Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-04


wanted. In some places around town
they got money. probably $1,000 be-
longing 10 different parties. but Mr..
Pershing's action in locking the safe in
our store prevented them from max
in2 III" hig haul.
But tragic events were happening
outside. \ soldier named Dave Crow
der, fired from Il window and severely
wounded Lieutenant James Nave. OF
Holtzclaw's command. a Holtzclaw
PARTISAN shO, and instantly killed
trowder.
Squire John II. Jones. lawyer.
started to run, along with some others.
and they ordered him TO halt. He kept
IN and they shot him. Jones fell and
Pcrshing ran to him. picked him up
and carried him TO a store. where he
died, or ne may have been dead when
Pershing went to him.
The next thing was surprise to
everybody. Captain Holtzclaw ordered
all the people to gather around him on
the square and hear a little talk he
had TO make TO them.
Rail endorsements.
"He began by expressing his sincere
regrets at the killing of the two men.
and stated that his purpose in com
ing to Lacledc was to get two fellows
who had mistrcated some southern
people down in Charlton county. Then
he went on to warn the people that II
he heard Of any more bad treatment
of southerners he would return to La
riede and burn up the town.
"It seems that the men whom Capt.
Holtzclaw was seeking knew there was
trouble coming and they hid out. one
climbed down into an old cistern and
remained there until the gang was
gone.
while the raid was on two citizens
OF Laclede managed to slip out OF
town. They rode swiftly to Rrookfield
six miles away--and notified the rail-
road militia. An engine with steam
up was in the sidetrack. a car was
coupled OH and the short train was
soon speeding down the line to Ia
clede as hard us it could go. The
bushwhackers evacuated the town be-
times, sending the wounded Lieutenant
Nave westward In Il hack they COM
mandeered. Learning this. the militia
train steamed westward and overlook
the hack. The soldiers fired into the
hack. wounding Nave again ana NOR
tally wounding the man driving. An
other man in the hack was wounded,
but managed to get away. Two days
afterward he stopped ut 4 house south
west of Laclede, and it turned out he
was treasurer of the gang. The $1,000
taken from the stores was recovered,
and at a mass-meeting in town 1t was
decided to divide it equally between
the widows of Crowder and Jones, the
two men killed at Laclede. 1t was n
little curious that none OF the owners
of the money ever made any objection
at this disposal of 1t.
Mr.. Pershing sold his store along
in the seventies and Travelled on the
:.<saa fBgEsslf - e(etafns h5use: ne
owned several farms in the county,
one of which he operated and others
he held as an investment While a
quiet. methodical man. his mental en-
ergy was wonderful. He was always
looking ahead for something impor-
tant, and several times he came
mighty near striking it rich. He be-
came interested in the manufacture OF
n new sort of stock car and made
good thing OF it. This money, now
ever. he lost In some Chicago deals.
AT one time Mr.. Pershing was trav-
cling salesman for Kuhn, Nathan
Fisher, clothing merchants OF Chicago
He came all through the western coun-
try and built up q good trade for his
house. l think he earned u salary Oh
from $4,000 to $1,000 year. When
he got q little ahead in the world again
Mr. Pershing moved to Omaha and
bought some suburban property there.
"One characteristic about the gener-
ais father is notable. He was an ex-
ccllent penman and could write the
finest letters l ever read. both as 10
construction and penmanship. He was
Il we'll educated man. AS business
man hc was courteous, energetic ana
always optimistic. His business re-
verses didn't discourage him. He SIM
ply smiled. said he guessed all was for
the best and kept plugging away.
The Pershing family were all very
well liked in Laclede. They were real
ly popular, every member of 1t.
never heard young John talk about
being soldier or an Indian hghter'
My idea was that he and Jim, his
Younger brother, were looking forward
to a business or professional career.
But John in his younger days listened
a great deal to the talk of Captain
Hewitt about the Civil war. and there's
no telling what ideas got into the lad 3
head from that. He always showed a
good deal Of interest when older peo-
pie were talking if they could really
tell something.
Family Now Scattered.
In a quiet effective way John F.
Pershing was one of the most infiuen-
tial men in town. He didn't talk much
but rather listened to what other peo-
pie would say Then he would give
his opinion. if called on. in few
words. When he started on anything
he would keep ut it until he had thor
oughly developed it. His ideas were