Year: 1874

RESPECTABLE WHITE CITIZENS IN CONSTANT DREAD


OF ARREST ON UNFoUNDED CHARGES "A sPECI-


MEN DEPUTY MARsHAL's YARN A sHERRFs


POSSE REGULARLY SUMMONED AND ACCUSED OF


CoNsPIRACY-wHY THE PRISONERS WERE RE-


LEASED ON NOMINAL BAIL - MARTIAL LAW


DECLARED BY DEPUTY MARsHALs.


tSRoh THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBUNE.l


LIVINGSTON, Sumter Co., Ala, Oct 20.-Crmnal
laws are enacted much for the protection OF the
innocent as for the punishment OF the guilty, and
any administration of them that fails to secure both
these ends is either imperfect in its character or
wrong in principle. The presence OF officers OF the
law should inspire feeling of confidence and
security among law-abiding citizens, and terror
only in the hearts of the guilty but II it has an
opposite effect, if, at their coming, the innocent
flee with the guilty, it is sure sign either that the
officers have exceeded their authority or have used
the power intrusted to them in improper manner.


In letters written during o former visit to LiV-
ngston said very little about the manner in which
the United States detectives who had been sent here
to investigate the Ivey murder were performing
their duty. The people of this county and of the
whole State were indignant that citizens should be
arrested handcutfed. and locked up in jail four or
five days without an examination, while United
States Commissioner, with full power to bail or
commit them, had his Office not q stones throw
away and even failed to see the justice of taking
prisoners tor preliminary examination to Mobile,
more than 800 miles from home by the route they
Travelled, when the examination might just as well
have been conducted here where witnesses could be
easily obtained, and where the expense, both to the
Government and to the prisoners, would have been
much smaller. But I had such horror of assassna-
tion and so strong desire to the murderers dis
covered and punished that l was willing for the
time to overlook the seeming injustice If the de-
tectives were only successful.


WHITE CITIZENS IN CONSTANT DREAD OF ARREST.


Since that time Messrs. Hester and Beach have
been operating in this county nearly two weeks, and
the result is reign of terror among the innocent
and respectable white citizens of Sumter County,
such as has not prevailed among the blacks in three
years. Onm my way here met gentleman from
Mobile who was returning from business trip into
this county occupying about two weeks He told
me that everywhere he went he found the white
people in great fear. Men with whom he had busi-
ness and against whom there never was breath OF
suspicion. men who had not so much as served on q
sherifs posse, were mot at home" when he called,
and their wives after a few minutes conversation
would timidly ask IL he was not a deputy marshal
come to arrest their husbands. 1t is great caam-
ity for innocent to be torn from his terrified
family and subjected to expenses which he cannot
meet and it is not strange therefore, that when he
his neighbors arrested the most frivolous ac
cusatons and put to SO great inconvenience, he
should himself avoid arrest, If possible.


In passing through Montgomery yesterday
called at the United States MarshaPs Office to
Gen. Heay and to learn if possible,why the last AZ
men had been arrested in this county He told me that
he had very little to do with the matter and, in fact
knew almost nothing about it. The men, he said.


.,Aar rfa -
with the United States mail, but he was informed
that they had each given bond of 800 to appear
and answer any indictment that might be found
against them. He had received telegra from Mr..
Beach, saying that he would arrive in Montgomery
that evening with three prisoners. one of whom was
Mr.. r. b. Wetmore, the Chairman of the Demo-
cratic Executive Committee Of the county. " Both
of the crimes of which the AZ men accused are
very serious" said Gen. Healy, and do not under
stand why the bond should have been for small an
amount"


ANOTHER DEPUTY MARsHAL's YARN.


"Do you know anything of the circumstances Of
their arrest 7" asked.


Not much' was the reply. Hester and Beach
have been acting principally on their own RESPONSE
bity. The most Of the prisoners were taken IN the
swamp, where they had established regular camp
and had negro woman to cook for them. 1t don't
speak very well for the people of the county that
they leave their homes and camp out In the swamps.


This was part of the story that l had not heard
before. aud on my arrival here made it my first
business to inquire about it. l found that, like
the most of the reports which Gen. Healy gets
from deputy marshas, it was pure invention. Hester
went down to Belmont with about dozen cavalry
men and arrested few, not at camp in the
swamps, but at thier homes or on the highway.
These men made no resistance. but. on the other
hand. offered to inform their neighbOrs who had
served on the Sheritf's posse with them They did
so and the men having voluntarily assembled, came
here with Mr.. Hester and the soldiers. Some who
did not get the news IN time to come with the man
body arrived the next day without an escort and of
their own accord reported to Mr. Hester and gave
the required bond.


The offense of which these men are accused con-
sists of three conuts First conspirng and banding
together to ntimidate negroes and prevent them
from voting Second, conspiring and banding
tooatber 10 intimldate Bob Reid Third, interfering
with the transmission Of the United States mall All
of tbe men included among the AZ were serving on
,be Sberitf7s posse at the time they committed the
acts for which they have been arrested. The code
of Alabama constitutes the Sheriff the cmet con-
seryator of the peace in the county ana MAKES IL MS
dnty to prevent or suppress all rlOtous or unlawful
assemblages or ARRAYS and to assist him in doing so
directs him TO call upon sufficient number of the
male citizens of the county as posse. Any person
,.ho refuses to serve on Sheriffs posse, without
Lii excnse is liable to prosecution and fine The
sheriff is not required to have warrant for the
arrest of rioters, but may take them without it
before justice of the peace or other magistrate.


A sBER1Fr's POSSE ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY.


The Sheriff, in this case, did not summon posse
and start for Belmont until after he had received
three dispatches entreatng him to come to the as
sistance of the citizens They reported that body
of armed negroes were drilling on certain planta-
tion that another company was coming to reen-
force them ; and finally. that an attack was about