The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-02-09
RECOLLECT|ONS OF
FIFTY YEARS AGO

There are so many things seen be-
fore and during the war, scarcely
know where to begin. The hrst per-
son executed in Abbeville county was
a white man named Kitchens, charg-
ed with the theft of & horse. The
pallows WIS erected just about the
centre of where the Episcopal GENE
terv is now located. This was be-
fore the war, and besides one other'
Sam Banks, executed for the murder
Of Thomas Shed during the year
1875, WIS the only white man ever
executed in Abbeville county. l as
sisted in the preparation OF the lat-
ter innocent maj for the gallows'
and he was a hero, as game as eVer
walked forth to his doom. On n
occasion he had ample opportunity
for escaping, but decided not to take
advantage of the situation. There
were three negroes charged with
breaking and entering the store
house of Mr.. Sam Agnew, OF Due
West, and by some undiscovered
means contrived to sever by saving
the iron bars through the cell OF
Banks. Through this hole they en-
tered the outside hall and were soon
at liberty. Two of the negroes es.
caped by scaling the outside wall OF
the building, but the third being
much larger, together with one Jerry
Coleman, a negro under sentence OF
death for the murder of Adam Hack
EFT, and later executed, could not
pass through this small opening:
Banks was a very small man aud
could have easily passed through this
hole to liberty. | visited Mr.. Banks
next morning to survey the surround
ings, and found him comfortably
sitting in his cell. When asked why
he refused to take advantage and
gain his freedom, said he had made
peace with God and did not care to go
out into the world and take the
chances of losing his soul.
The theft of a horse, mule, negro,
or rebellion against the master-was
punishable with death. There were
three slaves charged with this last
offense by their owner, Mr.. Alex
Conner, who resided six or seven
miles from the Court House. They
were tried before a Mr.. McClinton,
I think, a trial justice, convicted, SEN
fenced, and executed at the seven
mile post, on the Snake road, near
the place where the crime was COM
mitted, just a few months prior to
the surrender. I know of no other
instance on record in this State,
where a trial justice passed the death
sentence.
There are very few people now hv-
ing who know or remember that just
a few months prior to surrender,
three negroes were taken from the
Jail at this place by an infuriated
number of good citizens, and carried
to a point near Island Ford and hang
ed for the murder of ar old man
named McClinton. l know of only
one of them now living who witnessed
the execution. The only other lynch
ing to the credit of Abbeville County
was that of David Roberts, which oc-
Cured during the administration of
Sheriff DuPre. Roberts was charg-
ed with an assault upon DR.. Henry
Klugh. The lynching occurred just
outside of the City limits beyond
Fort Pickens. This was about the
year 80 or 81. Just after the war
we had very little law and order. On
one occasion though l remember
Court being held in the Court House,
while Mr.. R. H. Wardlaw presided
over another court convened in the
Dendy building, now the Rosenberg
block next to Eureka Hotel.
I wish some OF the young ladies
could have seen the hoops worn by
their mothers. Imagine if yon can,
your mother standing in a hogshead,
and the top of the hogshead drawn
kdlese around the waist; you Will
have some idea of how they
Id in full dress. Not more than
(ould walk about on our present
Falks. On more than n oeca-
have I assisted splitting white
to make hoops. The splits were
g6tten out pretty much as they are
to make baskets, though not so wide.
They were very heavy and uncom-
Portable, and unless you had the
sleight of wearing them, they would
fy I'D in front as you sat down and
was often embarrassing to both
young men and ladies. The slit
skirt will give you some idea of the
result, should you not have the pro-
per sleight of sitting, though not so
shocking.
Salt was very scarce. remember
assisting in unearthing dirt in the
smoke house for the purpose of ex-
tracing the ooze from the drippings
that had accumulated for years be-
fore.
1t was in this manner Before the
war everybody raised a supply of ba-
con. About from four to six weeks
after killing, and packing, this meat
was hung up in the smoke house to
smoke and dry. A fire was made
underneath and smoked from day to
day until sufficiently cured. The
salty drippings upon the ground was