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About Weekly chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1877 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1876)
(Etironicle anD WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16. 1876. AN AMERICAN WHO IS NO AMERICAN. It is the misfortune of the United States to be represented at Berlin by a Minister into whose heart there never entered one genuine American senti ment. A fawning sycophant of power, a snob of snobs, Mr. Bancroft Davis has been signally rebuked for hi* infi delity to the principles of his own Gov ernment by a large body of the sub jects of the monarchical Government to which he is our Minister. Ashamed of his own country, he re fused to receive a congratulatory ad dress from a large number of Germans on the occasion of our Centennial Fourth of July. The very monarch to whom Mr. Davis has shown himself such a sycophant must despise him, *as it is evident the German people do, most heartily. What would the American people say to giv ing such an anti-American as Bancroft Davis a life tenure in his office? It is the rarfc misfortune of General Grant to bring his country into con tempt abroad as well as at home. CURTAILING EXPENSE*. The Centennial was commenced on a grand scale, in the expectation that the utmost hopes of its managers with re gard to pecuniary returns, would be more than realized. The intervention of the “heated term” has caused a set back not anticipated, and the receipts have fallen off to such an extent that the ability to meet current expenses has become a serious question. They are down now to less than average of $lO,- 000 per day. This has necessitated re trenchment, and we are told that the managers have had to meet the exigency by discharging a large number of em ployees and curtailing the wages of others. One hundred of the guard have been discharged, the regular gate keep ers reduced from 84 to $3 per day, and the keepers of the free gates from $3 to $2 50 per day. Objection was made to the reduction by these worthies, but they gave in when informed that theie were 2,700 applicants for their places. The aggregate saving amounts to only about S3OO per week, a small sum, com pared with the gross expenses, which have footed up from 83,000 to 810,000 per day. When Fall sets in, the attend ance, it is believed, will be much larger; but, if the Exhibition closes in October, the time fixed for its ending, the re ceipts will be found in lamentable de ficiency, as compared with the expenses. Those who went into the enterprise on speculation will surely come out at “the little end of the horn.” BAYARO OR IIOITWEIJ, ? The New York World says: Instead of the grave judicial report which would have become a committee of the Senate appointed to investigate the last State eleotion in Mississippi, a subject that demanded the most careful and dis criminating treatment, the majority of that committee have produced a thor oughly partisan document. Its authors make no pretense even of having ex amined both sides of the question. Not to speak of their unqualified endorse ment of the imbecile Ames, and their ntatement that but a very small propor tion of the “carpet-bag” office holders in Mississippi have abused their oppor tunities—an endorsement and a state ment too ridiculous to be made by any partisan newspaper—their report re cites three alleged outrages upon the persons of Republicans, and in proof of these gives the testimony only of the prosecuting witnesses, with not so much as an allusion to the evidence of the other side ! This may seem incredible, but it is striotly true. The report con tains only a few lines of the cross-ex amination by Senator Batabd of one of these witnesses, who was asked by him at the conclusion of her testimony— “Q. Did you ever take an oath before? A. No, sir. “Q. Do you know the meaning of ta king an oath ? A. No, sir. “Q. Do you know what the conse quences are of swearing falsely ? A. No, sir.” Fortunately for the interests of truth, Senator Bayard, whom the majority, by thd way, appear to have treated with signal discourtesy in preparing and pre senting their report, has prepared his own statesmanlike story of the investi gation, and with this story before them candid readers will see for themselves how utterly false and untrustworthy are the raw-head-and-bloody bone tales of murders for opinion's sake collated by the committee and their facile clerk.— Since the disclosures in the infamously famous case at Memphis of Frances Thompson, the negress who appeared in ex-Seuator Washbdrne’s report as “the viotim of sixteen successive ravish ments ” by white ruffians in that city, but who has since turned out to be a ne gro man keeping a disorderly house iu woman’s attire ; since the case of State Senator Twitoheli,, of Louisiana, who was paraded from an Indianapolis pul pit as “ the victim of fiendish malignity in his adopted section but who was afterward declared by the unanimous report of a Congressional investigating committee to be a manner of political dead-beat, who had brought down upon himself the vengeance of a fellow charla tan by certain disreputable practices ; since the case of Deputy United States Marshal Perrin, of Alabama, who was discovered to have shot his own coat full of bullet holes in order to prove his narrow escape from Democratic assas sins ; since the exposures before the same Alabama investigating committee of reported murdered men who were found in most exuberant health ; since numberless other similar eases of de liberate falsehoods, concocted for party purposes, have long been familiar to the public, the intelligent reader might well be excused for receiving Senator Bout vsUi'i new Mississippi “ outrages ” with a whole sackful of salt, even were ♦hey not proven to be utterly unreliable by the testimony of Mr. Bayard. As this majority report stands, its animus is so patent that it must tend to defeat the ends of its authors, although its ef fect upon the merely partisan crowd could not have failed to prove mischiev ous, had it not been so promptly coun teracted by the plain statement ot the minority. The main facts in the report have al ready been published in the columns of :t New York paper, by a correspondent who was at the same time clerk of the Mississippi Committee. Without dis cussing the question whether it is prop er that an individual in the employ of the Federal Government should use his position to subserve party ends, the let ters of this corresponding clerk have bees marked by such extreme bigotry and s;ich an obvious though dextrous manipulation of facts, os to warrant the belief that their publication must have been a part of a general scheme of mis representation contemplated by the committee. They prepared the way for the majority report now made. It has for some time been evident that the in tent f the investigation was to declare the election of the Democratic Legisla ture illegal and void, and therefore to prevent the admission of Mr. Lamar to his seat in the Senate. The majority report declares that the testimony takes j by the committee “fully supports the “ allegation that force, fraud and in *• timidation were used generally and I “ successfully iu the canvass of 1875,” and, further, that iu certain counties named, “if there had been a free elec tion Republican candidates would “ have been chosen and the character “of the Legislature so changed that •“ there would have been 66 Eepobli " etuis to 50 Democrats in the House, -“and 26 Republicans to 11 Democrats in ■“the Senate; and that consequently the -“present Legislature of Mississippi is “not a legal body, and that its acts are ■“not entitled to recognition by the po "litical depart ment of the Government of “the United States.” This, of coarse, means that an attempt will be made to set aside the action of the L> gialature in electing Mr. Lamar Unit' and State* Senator, although the oomni.ttee hint that “the President may, in bisdiscre “tion, recognize it (the Legislature) as a “Government de facto for the preserva tion of the public peace.” But if not, and the State government be overthrow in the face of the minority report, will the people of this country submit to a repetition of the Louisiana inquity on this ex parte report of a packed com mittee ? We beliete the facts therein stated to have been so strained from their proper shape and so partial in their presentation that they will.be repudiat ed by the common sense of the nation. The attempt to exclude a man like Mr. Lamar from the Senate in favor of some creature of Ames, by such a usurpation as took place in Louisiana two years ago, will not be tolerated by the North. The committee has overshot its mark. It is admitted in this rejoort about Mississippi, as it i& in Chambbblais s letter from Sonth Carolina, that by far the greatest proportion of property held in the State is owned by the Democrats; but the belief is expressed that “unless the tendency toward politi cal proscription ’’—which means simply the tendency of the Democratic party to victory—“is ariested, every succes sive chapter in the annals of the State will be darker and bloodier than the pre ceding one.” Now this miserable rot, in view of the contrast in the present condition of Mississippi with that pre sented under its many years of corrnpt and disorderly government, when con trolled by irresponsible aliens and igno rant negroes, reaches the very sublimity of impudence. Benator BouTWELB, to whose authorship this report is uo doubt correctly attributed, has disgraced, not himself—that long since ceased to be possible—but Massachusetts, by this scandulous and indecent paper. The honest men of his own Commonwealth will be apt to invite him to occupy him self in accounting for the millions of dollars of the people’s money which mysteriously disappeared during his administration of the Treasury Depart ment, and to leave the work of studying the social condition of other States to men who can give a clear account of their own stewardship. It is evident that Governor Tilden’s letter of acceptance is exercising a pow erful influence throughout the country. Thebe is no doubt whatever that the Turks are waging war in a way that has not been known in any of the recent wars of Europe. They carry fire and sword all over the regions which they traverse. The English papers were, for a time, disinclined to believe the reports of their ferocious ravages in Bulgaria, but the volumes of evidence that are published leave no doubt of the truth of the worst of them. The troops sent from Egypt to the Sultan have proved almost worthless, and were routed in their first conflict with the Servians. The Egyptian army is of little account, though the Khedive has spent much money on it, and has procured Americon and European offi cers to take command of it. Avery large force of it ha* been engaged dur ing the past year in Abyssinia, but it was utterly overthrown there, and com pelled to retreat from the country. Senator Mortoj* proposes to conduct the campaign on the Republican side as he fed his cow to the palmy days when he was Military Dictator pf Indiana—at the expense of the Government. He has introduced a resolution iu the Senate for the printing of ten thousand copies of Grant’s bloody shirt message as a cam paign document. Should it pass, it is to be hoped the House will find someway of sitting down upon it s effective as that adopted iu the case of the Finohback steal. The returns from Kentucky report Democratic gains throughout the State, notably in the cities of Lexington and Paris, and in Jessamine county, which have heretofore been Republican. The election was only for county officers, but the Democratic gains are signifi cant, because the Republicans iu Ken tucky ordinarily concentrate their ef fortg upon the looal contests, beiug hopeless of ever carrying the State. Mr. Henry Wattebsov, editor of the Cou rier Journal, was elected by an over whelming majority to fill out the unex pired term of Edward Parsons, deceas ed, in Congress, having practically no opposition. An interesting fact in the election was the defeat of a grandson of Henry Cray, who offered himself as a candidate for a minor office to Jjouis ville. It is rumored that Carr Sohubz in tends to make a bold and vigorous attack on President Gbant in his first cam paign speech, and that he will be sus tained by leading Republicans who per ceive that Grant is sinking their ship so rapidly that unloading is imperative. It is entirely too late for Carr Schdrz to throw Grant overboard. He can not do it with all his eloquence, and his party can not do it. They failed to do it at Cincinnati, and they will have to carry the burden they applauded there. The same forces which worked success fully at Cincinnati to have Grant en dorsed, hold the fort of Granttsm to day, and if Schdrz attempts to kick against the pricks he will ba pitched overboard himself. In the meantime GRANr continues vigorously to “reform the party from within.” Stilli again, and yet onqp more, the voice of Edwards Pierrepont sounds across the sea. He is speechifying so steadily that we hardly see how he can find time to breathe, or take his regular meals, or get his natural sleep. This time his tireless tongue has beeu a thiDg of wonderment at a banquet given to Her Majesty’s Ministers, which was not attended by the principal Minister of Her Majesty. Disraslj had, proba bly, ascertained in advance that Pirrre font would be there with his voice, aud even a Lord Mayor’s banquet was no temptation to him when thus qualified. Yesterday’s cable dispatch told ns of this speech of Pierrepoxt, but this morniug we have a dispatch 6aying all the speeches were unimportant. Here s the trouble for Pierrepont. His in terminable speechifying so exhausts mankind that it becomes unimportant at last. The newspapers cease to report it, and its hearers merely laugh at it or yawn over it. If Pierrepont thinks be must earn his salary as Minister to Eng land by perpetually delivering speeches, he is mistaken. He will be ter deserve his pay if he never opens his mouth, except on business, in whioh case his duties will be light and easy. Let him, as American Minister in London, re flect upon the ways of the British Min ister in Washington, who rarely makes a speech. Mr Card Schcrz has his hands full of a personal explanation which his German fellow-citizens are just now very numerously demanding of him. An intelligent German, and an ex-jour nalist of this city, Mr. J. B. Jkdp, has published a paniphlot of a hundred dod pages <liMctly tonching BemrßZ and the question of finance. The Cincinnati nines, devoting ho it a half colnmn review, says: Qur readers Jjave not for gotten Mr. Jecp, for so maay years editor erf the Cincinnati Volksfreuni, and not long ago a candidate on the Democratic ticket in this State. He is now practicing law at Nashville, Tenn., and has lately published a pamphlet of over 106 pages on “Finance and Cur rency," in the course of which he re views, in a characteristic way, the Re publican and Democratic platforms, and speaks his mind in regard to'both Presi dential tickets. i AT AIKEN. THE EXAMINATION THURSDAY. The Hukan Affair—C l i ilete Rebuttal of the Erideaee Belore the Caremer’a Inquest —The Negraea the Aggreuuar*. Yesterday morning the Sonth Caro lina parties charged by the recent Coro ner’s inqdest in Hamburg with murder and being accessories before the fact, in connection with the Hamburg affair, as sembled at Granite ville, surrendered themselves to Sheriff Jordan, of Aiken county, and under his charge proceeded to Aiken. At Aiken the usual quietude was laid aside and excitement reigned in anticipation of the proapective exami nation. At 9 o’clock a body of about forty men, all mounted, from Silverton, reached the village, their object being merely to witness the preliminary trial of their fridndß and neighbors. About half-past ten o’clock the accused, in cus tody of Sheriff Jordan, who rode in a buggy at the head of the cavalcade with Colonel R. J. Butler, arrived. The spectacle of this large number of men submitting voluntarily to arrest by a single officer and marching under his charge to trial, would have convinced the worst among the bloody shirt snriekers at the North that the citizens of the Palmetto State have no disposi tion to resist lawful authority. The formal arrest was made at the Court House door by the Sheriff, who called the name of each of the accused in turn. The latter responded, and dis mounting proceeded into the Court Room. Among the accused were Two Negroes, Showing conclusively that the unfor tunate occurrence of July Bth had no thing to do with race or politics. After the list was completed, onr reporter glanced around at the material that crowded the hall once known as the Aiken Lyceum, but now converted into a Conrt House. Judge Maher, a firm and resolute looking man, occupied the bench. In front of him was an array of lawyers, made up of the finest legal talent in the State. For the defense appeared Leroy F. Yonmans, of Colum bia; Gen. W. M. Gary, ex-Gov. Bon ham and J. C. Shepnard, of Edgefield; Maj. W. T. Gary, of Augusta; aDd Messrs. D. S. Henderson, G. H. Croft and O. C. JordaD, of Aiken. The State was represented by Attorney-General Stone. In the rear sat the sixty or seventy men accused, while on all sides was one dense crowd of eager spectators. Comparatively few negroes appeared in the gallary. The Legal Aspect Of the case was that these men were rep resented as under arrest and that they then appeared on writs of habeas corpus to petition for bail. The proceedings were opened by Maj. W. T. Gary, who said that a large num ber for whom warrants had been issued had surrendered themselves to the sher iff, bnt that some could not be found in that county, nor in' the State, and he would ask that the Attorney-General take np those cases where the de fendants were present. The Attorney-General having consent ed, and the Sheriff having read the names, all but two of those from Caro lina responded. Mr. Henderson read the charges as made in the Coroner’s verdict, which has already been publish ed, and said that the defense would pre sent some affidavits in support of the position it would take. The affidavit of Gen. M. C. Butler was first read. It opens with the decla ration that as the newspapers through the country had done him such gross in justice he felt it due himself that a calm, clear statement should be read to to the Court. It is a lucid explanation of his posi tion, clearly showing that his visit to Hamburg was a purely professional OBe; that he had no knowledge nor connec tion with the carrying of the cannon to Hamburg, and that it was only after the killing of Young Merriweather that the white people beoame aggravated. He went on to show that the moat unfor tunate affair was only one of the inevi table fruits of negro rule. It was an able and convincing letter and was read in an eloquent manner by Governor Bonham. Mr. Henderson followed with the affi davits of the Rev. John P. Mealing, 001. A. P. Butler and Dr. Hugh A. Shaw, in which they all plainly showed the expressed intent of the colored men was to start a row and that the white men were forced into it by an un avoidable chain of circumstances from which there was no escape. He then read tl)e affidavit of Prince R. Rivers, Major General of the South Carolina Militia. Rivers testified that Captain Doc Adams’ company was not a duly com missioned company; that it had “ never had a drill" before the 4th day of July last, and that he had told Adams that if he took the guns of the militia be would be iq danger of prosecution. He farther testified ooneerutog his threatening to imprison Adams for contempt of Court, and Adams’ defiant reply that “Rivers and his Court might go to hell, but his company would die before they would deliver their arms.” He further testi fied aboqs his different missions of peace between the two parties and of Doc Adams’ final refusal to settle. His affidavit will do much to exonerate the whites from blame. Major Croft presented the affidavit of D. §. Renderson, in which he testified that on the day before the affair occur red in Hamburg S. J. (colored) told him that Sparniok had Suited him fHee) if he was not going over to defend the negro company, and that Lee replied that there was no money in it, where upon Bparnick said that there would be lots of political capital yet to be made out of it. . The affidavits of John L.ee, Frank Taylor and George Henderson) all col ored, were offered. Affiants swear that they were asked by Doc Adams and At taway to join the company, and when they asfced what was the objeotof it Ad ams replied tbatityas to kill the whites. The affidavit of Jere Whitlock (eol.) was read. He testified that fjharles Turns, who was foreman of the jury of the inquest, told him daring the trial that alt they wanted to do was to keeo the white men in jail until after the elections. Many other affidavits from both white and colored men in rebuttal of the evi dence given at the Coronor’s inquest were read. It is most probable that the Attorney-General seeing what a strong defense the accused have will agree to their being granted bail without argu ment. A telegram received last evening says: “It is probable bail will be given to. night or to-morrow without argument/’ Bailed. At the close of the evidence of the petitioners for bail, the Attorney-Gene ral read part of the evidence taken at the Coroner’s inquest, and submitted the case without argument. Judge Ma her decided, without hesitation, that bail should be granted, and fixed the amount at $1,009 each. SOME STRONG AFFIDAVITS. The Negroes the Aressors—Clear Fr#*f f Previous Conspiracy on the Part of the Colored Company— \Vho Fired the First Sy.ot—No Money, Bnt Plenty of Political tupMvL General M. e. Butler was in the city yesterday, and to his courtesy we are indebted for the affidavits read before Judge Maher, in Aiken, last Thursday. We regret that space does not permit ns to publish the whole of the- affidavits. We plaee before our readers, however, a number which place the Hamburg affair in an altogother different light from the report of the coroner’s jury, and the evidence before that delectable body; Personally appeared J. T. Bntler, who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith: On the 3d of July I was returning from Augusta market, where I had been to sell my father’s garden vegetables; when on the outskirts of the town of IJamburg (in Aiken county, S. C.) I was driving j at * pretty fast speed and was attacked •n the outskirts of Hamburg by an of ficer of the go-called negro militia with two of his men with State guns Qn their shoulders. This officer commenced to curse and abuse me in the most indecent langna e, without any cause or provoca tion whatever. Seeing their object was a difficulty, and at the same time their intent to kill me, I evaded it by not re- f lying but in driving away from them. had never had any difficulty with any of these parties before. J. T. Bdtreb. Sworn to before me this 9th day of August, 1876. , D. S. Hendbbrqn, Notary Public. Personally gpjvmred Henry Getzen and Thomas Butler, who being sworn say ; On the Fourth of July, as we were wkurning from Augusta to our homes in South Carolina ( r ‘on the hills . abcfve {Hamburg”), after crossing the, bridge from Augusta, and .driving above j the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta j Railroad bridge, our attention was drawn to a large crowd of negroes in fremi of “what is known” as the Charles Hammond warehouse, in the street above this crowd was a company of negroes going through a foriß of < * r . gpon as this company saw us coming they ip arched to the upper portion of the town as far *8 fbe opening above a well and ditch that obstructed half of the str*et.(it being about two hundred feet wide). After passing the well they turned hack and marched to the well in. time tp meet opr buggy. Seeing them coming in a form that obstructed all the street that was not ob*tracted by, well and ditch, and as there was only, one path worn through the clover and grass (by wagons), we kept in the ruts of that path and stopped onr horse to let them pass, thinking they would form their company in some other way and pass by, rather than for ns to have to turn round and go back; but in stead of doing this they marched up in front of us, beat their drums under our horse’s head; halted their company in abont fifteen or twenty paces of ns. The men being eight or ten feet apar{ we thought they intended for ns to drive through. We drove np four or five paces, when they threw their gnns across their shoulders so as to obstruct the spaee between them, and to prohibit onr passing. By this time the captain and several of his offioers and men commenced to curse and aay that we most go around. We told them that we had a right to travel the road and all that we wanted was to pass. They said God damned if they didn’t stay there all night if we did not go back. They kept us in this position ten or fifteen minutes. Soon after a shower of rain commenced to fall and then the captain gave orders to let ns pass. This made the men very mad and they enrsed at an awfnl rate. After passing the company, we looked back and Baw Cook, the Town Marshal, ap proaching, and said he would arrest us the next day; and the next day Mr. R. J. Bntler made complaint to Rivers “Justice of the Peace,” and stated to him the case in full, and said as that was his market road which he had to travel often several times a day, and that it was very essential for him to be at market at certain times to have his goods shipped by railroad, and such de lays would ruin the marketing of his fruits and produce, and that two years ago United States troops drilled on the same grounds and they never detained him or obstructed the pass way all the time they were there. And Rivers said for them to obstruct the road in the manner they did was very wrong,and for Mr. Bntler and his sons to come down the next day and he would investigate the matter. We went down the next day, when the Captain, Dock Adams, was arrested for contempt of Court and the case was continued until Saturday, and at this the negroes cursed and made a great many threats of the worst type. Henry Getzen, T. G. Butreb. Sworn to before me this 9th of Au gust, 1876. D. L. Henderson, Notary Public. State of South Carolina, Aiken coun ty : Personally appeared Prince R. Rivers, who being duly sworn, says that deponent resides in Hamburg, S. C.; has held office as member of Conven tion of the State of bouth Carolina and as member of the General Assembly of the State of Sonth Carolina; is now a Trial Justice, and also holds a commis sion as Major General of the State Mili tia. Deponent as Major General of Militia reviewed some regiment in Co lumbia, S. G., about two years ago. The militia of the State of South Carolina is very imperfectly organized. In the county of Edgefield, wnich adjoins the county of Aiken, there is no colored or whitemilitia company which is regularly organized and which has regular drills. In the county of Aiken the oqly com pany which has public drills, as a part of the militia, is a colored company at Aiken. If Doc Adams, company at Hamburg, South Carolina, was a regu larly organized militia company I was not aware of it. The Hamburg com pany, which was commanded by Doc Adams, never had any drills, so far as my knowledge extends, until Fourth of July, A. D. 1876. The company of Doc Adams, which was in the Sibley building, was com posed wholly of colored persons, and of those who resided at and near Ham burg. As Major General of Militia I have not ordered out my command in abont two years. On or abont the sth of July, .1876, Mr. Robert J. Bntler made complaint to deponent, as Trial Justice, that Thomas Butler, his son, had been halted at night in the streets of Ham burg by David Phillips and a crowd of others, on the 3d of July, A. D. 1876, who had militia guns iu their hands. Mr. Butler stated that these parties had cursed, insulted and abused his son without provocation and had threatened to kill him. Mr. Butler stated that he* was apprehensive that some harm or in gury might be done to his son Thomas and he asked me to give to his son the protection of the law. Upon this com plaint I i6Pued a warrant. Mr. Robert J. Butler also complained that on the fourth day of July, 1876, Doc Adams and a large number of persons with him, bearing arms, had obstructed the public highway in the streets of Hamburg and had prevented Thomas Butler and Henry Getzen, the son and son-in-law of Mr. Butler, from passing for some time. That the drummer had come up and attempted to frighten the horse by beat ing the dram under the head of the horse—and that the oompany threatened to k' ep Thomas Butler and Henry Getzen as prisoners all night. Deponent upon nearing this complaint determined to issue a warrant and bring the guilty parties to justice if any had interfered with the rights of private citizens. Mr. Robert J. Butler was perfectly respectful in making his statement to me and I was determined that he should have full justice. On the 6th of July, 1876, Doc Adams, Lewis Oartledge, A. T. Attaway, and deponent thinks Jam-s Coleman, were present in the Trial Justice Court in response to summons from deponent. Mr. Henry Getgen was examined by the Court. The Court then extended the usual privilege to Doo Adams to cross examine the witness. Doc Adams undertook to examine the witness in an improper manner. The Court cau tioned Roc Adams that the manner of examining the witness was objec tionable. Doo Adame continued to disregard the Court, and he was arrested for contempt of court, and the case was continued until Saturday, the Bth July, 1876, at4o’clock, p. m. On Saturday 28 h July, Gen. M. C. Butler appeared at my office in the uftefnoen as attorney for Mr. Robert J. Butler and fiis son and son-in-law. After the Court was organized Doc Adams and the rest of his officers were called, but failed to make any answer, either in person or by attorney. Geq. if. C. Rnflef then asked in what capaoity deponent was sitting. Depon ent replied that his Court was that of a Trial Justice, but until deponent heard the evidence deponent conld not say whether the matter was proper for the notice of deponent as Major General of Militia. Ahoqt this time Samuel Spencer informed the .Goifrt that he thought the matter popld be arranged if the oourt would grant a little time. Ren. M. C. Butler expressed himself as willing to allow the time, and asked the Court what time would be grant ed. The Court granted fifteen minutes, au,d informed tho parties that more time would fie granted if ip beoame necessary. Samuel Spencer did not re turn to the Court to give any informa tion as to the result. Rate in the after noon deponent went np into the town of Hamburg, having previously disposed of several cases. After going np town deponent asked Samuel Spencer, Joseph Thomas, Sam uel Pixley, Paul Jefferson to advise with deponent to prevent any difficulty. De ponent caused Ren. Butler to be sent for, fpy the purpose of a conference. Gen. Butler gam® to m y back gate on Mercer street. I asked (Jen. Rutler what woald stop the trouble which seemed imminent? Gen. Bntler said if the arms are delivered up there will be no trou ble. I asked GeD. Butler if be would give a bond for the arms. Gen. Bntler said yes, J will, and asked several gen tlemen near bin) if tjiey would go his seenrity, and they replied that they would. Mr. Bobert J. Bntler said that he did not wish to have any trouble, but simply desired to have protection for bis family. He said that if the mem bers of the company would agree not to interfere with hi? family and apologize for the insults which had keen offered to the members of bis family) that tfeen he would consent to drop the proceedings against them. Deponent asked General M. C. Bntler if he would gnarantee the safety pf the members of the company if they would surrender "their arms. Gen. Butler replied that depends upon how they, behave themselves hereafter. After this conference, in which Gen. Bntler agreed to box the arms and ship; them *be Governor if the company, woald deliver them, deponent asked Gen. Bntler for time to consult the com pany. Gen. Butler granted the request Joseph Tboas and deponent went into the Sibley boil ing. Doc Adams and Attaway came to meet deponent in another room in the Sibley bniidtog. Deponent told Doc Adams of the con ference with Gen. Bntler. Doc Adams ssid we have determined to hold the arms. Thomas and deponent then came down and met Robert J, Butler and told him that the men had refused to give up their arms. Deponent did not see the] firing begin, and knows nothing of what occurred in that part of the town. jP. R. Rivers. Subscribed and sworn to before me this Bth August, 1876. fL. B.] Frank Abvqi, ’ f Rotary Public &C. State of South Carolina, Edgefield county: This is to certify that on Thurs day, July 6th, 1876, I was in Hamburg, S. C-. at the request of Rev. J. P. Meal ing. ' That J. hßard part of the trial then and there pending between JJessrs. Get zen and Bntler on the one side, and the militia company represented by Doc Adams on toe other side. That after the direct examination of Henry Getzen, one of the'witnesses in toe case, Doc Adams commenced to ask numerous ir relevant questions that the Court ruled out of order; he, Doc Adams, became ouch excited at this interruption, and used language so unbecoming and offen sive to to Conrt that he was ordered under arrist. This action ou the part of the Coirt caused much excitement and angry comment, not only from Doc Adams, bit from other officers of this company. Immediately after this and without icnsnltation with any one, the Court vm formally adjourned until Sat urday, the Btb, at 4, p. m. I prompted Mr. R. J. Bntler, who was conducting the case, to object to the honr named, stating to him at the same time that on Saturday there was usually a large namber of negroes in Hamburg; that the erowd of men and offioers pres ent gave ; the strongest evidence of the bitterest and most intense excitement; that it would not be practicable to try the case uitil after dark and that he and his friends would be at the mercy of this angry and excited band of desperadoes. Mr. Bntler did object to the hour nam ed and suggested some day duriDg the next week;: in fact he pressed his objec tions with much earnestness and said, “I want no night work about it.” The Conrt overruled his objections and as signed some petty private business as an exensi for his ruling. Immediately after the Court adjourn ed it was evident from the unprovoked and bittA language used by some of the officers if Doc Adams’ company that they wisied to provoke a collision with the whites; nothing bnt the most com mendabh prndence and forbearance could have prevented such a collision. On Sitorday, the Bth, I returned to Hamburg in company with Rev. J. P. Mealing] arrived between three and four o’clock, p. m.; found at Mr. Damm’s store Gin. M. C. Butler, counsel for Butler agd Getzen, and a Mr. Sparnick, counsel jfor Doc Adams & Cos., in con sultatioi, in reference to the settlement of the siit pending. It wasiagreed by these counsel to have a confeienoe with the officers of Doc Adams’ company, with the object of ad justing the difficulty. Mr. Sparniok said that he aad a very strong influence over the negioes, and thought it conld be ar ranged vithont delay. He left for a conference with Adams & Coq with the promise to return with them in a few minutes. He did not re turn. Abcut, or soon after 4 o’clock, we went to thj Magistrate’s office at whioh this ease vas to be tried. Adams, his coun sel, nj>r no member of his company was preseit; the Court was formally conven ed, lut adjourned for a proposed con ference with the officers of Adams & Cos. Dating this delay the wildest rumors were fa circulation as to the plans of the negrops, viz: That they had collected in their (armory several hupdred strong; that tkey proposed to burn the Augusta bridge that they had the most approv ed guis, with an abundance of ammuni tion; that they would not submit to any arrest;that they had determined to fight; that they continued to supply the garri son with men, guus, water, provisions, etc. All was excitement, men congre gated fa squads within the vicinity of the araory, in which the negroes had taken position. This did not remain long in this con dition oefore the tiring commenced from both sides, that was kept up for some hours or more. H. A. Shaw, Sworn to before me this 7th day of August, A. D. 1876. J. L. Anderson, Trial Justice E. C. South Carolina, Aiken county: per sonally appeared George Damm, who being sworn, says: That on the after noon of the Bth day of July, A. D. 1876, Saturday, and the day of the riot iu Hamburg, South Carolina, General M. C. Butler came to mybtore in Hamburg, at about three o’clock in the afternoon. Geneial M. C. Butler was alone. My store is situated on the corner of Cen tre and Cobb streets, and is the first store on the main thoroughfare leading into Hamburg, South Carolina, from the di rection of Edgefield. At the time when General M. C. Butler came to my store there was no assemblage of white per sons in the town of Hamburg. General Butlei drove up to my store in a buggy. In a short time, ten or fifteen minutes, Mr. Robert J. Butler arrived and catue into my store, whilst General M. C. Butlei was in the store. There was no crowd with General M. 0. Butler when he came to Hamburg. I have known General M. C. Butler for a number of years. Whilst in my store he was per fectly peaceable, as I have always known him ta be. George Damm. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 6th August, 1876, D. Thompson Sims, |L. S.] Trial Jus tice, A. C. State of Georgia, Richmond county— Personally appeared Richard W. Haber sham, who being duly sworn, says: De ponent resides in Augusta, Georgia. On the Bth July, A. D. 176, deponent was at work in office in the old “Christian Chnrcb,” which is on or near the river bank in the city of Augusta, opposite to Hamburg. Deponent heard that there was likely to be a difficulty in Hamburg and went to the river bank on the Geor gia side, at the point where the bridge of the Charlotte, Columbia and Augus ta Railroad crosses the Savannah river nearly opposite the Sibley buildiDg iu Hamburg. When deponent went to the river bank no shots had been fired in HamViurg to the best of deponent’s knowledge and belief. Deponent stood on the river bank for some time observ ing events as they transpired. There were several persons near deponent on the Georgia side of the river. After de ponent had teen standing for some time watching events, deponent distinctly saw two shots fired from the window of the Sibley building, and deponent thinks that a third shot was fired from the top of the Sibley building. As soon as these shots were fired a yell was heard from the building. After a short pause a yell was sent up from the orowd outside and the fire was returned, and soon be came general. Deponent positively states that to the best of deponent's knowledge and belief the first shots were fired from the Sibley building in the di rectiou of the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad bridge, and in the di rection of the abutment of said bridge, which is on the Hamburg side of the river. There were some white persons near to the abutment. After the firing be gan this deponent left the river bank for a short time. Deponent returned to the river bank after ß short absence, and was informed that balls were reaching the city of Augusta, which were fired from the Sibley building. At this point the river is abont four hundred yards wide. Deponent then stepped out and observed closely and saw the flash of a gun fired from the Sibley building, whicl; seemed to be aimed at the depo nent and tue gpoqp near tp depo nent, who were in the city of Augusta, on the river bank and unarmed. In a short time deponent heard the bullet; it passed over deponent into the city of Augusta, and endangered the lives of quiet citizens. The bullet which passed into the pity pf Augusta and some of which sepmej to tie aimed at pnargied citizens, were nnproyoked by any acts of those near deponent, and so far as deponent knows the shots were wantonly and maliciously fired. R. W. Habersham. Subscribed and sworn to this Bth An gust, 1876. Wm. T. Gary, Commissioner of Deeds for South Caro lina, resident in Augusta, Ra. SJateof Georgip, Richmond county: Personally appeared William E. Flint, who, being duly sworn, says that he re sides in Augusta, in the State of Geor gia, and that he is watchman at the bridge of the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad Company, which bridge crosses the Savannah river from Hamburg to Augusta. On the morning of the sth July, 1876, deponent saw Jchn Thomas at railroad bridge of the Charlotte, Colombia and Angusta Railroad Company, crossing from Ham burg to Augusta. John Thomas had a large pistol buckled around him, and deponent and John Murray jpgaged him in .conversation. Deponent asked Thomas his far having the pis tol. Thomas said that he and the boys expected to have a little fun that day. Thomas said Doc Adams had been ar rested and ordered to attend Trial Jus tice Rivers’ Court that day, and the boys of his company did not intend to give Doc Adama up apd allow Trial Justice Rivers to try him. ja the afternoon my duties called me to the Hamburg side of the bridge. I saw a crowd of negroes col lected around the Sibley building, and I also saw Robert J. Butler and several others—about six white persons—at the office of Trial Justice Rivers. About this time I saw Roo Adams. John S. Sims, A. T- Attaway. ftenry Sparnick and Lewis Schiller talking together. I returned to Augusta side to let the train pass. I then returned to Hamburg side. Only saw Henry Sparnick and attaway of the above group. I then heard Attaway order his men to load their guns and to fix their bayonets up on their gnns/ The members of Atta way’s company who were present, John Thomas, Jasper , Charley and the son-in-law of Dublin, Thomas Carroll ftloejter, gnd several others, then WeCt up into the Sibley building. The men went into the building on the 'corner known *8 the Sibley Building, and aos*e qt tfaem ppt their bayonets on after they came to the wipdof. Atta way went into the Sibley building with these men, and then after a short time came down. From the sidewalk Atta way ordered the men at the window over him to fire into the Butlers or any of their orowd as soon as they turned the corner. Joba Thomas, from toe window of the drill room, asked how will we know when Uiot are leaving Trial Jnstice Rivers’ office? Attaway said I will give yon the signal. John Thomas: If one man comes along shall we shoot him ? I could not hear the re ply. Attaway then said there is a man on the bridge watching; close the blinds. Attaway then walked to the platfoQn, where he rsmained for spine time. When Robert J. Bntler and the gentlemen with him left Trial Justice Rivers’ office Attaway went at once to the drill room. Robert J. Butler and the party with him turned into a side street, and did uot pass the Sibley building. I told 0. F. Nurnberger, Frank Kramer and Thomas Carr the substance of what had transpired before any gun was fired at Hamburg, and warned then/ that danger was imminent I told Mr. C. F. Nurnberger and Frank Kramer, in order that they might see after t ieir rela ives aid friends who lived in Hamburg. I left and did not witness any of the firing. W. E. Flint. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 7tb August, 1876. W. T. Gaby, Commissioner of Deeds for South Caro lina, resident in Augusta, Ga. State of Georgia, Richmond county : Personally appeared James R. Ran dolph, who, being duly sworn, says : That on Sunday morning, July 9th, 1876, deponent saw a crowd of about eight armed negroes near the place where deponent resided, four miles from Hamburg, in Aiken county, and State of South Carolina. That in a conversation with this squad of negroes, the negroes who were armed with guns said that the negroes intended to kill the white people; that they intended to kill the men, women and children and burn the houses after taking such provisions and other supplies as they needed. The ne groes said that they intended to kill the white people, so that they could have a country of their own. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th August, 1876. Wm T. Gary, Commissioner of Deeds for South Caro lina, resident in Augusta, Georgia. State of Georgia, Richmond county: Personally appeared Frank Kramer, who, being duly sworn, says that depo nents father’s family reside in Hamburg, S. C. On the afternoon of Bth of July, 1876, deponent met Mr. William E Flint before the difficulty began in Hamburg. Mr. Flint informed depo nent that there would probably be a difficulty in Hamburg that afternoon, as William E. Flint said that he had heard Attaway order some negroes to load their guns and put on the bayouets, and to go to the Sibley building, and other facts which William E. Flint had, which induced the belief that the negroes in tended to bring on a difficulty. Depo nent sometime visits Hamburg, and de ponent has been halted on the streets of Hamburg at night by armed negroes when deponent was proceeding peace fully and quietly on his way. These negroed were not officers if the law, but were armed with military guns. Frank Kramer. Subscribed and sworn to before me, Bth August, 1876. Wm. T. Gary. State of South Carolina, Aiken coun ty—State vs. R. J. Butler, et al : Per sonally appeared D. S. Henderson, who, being sworn, says that at the town of Aiken,on Saturday, the Bth of July.ult., or thereabouts, before the fight in Ham burg, and whilst the trial of the alleged militiamen was pending at Hamburg for obstructing the highway, he had a con versation with Samuel J. Lee, in which said Lee said that Henry Sparnick had asked him why he did not volunteer as an attorney to go to Hamburg to deiend said men; that he (Lee) replied to said Sparnick that there was no money in it, he was not employed and would’ not go; that thereupon Sparnick said it was a matter of politics, that a good thing oould be made out of it, and that he in tended to go to Hamburg and defend them. That as this deponent is informed, said Sparnick did go to Hamburg and appear for said men, and after the fight conducted the investigation at the in quest on the part of the State. D. S. Henderson. Sworn to before me this 4th day of August, 1876. A. D. Beckman, Notary Public S. C. State of Georgia, Richmond county : Personally appeared John Lee, who, be ing duly sworn, says : Deponent was called upon by Doc Adams about last June and was requested by Doo Adams to join his company. Deponent asked Doc Adams for what purpose was he forming a company. Doc Adams re plied, we are forming a company to kill the white people; that Governor Cham berlain had promised to furnish the arms and ammunition. Doc Adams said that Governor Chamberlain had said that it was necessary to do this to carry the next election and to keep the State under the control of the Republi can party. Deponent then refused to join the company. Deponent is a col ored person and is a brother of the Hon. Kamuel J. Lee, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives when F J. Moses was Governor of the State of South Carolina. Deponent resides on Shultz’s Hill, about half a mile from the town buildings in Hamburg, and within the corporate limits of the town. De ponent has often seen crowds of colored men passing at night with guns for several weeks before the difficulty at Hamburg. Deponent resides in the corporate limits of Hamburg, and was frequently in the town of Hamburg dur ing the day and at night. Deponent never saw or heard of any public drill of Doc Adams’ company before the 4th of July, 1876 ff the company of Loc Adams was a regularly organized militia company deponent was not aware of it. So far as the knowledge of deponent ex tends, it was not publicly known that there was a company of armed colored persons in Hamburg until the 4th day of July, 1876. his John [*) Lee. mark. Subscribed and sworn to before me this Bth August, 1876. Wm. T. Gaby, Commissioner of Deeds for South Car >- lina, resident in Augusta, Ga. South Carolina, Aiken county; Per sonally appeared before me, D. Thomp son Sims, a Trial Justice in and for said State and county, Jeremiah Merriweth er, who being duly sworn, says; That he is of the age of about seventeen or eight een years. That he resides in Aiken county, and within about a mile of the corporate limits of the town of Hamburg, South Carolina. That on the 4th day of July, A. D. 1876, de ponent was in Hamburg. Deponent heard Attaway (the one who was killed in Hamburg, S. C., on the Bth day of July, 1876,) say to George Henderson (who, like ipyself, is colored) that he wished George Henderson to join the company at Hamburg. George Henderson replied I belonged to a com pany which was broke up, but I do not want to join any company now. Atla way replied, yes, that is the way with some of you damned negroes. We want to forn} the company to kill white peo ple, and some of you damned negroes won’t join it. George Henderson re plied; “I am working for part of the crop, and have a steady home, and I rather stay and work for part of the crop than to quit and have no home.” Attaway said well if you won’t join the company I can’t make you join it, and then went off and left him. Attaway at the time of the aboye conversation tried to get deponent to join the company to kill the white people, telling both Geo. Henderson ana deponent that he (Atta way) would furnish the guns and the ammunitipn. Deponent told Attaway that he had never joined any pompany, and that he did not wish to join any mili tary company. Attaway, after telling us that he could not make us join the com pany if we would not consent to do it, then Went off. On the night of the 4th day of July, A. D. 1876, the same day that Attaway talked to us in Hamburg, deponent wept to Mr. Harrison Butler and told "Hini what Attaway had said. Deponent told Mr. Harrison Butler that the white people had better look out, that the company in Hamburg was or ganizing to kill white people. I knew that Mr. Harrison Butler and his family were good to me. T liked them and 1 did not wish to have them hart, and that is the reason why I toid Mr. Har rison Bntler what had taken place in the conversation with Attaway. his ' Jerry H Mebbiwetheb, mark. Subscribed and sworn to before me this sth August, A. D. 1876. [ii. s.] D. Thompson Simb, Trial Justice A. C. Sopth Garolina, Aiken county; The State against Robert et al. : Per sonally appeared A®ron Tyler, wjjo be ing duly sworn, says that on the §tb day of July, 1870, while he, with his family, were sitting on his piazza near Ham burg, a part of this so-called militia company came by his fence scraping their bayonets on the fence and swear ing and cursing furiously; deponent ‘poke to them add they continued curs ing and threatriing what they would do. Deponent farther says that on the night before as he was going to Augusta he was halted on the ~road by five bf these same men, who presented their bayonets at his breast; deponent asked them why they had halted him; they replied be cause they had a right to d q it. Pepo neut told them he thought not; they re plied that it did not make a damn bit of odds whether they had a right or not, they would do as they pleased. Aaron F. Ttxrb. Sworn to before me this 3d day of August, 1876. D. S. Henderson, Notary Public. State of South Carolina, coun’y of Aiken ; Personally came before me, Pr t H. A. Shaw and Rev. John P. Mealing, who being duly sworn, each for himself, depose and say : That they have reason to believe, and they do verily believe, that the county of Edgefield and por tions of the county of Aiken, have for several years been the victims of a sys tem of lawlessness, violence and despe ration, imposed by organized bands of negro desperadoes, which are intolerable to any well regulated community, and which reflect great discredit and dishonor upon the police organization of the State and said counties, and which are disgraceful to the civilization of the age. That numberless acts of violence and lawlessness, of various kinds and de scriptions, inflicted upon the white citi zens of said communities, created appre hensions that similar outrages were to be perpetrated and multiplied, placed the said citizens in an attitude of pre ventive defense, and justified measures that tended to obviate the recurrence of such disgraceful scenes. That there are organized bands of negroes in said com munities, armed and equipped with all the paraphranalia of war, that periodi cally disturb the peace of said commu nities, establish circles of confusion and terror, disorganize the labor system of the country, and by numerous and va rious violations of law impeach the dig nity of the State and imperil the peace and welfare of the citizens. That dur ing the year A. D. 1874 and 1875, one Ned Tennaut, then a resident of the county of Edgefield, with a pretended company of militiamen, organized, as they believe, without authority of law, and in violation of law, subjected the people of Edgefield to a system of tur bulence and lawlessness that had no parallel in the memory of the oldest men living, and by the conduct and in fluence of whom whole communities were thrown into a state o£ confusion and dread, that constituted a constant and permanent souroe of apprehension for the prosperity, liberties and lives of the people. That subsequently thereto, and in the vicinity of Ridge Spring, in said county, similar occurrences as those above mentioned were perpetrated. That duriog the present year, in the county of Edgefield, John L. Harmon and his wife, two aged, infirm, helpless, unpro tected and respected citizens, were in humanly, brutally and barbarously mur dered by a baud of negroes, who had combined and conspired for the avowed purposes of robbery and murder. That dnring said year, in said county, and on the plantation of said Dr. H. A. Shaw, one Mrs. Eliza Foster, a respectable, popular and much beloved lady, was murdered in cold blood, and as depo nents believe for the purpose of con cealing a crime of which she was imme diately before the victim, if possible even more dangerous to the peace of so ciety, more revolting to the principles of humanity, and more condemned by the laws of God. Added to which and to conceal all of which, the fearful crime of arson was attempted to be committed. That these occurrences and others too numerous and too horrifying to men tion, have made the county of Edgefield odious in the estimation of adjoining communities, and have subjected the white citizens thereof, who are only blameable for not having by all the means known to man, prevented their recurrence, to disparaging criticism and comment throughout the entire country. That the town of Hamburg has been the home of the most corrupt, lazy, aud thriftless gang of desperadoes that ever existed in any country, who have sub sisted entirely by their devastations upon surrounding communities, and was gen erally regarded as the asylum of plun derers and murderers. That their town ordinances and municipal regulations were partisan, olFensive and oppres ive, and subjected every gentleman who was so unfortunate as to be subject to their influence, to annoyances, provocations and insult, that no human forbearance could endure. That peaceable and harm less travelers upon the public highways would be assaulted, fined, imprisoned, and in various ways maltreated, until the patience and forbearanoe of citizeus were exhausted, and protestations against such lawlessness necessary. Added to all these, aud even since the recent occurrence in the town of Ham burg, and as a culmination of the vile and wicked purposes that characterized the life and fill up the history of the desperadoes with which said county is infested, a small, beautiful and innocent child, aged five years, of Mr. L H. Pres cott, one of the oldest, most respected and most honored families in said coun ty, was most unnaturally aud cruelly outraged. Such an outrage, and others similar, which in deference to the feel ings of the aggrieved families wo sup press, have inspired a sense of dread and alarm throughout said ,co nty, and constitute a positive menace to the se curity of citizens and the peace of so ciety. H. A. Shaw, J. R. Mealing. Sworn to before me this 9th August, 1876. J. 0. Shepherd, [L.S.] Notary Public, S. C. Personally appeared A P. Butler who being svorn, says : That he lives in that portion of Aiken county which was ormerly a pa't of Edgefield county, about seven miles from the town of Hamburg; that he ft the President of the Democratic Club of Schultz Township, which met at Summer Hill, about two miles from Hamburg on Saturday after noon, the Bth of July last; that after the adjournment of said Democratic Club, and the members had dispersed, hearing that a trial was to be held in Hamburg in which his kinsman, R. J. Butler, was a party and Gen. M. C. Buttler an at torney, he started to Hamburg in a car riage with A. J. Twiggs, said carriage being driven by Sam Oliver, and not at the head of any body of armed men, or as the leader of ; any set of men; that when he arrived at Hamburg he found things in confusion, and a contest immi nent; that when be arrived in Hamburg the last conference between General Butler and P. R. Rivers had ended; that shortly after this the firing began, and the mob and riot became general, led by no one in particular, but was general and indiscriminate; a large crowd of people came over from the city of Au gusta and elsewhere, and the confusion became more general; said disturbance lasted about one hour and a half or longer; that during this affair deponent succeeded, by-his own exertions and those of his friends and neighbors, in closing the various dram shops in the town, and assisted General Butler in re straining the mob from burning the Sibley building and others, and en deavored to restrain them from all violence and pillaging and sacking the town; that deponent left the town of Hamburg about twelve o’clock at night, in company with his friends and neigh bors long before the killing of Attaway, Minyard, Stevens and Phillips, and had arrived at Mr. Eansom’ B when be heard the shooting at Hamburg, from which, it is said, the said parties were killed; that with him on leaving Hamburg were P. M. Butler, H. A. Shaw, J. W. Bunch, G. A. Bunch, L. A. Ransom and others. That deponent most positively states that he did not fire a gun or pistol that night; that he did not order the shoot ing or killing of any man or set of men; he swears positively that be did not as sist in or order the shooting or killing of any of the parties, whomsoever, who were killed that night. A. P. Butler. Sworn to before me this 10th day of August, 1876. D. 8. Henderson, N. P. The State of South Carolina, county of Aiken; before me personally came John Lee, a person of color, who, being sworn, says: That on the Wednesday be fore the Saturday of the row in Ham burg, whioh was the sth day of July, he saw Mr. Louis Schiller take the train for Columbia, and on the next morning (Thursday) he saw him return saw him when he got off the train at Hamburg. Deponent saw Schiller have a large tin can taken off the train. A large number of Doo A^Ste ß ' company were waiting there at - the platform for him (Schiller), and three of tfieir Dum ber took np the can and carried it to John Williams’ house. One of the three was Judge Blonnt, who was a mem ber of Doc Adams’ company. Deponent asked Judge wfiat was in the tin can, and Judge Blount pulled out from his pocket a hand full of cartridges, and said “this is what is in it,” showing de ponent the cartridges. Deponent fur iher says that since the Hamburg row, Tom Carroll, a member of Doc Adams’ company, told i bis deponent that the first ammunition carried into the drill room from John Williams' house was carried there by Doc Adams in a basket, on Saturday, the day of the row, about 1 o’clock, and that the next was carried there by Alferd Mingard, and that he carried two boskets fall, and that Bntler Edward carried two baskets full, and that the baskets wofiM fcffifj bont three quarts. Tom Carroll also told this de ponent that John WiUiam ß issued this ammunition out to the men, that the ammunition was all earned np to the drill room before four o’clock, p. m. niff John X Lee. mn r k Sworn to before me, this 6th of Au gust, A. D. 1876. D. Thompson Simms, [L. S.] Trial Justice, A- 0. Wb. P. Johnson; The first shots were fired from the window of the Sibley building in the direction of the abut ment of the Charlotte, Columbia and Angnsta Railroad bridge. John Sullivan: Was standing on Geor gia side of the river, and coaid plainly see the Bibley building, in town of Ham burg. Party at the bridge did not shoot until the occupants of the Sibley build ing had fired towards them. Charles E. Coffin: Is positively cer. tain that first shot was not fired from abutment of bridge. Robert Virgil, colored: First shot was fired from the Sibley building. H. H. Bliss: First shots were fired from the Sibley building, two from win dows and one from roof. J. C. Kirkpatrick: Is positively cer tain that the first shots were fired by the armed negroes in the direction of the spot where young Merriwether was kill ed. E. R. Cunningham: Saw two shots fired from window and one from top of Sibley building. These were the first that was fired. G. Kramer, who lives in Hamburg, was frequently halted and molested by negroes with guns before the difficulty." ■ Thos. G. Kerr: On the afternoon of the Bth July, 1876, Mr. W. E. Flint re ported to deponent the substance of a conversation had that day wit.h John Thomas, to the effect that Doo Adams' company had agreed not to let him be arrested and tried by Trial Justice Rivers’ Court. J. H. Corley: Sunday morning, the 9tb, Ed. Williams, colored, said to de ponent that the colored people were go ing to get together and kill out all the white people; that they would kill the men, women aud children, and burn their houses; that they would kill dur ing the night and hide during the day. Stephen Whightman heard Rivers say to Doc Adams that he (Rivers) had told him (Adams) that if the company used the State arms he would put them under arrest; that the first he (Rivers) knew of their having the guns was what June Williams told him, and that was that they had come to her and said that Rivers had given an order for the guns. Rivers said in the presence of Doc Adams that he had never given any order for the guns. Rivers then told deponent to go and report this to Mr. Robt. J. Butler, which deponent did on the next Monday morning. General M. 0. Butler’s affidavit was the same as his statement already pub lished in the Chronicle and Sentinel. Who Were Bailed. The following is the list of those who gave the required bond, which includes all who were present: R. A. Chaffee, B. D. Lamar, R. J. But ler, 8. D. Page, M. C. Butler, Isaiah Marshall (col.), J. A. Crawford, Hugh Shaw, J. C. Lanhain, L. W. Reese, J. C. Swearingen, Ben Vandiver, G. A. Adams, D. M. Glover, W. A. Glover, James Smith, Arthur Johnson, Aaron Tyler, J. D. Roper, 0. B Glover, John Oliver, G. K. Chaffee, R. M. Gardner, John F. Bunch, T. M. Glover, J. Henry Getzen, H. A. Shaw, G. A. Bunch, T. S. Oliver, John Twiggs, Luther Ransom, P. M. Butler, J. A. Merriwether, A. J. C. Matbeny, J. Thomas Butler, Harri son Butler, Frank Taylor (col.), J. C. Hammond, J. B. McKie, B. J. Lamar, J. A: Butler, Jr., Wm. Briggs, A. P. Butler, T. E. Settles, B. R. Tillman, J. P. Mealing, Charles Kernaghan. NATIONAL cotton exchange re ports. District of Augusta—Crop Report for July, 1876. The Augusta Exchange, ( Augusta. Ga., August 10, 1876. j To the President and Board of Direc tors of the Augusta Exchange : Gentlemen —We respectfully submit the following report for the month of July, as to the prospects and condition of the cotton crop in the district allot ted to this Exchange. Our report is based upon forty (40) replies from twen ty-four (24) counties. Average date of replies, first of August. First question : What has been the oharcter of the weather since July Ist ? Answer : Four (4) correspondents reply too much rain; four (4) reply dry and hot: twelve (12) reply that the first three weeks was dry and hot, with some pass ing showers—last week favorable rains; twenty (20) reply “very favorable.” Second question : Has the weather been more or less favorable up to this period than during same time last year? Answer : Seven (7) reply less favorable; six (6) reply about same, and quite as “favorable;” twenty-seven (27) reply more favorable, and much more favor able. Third question : How are the stands in your section, and how do they com pare with same time last year ? An swer : Three (3) reply poorer than last year; twelve (12) reply good—equal to last year, twenty-five (25) very good better than last year. Fourth question: Is the cotton plant forming, blooming and bol ing well? Answer: Seven (7) complain that the plant is shedding—cotton backward blooming, but not boiling well as usual; thirty-three (33) reply that the plant is forming, blooming aud boiling very well, promising a fine yield. Fifth question: What is the present condition of the cotton crop in your sec tion, and how does it compare with the same time last year ? Answer: Five (5) reply small and not so good as last year; thirteen (13) reply good condition, but about five to fifteen days later than last year; twenty-two (22) reply condition good, better than last year. Sixth question: State any favorable or unfavorable circumstances relative to the growth aud condition of the cotton crop in your section not covered by the above questions? Answer: One (1) correspon dent speaks of a local wind and hail storm damaging the cotton in one sec tion of his county; one (1) correspon dent speaks of excessive drouth in his county, but says there are now indica tions of rain; two (2) complain that the plant is making weed too fast, and not making fruit as it should at this season; nine (9) complain of too much rain; four (4) complain of rust and too much rain for sandy land, but say stiff clay lands indicate large yield; eight (8) com plain of the appearance of grasshoppers, but all agree that they have as yet done little or no damage, still some apprehen sion is felt; nine (9) make no complaint, and report the crop is as good as could be desired; six (6) do not answer this question. Taking a broad view over the section allotted to this Exchange, we conolude that the crop generally is in a very flat tering condition as a whole, pointing (should theri.) be no future disaster) to a large yield. L. L. Zulavsky, Chairman; J. J. Pearce, J. W. Echols, R. W. Heard, 0. A. Rowland, A. M. Benson, W. M. Read, Committee. THE COTTON CHOP. Norfolk Exchange's Report. Norfolk, August 10.— The Cotton Ex change makes the following report on the condition of the cotton crop for July: From 00 replies received from 28 oounties in North Carolina and Virginia this report is compiled. Ten r.port the weather very favorable; eight report that the weather has been exceedingly hot and dry; thirty-six that the weather was hot and dry until übout 24th July, since which time they have had frequent rains; and two complain that the weather turned too cold; twenty-two report the weather more favorable than last year; fourteen that it is about equal; and twenty-four less favorable; nineteen re port the stands much better than last year; thirty-three equally as good; and eight not as good, though on a fair ave rage; six report this week that ootton is forming, blooming and boiling better than years past; forty-six equal to last year; two expect shedding and six re port that it is not forming or blooming well; twenty-four report the general con dition of the crop good and better than last year; twenty-four report the condi tion equal to last year; twelve that the condition is not good but weak—being very small and the appearance of rust caused by excessive rains. All report, with few exceptions, the crop being laid by in a good healthy condition, clear of grass and weeds, though rather smaller in growth than last year. One county reports the appearance of Hoe, and one county, having suffered so mnch from drouth, they do not expect to make more than a half crop. Tlie Savannah Report. Savannah, August 10.—The present condition of the crop' is favorable, though it is critical. A yield of from 10 to 20 per cent, oyer the last is expected. There are complaints of rnst from the light pine lands, and of caterpiller from the rich bottom lands. The extent of the damage therefrom depends upon the character of the weather during this month. New York, Angnst 10.— The Execu tive Conncil of the National Ootton Ex change of America met at the New York Cotton Exchange, yesterday. The Sec retary presented a report concurrent with the International Cotton Conven tion held in London, to-day. The .Mobile Report. Mobile, August JO.—ln Alabama, from July first to. Angnst first, forty-six counties sent 133 letters. The weather daring the period above named has been generally favorable, taking the average of the State, and, as compared with last year, has been equally as prosper ous. The reports from the uplands, however, are much better than from the bottom lands. The stands are re ported to be almost unusually good, very few reporting them poorer than i*st year, an j many that they are better. The plant is forming, blooming and boiling fairly, and its general condition is equal to that of last year. The un favorable cironmstanoes", relative to the eondition of the crop, are the weedy growth of the plant in bot tom land, and the appearanoe of worms in greater or less qnanties. Most of these prairie and eanebrake counties qre located in Middle and West Ala bama, In Mississippi, twenty counties, 74 letters. The weather has been gene rally favorable, and, compared with last year, equally as favorable. The stands are good io all the counties except Ita wamba aud Pontotoc. The plant is forming, blooming and boiling well, and its general condition compares favorably with last year. Worms are reported in five counties, and there is some com plaint of cold nights and weedy growth in the counties where there have been rains. Charleston Report. Charleston, August 10.—The July report of the Charleston Exchange, made up from 86 replies from 30 coun ties, says the weather from the Ist to the 18tli, was hot aud dry. Since then rains have been very frequent and in many sections it has been too wet and the nights too cool for ootton. Fifty seven report the weather as more favor able than during the same period last year. Fire about the same and twenty four less favorable. The stands of ootton are generally good aud compare favorably with the same time last year. Cotton is forming, blooming and boiling well, the present oonditiou of the plant is healthy but small and from ten to fifteen days later than last year. Rust is reported in seven counties; lice in five, and cater pillers in one county in the interior of the State. The latter have also appeared on the sea islands. THE HELL. GATE EXPLOSION. Tlie Great Blast Will Soon Ocoar—The Time About September 13—Blowing Out the Bot tom of tlie Sound. The Ibpeatedly postponed explosion of the mass of nitro-glyoerine and giant powder stored in the rocky galleries un der the bed of the East "river, at Hell Gate, will probably take place about the middle of September. That is General Newton’s belief, and he has got nearly everything ready. The Brooklyn Eagle gives this interesting account of the work: * The Heli Gate obstruction oonsists of a ledge of rocks stretching from Long Island shore near the village of Astoria to one of the Islands opposite, a dis tance of perhaps a quarter of a mile or more. The channel through which light draught vessels pass is on the Long Island side of the centre, and here it is that the extensive mining works have been carried on for the past few years. The rock had to be removed by blasting, and there was so much of it that it was determined to do it on a large scale. For this purpose a coffer dam was built on the Long Island shore. After the water was pumped from the enclosure, a shaft about 50 feet broad was run to a depth of thirty-five feet below mean water mark. The shaft went down through the rock. It forms more of a pit than what now is known as a shaft. Tuunels or “headings” were then began iu the rearward face of the shaft, aud these were carried out to a varying distance, according to the loca tion. The longest extend about 250 feet; keep in your mind the idea of the section of a wagon wheel. The hub will represent the shaft, and the radiating spokes the tunnels or headings, and it will give yon a good idea of the giound plan of the Hell Gate improvement. As the headings progressed of course the intervening rock grew broader, and it became necessary to open supplemen tary tunnels. Connecting passages and openings were made until, when the ex cavation was finished, the whole aore or more of rock stood supported on nu merous pillars, forming an extensive oavern under the bottom of the channel. The floor of the tunnels is about level, perhaps with a slight pitch, but the line of the roof is slanting, conforming to the pitch of the rock at the bottom of the channel. At the extremity of the tunnels you cannot begin to stand up right, and to reach the extreme end you must crawl on your hands and knees. The blasting was done with nitro-gly cerine, and it required constant pump ing to keep the chambers free from water. The rook was of a hard flinty natnre, with seams and crevices that ad mitted the water somewhat. The exca vations are completed, and at present the only work is done by pumping en gines which keep the headings free from water. General Newton, of the United Statm Engineers, who has charge of the im provements about the harbor, says the blowing out of the bottom will probably take place about the middle of Septem ber. There is money enough appropri ated to carry the work to its comple tion, and there need be no more delays on that score. It will require 50,000 pounds of the explosive to do the work. The materials used will be nitro glyce rine, reud-roi k and dynamite, according to the nature of the rock to be blasted. Instead of placing the explosives in several large masses, it will be scattered over the rock in small charges. The method by which this will be done will be as follows: Holes have been drilled in the rock columns that sup port the roof, the number varying ac cording to the height of the column. These will be charged with the explos ives, and then it will be exploded by means of electricity. The blowing up will be done in three sections, and the effect will crumble the pillars and allow the roof to sink in. The general opinion that the whole mass will be burled into the air at one grand blast is erroneous. Beyond a few beautiful jets of,water shot into the air, and perhaps a few pieces of rock hurled above the surface of the water, nothing will be seen. The terrible shock that was anticipated when the explosion takes place will then be avoided. The bids for the explosion have been receiv ed, and the contracts will be given out very shortly. It will then require about three weeks to deliver the materials, and the work of placing the charges will take about three or four weeks more, so that about the middle of September the work will be ready for blasting. When all is prepared the water will be let in and the chambers filled, thus forming what is called in engineering parlance “a wet tamp.” The water will confine the force of the numerous blasts, and enable them to act with greater foroe. After the explosion it will be necessary to do considerable dredging in the way of hauling ont pieces of rock. This will take several months, but will probably be completed by next Spring. The work has been hindered from time to time by the fail ure of appropriations, but now no more delays are expeoted from that sonree, as the money in hand is sufficient to com plete the work. The explosion will doubtless be a pretty sight. Masses of water will be tossed into the air like enormous fountain jets. There will be three of them, and those who may have witnessed the blowing up of Diamond and Canties reefs in the East river can well reoollect what a beautiful display that was. The persons operating the blast will occupy a position about 300 or 400 feet away, and it is not expected that the shock will be very great. A visit to the works is very interest ing. The visitor is provided with an umbrella and a small oil torch, and de scending into the shaft by a staircase can explore the tunnels and chambers at leisure. You are constantly exposed to the drippings from the roof, which in some places come down in small cas cades. It is wonderful how little light is received from the torches. They only serve to make the intense darkness more visible./ No work of this magnitude for the improvement of the harbor has ever before been carried ont. The idea of tnDneling under the bottom of the Sound and then blowing it np is novel work, but the engineering difficulties which it presented were not great. The benefit to be derived from the im provement is almost incalculable. It will deepen the channel abont thirty feet, and allow of the passage of the lar ges 1 , vessels, where before only crafts of lighter draft oould go. It is expected that the oeean steamers will take this route to and from Europe, as it is short er than the Sandy Hook route by about eighteen hours, and that is too much time to lose in these days of rapid trav el, when it can be avoided. POLITICAL NOTES, Hon. O. A. Bacon has withdrawn from the raoe for Congressional honors. The Republicans of the Fifth Con gressional District have nominated Wm. Markham. Hon. T. C. Furman, of Baldwin, has been nominated for Senator from the Twentieth District. Col. George W. Bryan, of Henry county, will receive the nomination for Senator in the Thirty-fonrth District. The Warrenton Clipper declares for Governor Herschel V. Johnson for United States Senator against the field. Gwinnett county cordially endorses Hon. B. H. Hill, and pledges him her support in the Nominating Convention and at the polls, if no nomination is made. Judge Augustus R. Wright, in a letter dated Bth instant, says he is in receipt of many letters asking him to announce himself for the Governorship. He con cludes as follows : I am in my sixty third year. Age is making inroads upon me. A campaign requires me to talk to . the people all over the State. Of oonrse I can get nothing I want, before the peo ple through the press. It follows “or ganization” though it lead to—death. The eyes of thousands of political dead beats will be cocked at me in scorn. There is no crime in the catalogue of crime with which I will not be charged, and even friends and honest men will think there are leprous spots, although not visible. “I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to be at peace.” I will settle the matter in a few days,
