The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-08
FOUND in AUGUSTA
SPRADLEY TELLS THE STORY OF
HIS WHIPPING.
Did Not Know of His Aunt's Death
Until Told.-Wedding Had Been
Arranged Will GO Back.

Until Told.-Wedding Had Been
Arranged Will GO Back.
A special dispatch from Augusta
to The State says Columbus Sprad-
ley, the younger of the two men out
ragged by the Holstein crowd in
Wards township, Aiken county, on
Thursday night, was located there
Saturday Afternoon.
He freely told the story Of the en-
| tire affair, so far as it related to
himself, but knew nothing of the
attack upon his uncle, Ben Spradley,
and did not now until he was in
formed of the death of Mrs. Ben
Suradley, as all of this occurred
after the crowd had left him at the
lonely spot on the roadside, from
which he made his way to Johnston
by walking the Is miles distance
during the night, arriving there in
time to catch the Southern railway
train to Augusta and reaching that
city at 11:15 o'clock.
Back of the whole story is a ro-
mantle love affair between young
Spradley and Miss Gussie Mae Hol-
stein, the daughter of Augustus l..
Holstein, said to be the leader of
the attacking party, and it seems
that the Holsteins took this means
to intimidate Spradley and break the
match by driving him forever out of
the community.
But their efforts will probably fail,
as the young man fully expects to
return to Monetta and claim the
girl to whom he ds engaged soon. The
young couple had planned to meet
at $50 o'clock. A horse and buggy
would be waiting and they were
to drive to Saluda, where she
would sign the certificate and the
ceremony would be performed. The
girl had concealed her hand baggage
in vacant house, known as the old
John Grice house. Ben Spradley
and his wife knew nothing of the en-
gagement and knew nothing of the
planned elopement and were inno-
cent vistims.
Young Spradley went to Monetta
Thursday prepared to carry out plans
for the elopment and marriage at
$3.50 o'clock that night. While he
was sitting on the front piazza of
the house of his undle, Ben Sprad-
ley, between eight and eight-thirty
o'clock, he says, two men appeared
at tn front gate and halloed. Co.
lumbus answered them and in reply
! to their question told them his name.
They called him to the gate and as
he approached he declares he recog-
nized the two as Richard Holstein
and Grover Holstein, nephews of his
sweetheart's father.
Spradley had stepped up to them,
he says, when Richard Holstein level
d double barreled shotgun at him
and Grover Holstein covered him
with a magazine pistol, and both or
dered "hands up!" He obeyed this
command, and one Of the Holsteins
searched but finding no pistol or 9th.
er weapons they informed the young
man that they wanted him and he
was marched down the road to a
buggy about 100 yards from the
house, into which he was placed and
driven some distance, perhaps quar-.
ter of a mile, to the old JOHN Grice
house, whre the other members OF
the party were awaiting them on the
roadside, in the semi-darkness.
In this group were six men, OF
whom Spradley says he recognized
Gus Holstein, the father Of the Miss
Gussie May Holstein; his son, Albert
Holstein; Sidney Holstein, another
nephew, and Doc Cockrell, who, he
says, is not related to the Holsteins
The two other men he could moi
recognize They were all armed with
guns or pistols and we're careful thai
their prisoner should see them.
When the buggy had been stopped
the men backed off a short distance
and held a conference as to what tc
do with their helpless victim, now
that he was at their mercy, but
watching him sh,..ply against his es
cape.
Spradley says he could hear al
that was said and it almost made his
hair rise on his head when Gus Hol
stein insisted that they hang him tc
a large tree nearby and shoot his
brains out, but this was objected tc
by the others, who said that the!
did not want to kill him
The young man cut their argu
ment short by .ellin:: them he woulo
leave the country If that was what
they wanted. He says he was pulled
from tn buggy and dragged to the
roadside where every member OF the
party, displaying their weapons
prodded him with them He declare:
he was stripped to the skin, thrown
face downward to the ground ant
held, while a. L. Holstein piled hi:
back with buggy trace until ht
was all but insensible, and telling
him to leave the community and neV
er return. Spradley was left lyinE
on the ground in an almost nude
state, while the mob drove away.
He walked from there to Johnston
and came TO Augusta. lie knew