The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-06-03

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a piece Of paper, used for curing sore
eyes"-and the girl, in the most salts
fled manner, gave that as her answer,
which caused the Dr., stern and dignl-
fled as he was, and the whole school,
to break out in u]proarous laughter.
Long before the war, old Mr.. jim
mic Moore, who was a Methodist
preacher, organized a Sunday Scohol
class composed of little negro boys.
At that time it was the fewest number
of negroes who were able to read, the
fact was the teaching of negroes to
read was rather discouraged than en-
courage, and to teach a negro to write
was positively against the law.
Of course none of these little ne
groes in the old gentleman's Sunday
school we're able to read, and he had
to teach them altogether orally, and
he did it in this wayne would give
them at one meeting, a number OF
questions to be answered the next
Sunday-and of course it was I'M
avoidable that the little fellows would
have to get some white person to tell
them the answer to these questions.
So on one occasion it happened that
among the questions given to the little
negroes was, "who slew Able?" One
of the little fellows met Ed Kingsmore
one of the two bad boys that shaved
old DR.. Branches horses tail, and he
and Ed told the boy that it was old
and Ed told teh boy that it was old
Sam Cochran, an dof course the boy
believed it and he told the others.
Now it happened a short while be-
fore that an old negro man by
the name of Abel, who belonged to
o gentleman b ythe name of Abram
Lites, was hanged on the hill just this
side of Dendy's bridge on Long Cane,
for killing his wife; the party official
ing on that occasion being an old man
by the name of Sam Cochran, who was
the Deputy Sheriff-the law then be-
ing that a deputy sheriff could hang
a person, that duty not being restrict
ed to the Sheriff, as the law now is
or was, until the death by e%lectrocu-
ton was provided for.
So that when old Mr.. Moore asked
the question, "Who slew Abel?" they
all of one accord, sang out cold Sam
Cochran, l don't know certainly, but
7 think the old man gave it up as a
hopeless job to teach little negroes,
who didn't know their letters much
less read, the usual Sunday school
lessons.
Settling Personal Difficulties.
In the olden times men, as a gener-
al thing, settled their difficulties in a
more humane manner than now.
In stead of shooting each other they
| uSSu OILY udIufO . "OdpoAos
I remember, when a little fellow,
witnessing what was known as a reg
ular ring fight.
1t took place in a vacant lot in rear
of the old Methodist church which was
replaced by the present brick build
ing; the principals being the late Ben
Williams and a man by the name Of
Clinkscales, brother of the late Albert
Clinkscales and uncle of Jas. F. Clink-
scales Of the Monterey section. 1
think his given name was Frank.
The Master of ceremonies on the
occasion was a young nan by the
name of Power-Wm. Power, who af-
forwards became a Methodist preach
er, and at one time was presiding ell
der of the Cokesbury Circuit, if I mis-
take not.
After reaching the spot where the
fight was to take place, a ring about
ten feet in diameter was marked off,
and the witnesses were required to
stand on the outer edge ofthis ring.
The two men stripped to their waists,
and soon began operations.
They were both powerful men and
remember that where they would
strike eac bother, the places would
turn blue.
Finally. they clinched and Clink-
scales fell on top of Ben, at that the
crowd became greatly excited and
closed in around the combatants so
that I, being quite small, was unable
to see any more Of the fight, but it
wasn't long until I ehard Ben sing
out pull him off boys"
Some how my sympathies were with
Ben, I don't know why, as at that time,
J didn't know either of the men.
After the fight was over, the friends
of Ben took him down to the Gin Fac
tory of Enright & Starr which stood
a short distance below, to wash off, as
he was pretty badly soiled and bruis-
ed up, it being an awfully hot day
and / followed behind the crowd.
I remember, as VIC were going a
long, to nave heard Ben say, Isl tell
you boys 1 wasn't going to let that fell
low bite my nose off,"
While it is a fact that Clinkscales
had very large and prominent front