The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-03-02

AS the columns turned the corner
toward the Jail the, citizens waiting
there, probably including many Of
the Morgan Rifles, cheered heartily.
Then the heart Of the mayor sank.
An old soldier himself, he knew the
meaning when the cavalrymen halt
ed, dismounted,, left man to each
four horses and by four deployed.
They knew. The Jail was overcome
and searched Systematically. Then
the horsemen went through the town.
At the corner where the Old Pal
metto Hotel used to be big man on
a big gray horse sat silent until he
saw coming the men he wanted
veterans. Then he spoke once
"Ten men this way"
They rode down a side street, dis
mounted silently, passed through a
field, beneath railroad trestle and
with one united heave turned up a
little bridge spanning ditch where
public road crossed the railroad.
The deputy sheriffs were there with
Winchesters but eleven revolvers
brought them to inactivity. Moore
was beneath the bridge. Nothing
was said as he was lifted out.
He was put in buggy and carried
Is miles back to the tree beneath
which the body of the girl had been
found, the men on horseback follow
ing. He had been a soldier and on
the way agreed with those nearest
him he would confess If he might be
shot instead of hanged. AS the earli-
est sunlight was gliding the tops Of
the trees on the mountains he was
led through his own yard, along the
path where the girl had gone and
where he had followed. At a turn
in the path he was stopped and the
reporter, who had run, walked, wad-
ed, forded streams and ridden and
fronted many times the enquiring
muzzles of revolvers, was called on
to take the confession. All sat to-
gether on log. Moore told long
and rambling story of himself, be-
ginning days before the murder and
outrage. The long, lean noun
taineer who sat close to the culprit's
left side, listened without comment
or question, chewing tobacco quiet
ly. It became evident that Moore
was talking for time in the desper-
ate hope that his lawyers or troops
or some rescue might come.
When he had at last after many
delays and turning aside, brought
his story to the day OF, the tragedy
and concluded with a dramatic de-
claration tAat he knew nothing of it,
the long mountaineer leaned forward
and spat accurately into an ant hole
he had been watching.
HELL" he said. THAT amt no
confession. Come on"
So they took John Moore and form
ed great ring about him, broad day
light by that time, and 1900 men. He
was put in the midst to say his last
prayers with a Methodist clergyman
on his knees in the dust beside him
and his wife wailing the mountain
woman's keen. The tribe and kin
dred and clan of the girl whose
throat had been cut, looked on, eyes
hard as steel balls, fumbling with
their boards. And then Moore was
taken to the tree beneath which the
girls body was found and hanged
with plow line. Because he had
been a soldier it was conceded that
his body should not be mutilated by
bullets. They promised him that
and kept their promise. But they
kept him hanging half an hour, to
make sure, and then, quite solemnly
and decorously, the rope was cut
into small pieces and distributed to
the women, and especially that the
Pickens county women of the girls
clan, might see it. Doubtless some
of them have it yet. Pickles county
girls and mountain girls are safe