Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-06-07
FOUR DECADES EARLY
EDGEFIELD HISTORY
Continued from First Page.)

light each member was asked tc
bring candle.
Of course there were no railroads
here during the decades of my his
tory, and there were no phones mol
automobiles, not even buggies. The
aristocratic stage coach took the
place of the buggy. There was nc
loafing on the streets at this time
The man of yesterday was too ener
getic for this. At nine O'Clock there
was a tattoo beat and all the slaves
had 20 be at home. The first Edge
field court house was a wooden
building of economic structure. Il
was in this building that the fa
nous trial of the first triple murder
ess, Becky Cotton The devil
in petticoats against Gods reveng'
ed" was held. Becky" was won
derful beauty of Spanish type. Her
eyes we're black and sparkling, he1
complexion clear and her cheeks
rosy, her features were Grecian
Miss Kennedy was sought after by
many men. She only firted with
them, caring for none. She umrder,
ed three husbands, namely, Eras'
mus Smith, Josiah Terry and John
Cotton. In the darkness of the night
she would steal away dragging their
lifeless bodies to = gloomy pool
through which flows Beaver Dam
creek. This4terrible place is better
known to the boys as Becky's
hole" Becky" was always careful
to attach weight to their bodies
so that they would sink; and then
with one splash they were gone
forever into the treacherous POOLS
Shiny ooze. She was never brought
to trial but once. Becky" with her
magnificent tresses unbound and
sweeping to Ter knees, Becky"
with eyes burning like stars wet
with the glis,ening dew of tears!
Her mouth like twin cherries, her
voice rising to the heights of elo-
quence pleading her innocence.
Becky" got off Scott free and the
court became hysterical at the con-
temptation of their dreadful action!
In keeping with the blood thirsty
events of her life swas the dark
tragedy that cut short her ca.
reer. Stephen Kennedy killed his
beautiful sister on May 5, 1907.
Becky" was standing on the court
house steps when Stephen came and
with heavy stone fractured her
skull. She fell quivering and sense
less to the ground. Stephen Kennedy
murdered his sister before dozens
of witnesses and there is no evidence
to show that he was ever brought
to trial.
The first Jail stood where the
Mercantile store now stands. This
building was much better than the
one we have at present. At every
crossroads whiskey was sold, and
if the crossroads were far apart,
there were stations for its sale be-
tween. There was a duck pond
where the depot now stands. | can
imagine this pond there now, its
banks festooned with stately Chero,
kee roses. Old Edgeheld had no
weekly newspapers. However, there
were some newspapers published
in its earliest history, namely: The
South Carolina Republican" The
Carolina" and The Beehive" but
none of these papers lasted long.
THE South Carolina Republican"
began publication in 1928, and was
issued as late as October %, 1925.
This paper was three dollars a year
in advance or four dollars if credit
ed. An advertisement in an old
copy announces the dissolving of
the firm of L. Collins and NJ. La
Borde. John Lotion advertises
Ladies hats and fine -four" 1t was
not until The Edgefeld Advertis-
er" was establised that there was q
permanent newspaper in Edge6eld.
Few who look upon the thriving
little town of Edge6eld with it's
banks, churches and mercantile
houses realize that little over GEN.
tury ago there was little else here
but primeval forest and scattered
habitations. Yet, amid all our ad-
vantages, are we now producing
men of character, resolution and
deeds such as those, who, amid the
perils of war and the privativn of
peace carved our town from the
tangled wilderness? Shall we com.