over in Colleton county,
and is inhabited by lot of thrifty,
nice people, but it seems that some
bad folks live there, too. If what
the Press and Standard correspon-
dent says is true, there are people
there who need some kind of regu-
lating bad. Below we publish some
extracts from his letter. He says:
"On Monday, January IL, there
was case before the trial justice
court in our little town. A white
man Can old responsible soldier)
living some four miles from here,
suing a negro for rent and sup
plies. The negro was backed up by
white friends, who wanted the case
put off until they could get a law
yer for him. However, a compro-
mise was effected; the plaintiff ac-
cepted less than half Of his just dues
rather than fight the mixture, and
bidding his friends goodbye, left for
his home a more thoughtful. If not
a wiser man During the early hours
of the night, say about nine o'clock,
some voices and laughter were heard,
but not dreaming that any danger
lurked nigh, his entire household
retired for rest and were soon sweet
ly enjoying the loving embrace of
Morpheus.
The next morning it was dis
covered that the fencing inclosing a
large field was burned down or some
three hundred and seventy panels
of same, and IN close inspection,
twas seen to ha e been started in
many different plS 'es. After a few
hours work, he g.. il put out, and
looking over the burned trail of fire
he could but say: The weeks of
work and expense of putting that
good fence there, has all to be done
over again, and why? Because
there are dirty unprincipled fire bugs
in our community The balance of
the day Tuesday was spent in deep
meditation, with the result finally
set in his mind, L must know some
thing of my neighbors' movements,
if any should be prowling around
to inspect their devlish work, so he
put out two detective.
"About seven o'clock when all law
abiding and honest men should be at
home or their places of abode,
signal was heard half-mile away
in the direction of reighbor's
house some two miles off. The sig
nal was answered from about the
same distance in opposite direction
and coming as from a negro hut
one mile or more from where the
detectives were. They felc sure OF
developments, as they laid low and
listened to the whistling signals of
the two parties getting closer and
closer and closer together until the
meeting was witnessed, and the en-
preston heard from the negro-the
one that was sued-'All that fence
around the pond is burned up
The meeting place of the negro
with the two white Skins was with
in two hundred yards of the fence
that had been Destroyed the night
before. so as to be sure the white
pals of the black imp got the first
glimpse of what he had done o.
helped do A fire was started in the
big road when the friends met,
deck of cards was taken from a
pocket and game was commenced
which continued amid hilarity and
swearing until about the midnight
hour, when the two white gentle
men bid adieu to the black gentle
man and their steps were retraced
to, we will say, their clean and virtu-
Gus couches.
The hands of the two detectives
could have easily been put on any Of
them at any time during the two
hours or more, but they left with
strict orders, to see and hear but
not to be seen, so were obliged to be
content with the knowledge. We
saw the trio, we heard we'll known
voices, and We saw faces which will
put people thinking lot when they
know what We saw and heard.
Now, Mr. Editor. for the love of
liberty in this God loving and God
fearing county, what are we to do?
"Out West those three fire bugs
and card players might have had to
be carried home, and I can but feel
that it would have been best for
them and let the white and black
chums go to the country Of which
we hear there is no parting or re-
specting of persons, and the black
angels will not be put off entirely
with the goats; but here we must
keep a certain distance apart and
though we scratch one another backs