Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-06-14
Presentn,ents Of the Executive
Committee TO the Law and
Order League Of Meri-
wether and Clarks
Hill, S. c.

In September, 1921, the women
of the Community Club issued call
for meeting to form Law and Or
der League in our community. This
was done due to the fact that the pro
hibition law was being openly and fla
graatly violated. The smoke from
three to five stills was ascending from
the valleys in the neighborhood OF
Clarks Hill. Whiskey was being trans
ported in automobiles to Greenwood
and Augusta and being delivered and
carried in u. S. mail cars and on rail
road passenger and freight trains
The free use of vilely made whiskey
was producing the usual results OF
lawlessness in all its forms with one
murder ca the list.
This meeting was largely attended
and was organized with Mr.. H. E.
Bunch as chairman and Mr.. j. W.
johnson as secretary. 1t was propos-
ed that some of the women present
be made members of the executive
committee, but when they expressed
a doubt as to the wisdom of this, the
meeting asked that the women them
selves nominate the executive COM
mittee, which was done and with one
change caused by the removal of res
idence fron this county this commit
tee stands intact today and begs to
render this report.
Some time after this still was dis
covered by Mr.. John w. Adams on
Mr.. H. A. Adams land and was re-
ported by him to the sheriff who cap
tured still and complete outfit. DR..
D. A. j. Bell of Mccormick made re-
port to the sheriff and came with him
for search on his place near Clarks
Hill. They found still recently there
had been removed, but captured
mash, tubs, etc. A second raid was
made on the same place by federal
officials and the sheriff.
The federal officers under the di-
rection of Major George T. Bowen,
Federal Prohibition Director at
G1eenville, S. c., made raid on the
Burt place owned by Mrs. M. T.
Bunch, the five federal officers being
accompanied by the sheriff of Nc
Cormick county and his deputy. A
large and costly still in full operation
was seized and six negroes caught
as follows: John Searles, Needham
O'Brien, Joe Flournoy, Jim McKie,
Henry Searles and George Glover.
Needham O'Brien escaped en- route
to jail, and raid later on by the
sheriff discovered him in the woods
but failed to capture him.
A second raid was made by the
sheriff and his deputy on the same
farm owned by Mrs. M. 7. Bunch
which resulted in the capture of a
very large still complete with all
paraphernalia. At this still which was
in full operation was discovered
Amos Brooks, Ben Bunch, Marcellus
Holmes, Wyatt Cartledge and Daniel
Barnes. Barnes was captured, but due
to lack of sufficient force under the
sheriff the remainder escaped by rum
ming through the woods, but were
recognized by the deputy sheriff.
Another raid was made in the
night by us. Deputy Marshals at the
homes Of these negroes on the place
of Mrs. M. T. Bunch and of the house
of Mrs. M. T. Bunch, and Needham
O,Brien pulled out of chimney and
Amos Brooks, Marcellus Holmes and
Wyatt Cartledge caught in their beds
and landed in jail, Ben Bunch not be-
ing found though his house was
searched.
With one exception, those who
were caught have since been tried be-
fore Judge H. H. Watkins, U. S. Dis
trict Court, convicted and sentenced
to five or six months in Jail where
they are now serving their sentences.
These offenders are all subject to
state warrants for violating the pro-
hibition laws Of the state of South
Carolina, and Sheriff Leroy of Nc
'Cormick county has been instructed
by the grand jury to have them ap-
pretended and tried before the state
courts as soon as their term is served
under the U. S. Court sentence.
A conviction has been had in the
case of Ross Wood transporting Ii
quor, before Judge Featherstone's
cour tin Greenwood, and he has serv-
I L