Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-14
\ MOST HORRIBLE CASE.


found lying in the woods not far
from the homo Of a very poor family
OF white people. The evidence at
the inquest was meagre, yet from
Ehc threads that could be picked out
here and there sufficient material
was at hand to connect with the
killing negro man. and to draw
from the whole the conclusion that
this negro committed his crime
through jealousy. The whole pre-
ing that one shrinks from even a
contemplation of the case.
And yet it is not we'll always to
lay aside these things Of horror.
Tbcrc are reasons for them, though
Ghcrc is no valid excuse. There is
no good excuse for such ignorance
and such lack Of morality az is evi-
dcnccd by the horrors of this Hamp-
ton county case. but there Is rca-
son for it, and that reason is that
the people themselves were neglect
Gul OF the opportunities that come to
all the people Of this great Common
wealth through a reasonably good
common school system. and also that
thc ',bettcr class" Of people. too,
Were neglcctful of their duties in
regard to these less fortunate ones
at their very doors.
From the Brmson correspondence
OF the Columbia state we clip some
very important facts in regard to
the case, and we print them below.
Culling from the article only such
matter rs serves to illustrate the
point we wish to make. This cor
respondent says:
There is pathos immeasurablc in
She story OF Mary Harris, and
Enough the mind revolts from degra-
hation such as she has confessed to,
yet it must be said that she is not all
bad, and her fall is the result OF an
environment which is deplorable,
and poverty OF the direst
Dwelling in a house SO open that,
as it was described by resident
here, the birds can fly through it,
Mary Harris. herself only IS or 20
years old now, the eldest Of a fam
1ikc negro and with negroes. Her
mother died two years ago, and her
Tather, a simple, half-witted unfor-
inmate, gave eloquent testimony that
there is Il great deal OF good in the
girl. "DOn't keep Mary long said
Thc poor mau the night she was
aaken from home She has been
daddy and nanny both to these
girls. Seventeen years | ha' worke,
FOR Roy Tuten for wages and ar.
worn out. Mary's good daughter
That this is true there is abundant
testimony in Brunson.
Bob harris is described not as
half-witted, but as less than that.
His wife is said to have been not
much above her husband in intelli-
gence. The children are intelligent,
even bright, but they are small.
In BrunsOn it Is said that Mary
Harris. in all probability, gave her.
self from dire poverty and not from
Waywardncss. She had some school
ing, can read and write. and some
years back the children came to Sun
day school in Brunson Mary has
worked hard for Mr. Tuten, who
owns much OF the land around here
and ?S acres within the corporate
limits. Since she has grown to be
cotton fields with the negroes, has
been hauled from one held to ano-
ther with them in the same wagon,
and for some years pegrOcs have
been almost her only associates. Jake
browns wife has been good TO her,
she said pathetically when asked
why she went to the ncgrOS house.
With the care OF her young sisters
forced upon her, without the associa-
ton or any white woman, Is it any
wonder this wretchcd and forsakc cn
child turned to this negro woman
who had known her from her in
fancy?
she was the only one I could go
80 for advice; when she told me not
so do things | followed her direc-
kions," said the girl. "She was good
20 me-"
Battling against such odds, no
mother, no friends, a partly help
Jess father VINO never was OF full in
tclligence. and who had been whip
ped in the battle with poverty, her.
self and four others to feed and
clothe, can ono greatly wonder that
this child strayed from the right
path? And when she had strayed
where was there one to direct her to
Film who said to another erring wo-
man: go, and sin no more?"
There can be no direct and spe-
cific arraignment Of the people of
Brunson charging that at their door
Mes the indirect responsibility for
this horrible and revolving crime,
and the revolving circumstances that
Red up to 1t. 1t Is simply one OF
those cases that serve to make us