gether; it was nearly as loud as a twelve-pounder. I went to the window and watched the fight for a few moments; some were getting hurt. People were rushing up the steps. This room was on the second story. There was a regular throng of black and white people mixed up together there. I made up my mind that that was no place for me. I thought there would be a muss. I went out and went through the fire, walking across to the corner of the square; I walked; I would not run for fear they would think I was mixed up in it and shoot at me; but after I got around the corner I ran very fast on into the woods, and went through the woods until I struck the railroad, about two miles below the town. I knew that a hand-car came past with the mail. I thought I would go on until I reached that, and then I would go down by it to Columbia. I went on; when I got to the middle of a high tressle, about four miles from the town, they commenced shooting at me from a cotton-field.

Question. Who did ?

Answer. Mounted men, who were going toward the town; I had been coming down to meet the hand-car; I had heard a regular stream of them passing along as I left the town; I crossed the tressle; there was a little road below, and I ran into a squad of them, and they gobbled me up and were going to shoot me; they accused me of being a State constable; I told them I was not one, but one said I was not born around there, and said, "What business have you here?" I told them, as I have told you, that I was crossing the country to Anderson; that I was a revenue officer; they would not believe it; and when it came to shooting, when they got their guns cocked, I resorted to the last resort, and captured the captain of the squad, and he stuck by me until I got down

to

Question. What do you mean by "resorted to the last resort?"

Answer. Well, sir, I gave a sign to the captain of that squad; he was the only mason there.

Question. You mean that you gave him a masonic sign which he recognized? Answer. Yes, sir; I will tell you right here; in all the affidavits issued here I have said very little about this, for the reason that that man ran the risk of his life twice for me right there, and I have said as little as I could about it; I do not want to bring him into any trouble after he rescued me.

Question. Was there any other charge for which you were arrested except that given in the conversation?

Answer. No, sir; he asked me where I was born; I told him Trenton, New Jersey; I would not say Massachusetts, for fear the crowd of young men there would consider that a sufficient excuse to kill me.

Question. Was the demand made that you should be executed?

Answer. Yes, sir; they dragged me for rods by the collar to shoot me; four different times they were going to shoot me; from there down to Copeland's house I was to walk; I had a little interview with this man; we went apart a little ways; they insisted upon shooting me anyhow; he left me and told me to go on, that nobody would trouble ine between there and Copeland's, that all the men going to Laurens were with him; that all the others had gone ahead; that he was in command, and I need not fear. I walked about a mile after that, when I heard horses coming behind me, and I looked around and saw him, followed by part of the crowd; he is a heavy man. Question. Who?

Answer. The captain; and he told me he had never ridden a mile so quickly before; they had started back to shoot me; this time he had to get off his horse to save me; he told them if they shot me they would have to shoot him; I had two more little incidents like that that afternoon with this party and others that joined them. Question. Had you taken any part in the election in the town?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Had you made known who you were?

Answer. I had told him who I was.

Question. But not in the town?

Answer. No, sir; I did not participate in any way, except to send word to Mr. Crews; I sent the names of those two men who were trying to drive the negroes away from the polls to Mr. Crews, but no one knew that; I sent a boy with a little note to tell him. Question. Had you registered your name at the hotel?

Answer. Yes, sir; just as you have it here, only from Anderson.

Question. From what you saw and heard on the night previous to the day of the election, have you any doubt of a preconcerted plan to have a riot?

Answer. I never had any doubt about it; it is my judgment, founded upon what I have heard. I cannot think otherwise, and from the fact of that big gun there; the moment that was fired all the country was alive. After I got to Mr. Copeland's house men rode in, whose names I knew, from Newberry and Spartanburgh, and a whole company from Union. There were over a thousand men right there, within a quarter of a mile from where I was secreted. They came in squads to Mr. Copeland's house, and got their meals.

Question. How long did you remain there?

Answer. All night and the next day, until Friday night.

Question. In the conversation you heard on the night before the election was any purpose avowed to be accomplished by interfering with the election?

Answer. No, sir; I do not think there was any distinct purpose avowed. The result however, was discussed, and if they did interfere, what would be the consequence They discussed the probabilities of the troops interfering.

Question. Not discussing the result of the election, but the result as to the public peace?

Answer. That was it. They did not say anything about the result as to the ballot, but it was rather a general feeling of young and old mixed. The older heads said that such a thing would not do.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP :

Question. What thing?

Answer. Creating a row; that was what they generally termed it. They said, "You must not do it." The young men would say, "If it must come, it might as well come

LOW."

Question. Might there not be several constructions put upon that language?
Answer. No, sir; not then. Then you could put but one construction upon it.

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question. In the conversation you heard on the night previous to this election, in which this sentence occurred, that "If it was to come, it might as well come now," what was apprehended as about to come? I understand you that expression was frequently used?

Answer. There is an inference there, of course; but to any one who knew anything about the country, or the circumstances under which those people came there armed, it is undoubtedly plain. I could not say that I heard any man say that he was going to fight.

Question. Was it a riot at the election that they apprehended was coming on, or a conflict between the black and white races?

Answer. It was a conflict between the two races. I had a long talk about that afterward with Mr. Copeland, who is a very conservative man.

Question. Was this apprehended difficulty between the white and colored races because of conflicting opinions on political questions, or from an antipathy of the races? Answer. The political questions raised the antipathy. You know there was an election

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. Do not assume it; just state the facts.

Answer. I know the fact, but how to state it I cannot tell.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. What did they say was to happen?

Answer. In the conversation they referred to a difficulty that had occurred in 1866; that it was two days after the row before the United States troops got there; that all of them had plenty of time to get away. I heard such talk as this. That was as to the probabilities of the troops interfering.

By Mr. STEVENSON:

Question. What seemed to be the general conclusion as to whether the troops would be likely to interfere with them?

Answer. They stated that the United States troops were not going to interfere. They stated that the troops were ordered there to report to the sheriff, and that the sheriff had control of the posse comitatus; that they were ordered to assist him, but could not assist him until they were called upon.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. Did you understand from them that they considered themselves a part of the posse comitatus?

Answer. Yes, sir. I think positively that two-thirds of the white inhabitants of Laurens were on the posse comitatus, and over two-thirds. Two-thirds of them were stationed at Clinton, when they came through there Saturday night.

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question. You say the elderly men counseled that there should be no riot, saying that it would not do ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. But that the younger men were bent upon having a riot?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. If that was the conflict of opinion between the older and younger white men in the discussion, was any conclusion arrived at that you heard?

Answer. No, sir. The fact is that when this, which was designated the posse comitatus-that is, the whole county-came out after the riot, they took everybody, even boys.

Question. That was when the sheriff called them?

Answer. You lose sight of the fact that the sheriff and his posse comitatus were fighting before the court gave any order. When I went up behind the judge the sheriff was standing outside of the railing, outside of the bar. The judge told him to call out the posse comitatus. He said he had done so.

Question. Did you know that the sheriff had called out a part of this crowd who were fighting just before this?

Answer. Yes, sir. I heard him state it to the judge. He cannot deny it. judge ordered him, he answered he had done so.

By Mr. STEVENSON:

When the

Question. Was any conclusion reached in that consultation which you heard through the plank floor?

Answer. Yes, sir. On the election night I heard them say that they had stuffed the ballot-boxes.

Question. But I asked as to the night before the election.

Answer. No, sir; except the one plan I told you of. But no conclusion as to whether there should be a general row.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. That was the plan laid to get the country ballot-boxes?
Answer. Yes, sir.

By Mr. STEVENSON:

Question. You heard them talking the night after the election, and they said they had stuffed the ballot-boxes?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you remain there the night of the election?

Answer. Yes, sir; in the same room. Tuesday night I heard the first conversation before the election; on Wednesday night I heard them talking it over in a jocose way.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. Did you sleep in the same room Wednesday night?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. The night of the riot?

Answer. No, sir; that was on the day after the election.

By Mr. STEPHENSON:

Question. What was said about stuffing the ballot-boxes?
Answer. They told how they did it.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. Told before the election how they stuffed it?

Answer. No, sir; the election was on Wednesday. The riot was Thursday, and it was on Wednesday night that this conversation happened. They had carried out their plan, and put the ballot-box back in the buggy. This was his statement. I do not know whether the ballot-box was crammed or not. I just give the statement I heard. Question. Who was he?

Answer. I do not know. There was a crowd in there up stairs. He stated that they had crammed a lot of opposition tickets in the box.

Question. Did he say he had taken out a corresponding number of other tickets before he did that?

Answer. No, sir. I tried to find that out afterward, but had no means of ascertaining.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Was this experience at Laurens the only time you have met these people? Answer. As to Ku-Klúx, I have not come down to the most convincing proofs of them.

Question. What satisfies you of any connection between these people and the people ordinarily called Klp-Klux? They were not in disguise, were they?

Answer. No, sir; but I will tell you. It is such a long story I do not see how I can come at the real gist of the matter sooner. I went to Mr. Copeland's house, who took me in the same spirit as that in which that captain of the squad had protected me.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:
Question. Under the same sign?
Answer. No, sir. He came to me.
spirit. I was lying beside the road.

The captain had been to him. It was in the same
I had been several times wounded in the service

before this time. I have had seven balls in me, and was easily tired out. I lay there, and there was a man named Spencer they could not get to leave. Mr. Little and Copeland, whose house I stopped in, tried to get this man to go. He is a lawyer named Spencer, and swore he was going to shoot me anyhow. He cursed masonry and called me a galoot. Mr. Copeland had a pretty sharp talk with him; by the way, he is the most influential man about there. He said, "I know what you think, but I am going to shoot him." Finally I got up and told him, "If you want to shoot me, shoot; I have a wife and family, and you have, probably; if I am to be shot I can stand it, but it will not end here; that shamed him. I went in the house and secreted myself about three hours, and Mr. Copeland went down to Clinton, where all the crowd had gone that had gone from Spartanburgh and Newberry. They were getting full of spirits and quarreling among themselves. He went down and tried to quiet them down, se

he said.

Question. What day was this?

Answer. Thursday, just before dark; the day after the election.

Question. This was after the riot.

Answer. Yes, sir; but the same day. I left the court-house when the riot began, and had got down thus far, through these various scenes. He came back. They kept an open table there, and these young men were coming and going all the time. I kept close hid up stairs until evening. In the evening Mr. Copeland went away again. I wanted to put on as good a face as possible, and I took up a little child and went down stairs where his wife was and sat down by the fireplace. I was trotting the child on my knee and making the best of it, when two young men came in and said they had got Wade Perrin down at Martin's Depot. He was a member of the legislature, and was one of the chief men at Laurens-prominent among the colored men. I use their exact language, which was, they "had got him." They spoke to me and did not know me. I said, "Well." The old lady said, "That gentleman is a stranger." She was his mother, as I learned afterwards; and she said, "He is a stranger." It fretted me a little. They had been riding, and had their guns. They said, "We have got Wade Perrin." They were coming in and going out of the house all night; food was kept on the large table. They were talking about the fight-talk of no particular importance. The next morning I got up and came down. I had gone to bed about half-past two. When I came down stairs a man came up and inquired for me; it was Hugh Farley. Now, this is the only reason I have for thinking those men were Ku-Klux. Mr. Farley had got into a trouble with his hands in 1866, and I straightened it out; that was on Edisto Island. He is a perfect gentleman He is a perfect gentleman; was a confederate officer, and krew me well. I did not know he was there. He said he was sorry to see me there. He treated me very kindly. I told him the whole of the circumstances, as I have told you. He thought it was pretty rough, and said, "I will see you out." While he was there talking to me this man Spencer, who had been going to shoot me anyhow, came up and apologized to me for being so rash, and said he had thought I was a State constable, and if he had known I was a United States officer he never would have done so; though he had done so after I had told him I was a United States officer. I shook hands with him, of course. Mr. Farley went back about ten miles and got my horse. for me to go away. I had observed enough of him while there to know that he had some influence with these riders. They were constantly coming and going. I had watched him, and I saw that he was an influential man. I said to him, "Farley, I do not know about this. I do not doubt your intention to see me straight down to Newberry; I know your word is good; but what can you do if these men undertake to put me up in any way?" He said, "They are not going to touch you." I took Mr. Copeland and Little to one side. They were masons; Mr. Farley was not. Said I, "Can I trust myself in that man's hands?" They both told me I could go anywhere I pleased, to Newberry or Laurens, with him. They gave me their word for it, and that was sufficient. This is the same Mr. Little I referred to as having saved me. He was back there, and stuck pretty close to me. He would be coming and going sometimes, and was gone away two or three hours or more at a time. We started about dusk from Mr. Copeland's for Newberry. I got to Martin's Depot, and there saw Wade Perrin's body lying by the road dead, with his pockets turned inside out. We stopped and went into a doctor's-I think his name is Francis-and asked him to send for the coroner; which he promised to do. Then we went on.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Had you known Perrin?

Answer. I knew him by sight. I had seen him here in the hall of the house of rep resentatives, but I was not acquainted with him. We met five different squads stationed along the road, numbering from twenty to forty men. At one place we stopped at a well and there were forty or fifty. At the Clinton Corners there were as many as one hundred. I would stop short about a gun-shot distance and Mr. Farley would ride ahead and talk with them, and we would then come on. In that way we went on to within twelve miles of Newberry and then stopped at Dr. Gerry's all night. Mr. Farley

gave me his revolver. We got there about twelve o'clock or a little before, and stai there until morning, when we went on to Newberry. Before getting to Gerry's, I noticed in a field some lights; this was in the night; we were riding along at the time talking over old times and the different places where we had been, he on the one side and I on the other, during the war. We were pleasant enough together. I noticed that light, and I said, “Farley, you are an old campaigner and know that that is not in a house." He said, "Yes, it is in so and so's house." I said, "No, you are mistaken.” He rode on ahead perhaps six or seven yards, and as I got near the open field and right abreast of this light a rocket went over the road. I said "I told you that was not in a house." "What?" said he. "That rocket; did you see it?" said I. He said, "No; that was only a meteor." I noticed that the subject was disagreeable to him, and as I was not really my own master I dropped it. But I solved it to my own satisfaction when I met the crowd at Newberry, the same crowd who were then on the way down. I got to Newberry the next morning, and a good many of these troops were there. I knew them as soon as I saw them. They sat around with pants in their boots and with their revolvers strung. With them all sitting around there I felt no safer than before. I told Farley, "Here is the worst place I have struck yet; here is the sheriff of Newberry, a man that I had in jail in Charleston for murder fourteen days; here is Hamilton, a man that I have run for thousands of miles as a bushwhacker when I was on duty pursuing bushwhackers constantly."

Question. Was that when you were engaged as a United States officer in pursuing bushwhackers that you had arrested these parties?

Answer. Yes, sir; in August, 1867. I had that sheriff arrested then, and General Sickles put him under $2,000 bonds and kept him fourteen days in Charleston. It was for murder.

Question. Go on with your story. You had said that you felt insecure.

Answer. Yes, sir-from these facts and seeing these fellows around me. Many of them I recognized as having seen them at Copeland's house. It seems that they had passed me in the night. As soon as I reached the town Thomas M. Paysinger lifted up his finger at me and said, "There is that God damned Everson." He used to be a scout in the confederate army. He walked right up to me and said, "There is that God damned Everson, he arrested me in 1867, and I offered him $5,000 security to let me go and see my wife, and he refused, and I never will forgive him." Those were his words, and they were true. I had done so and could not help it; for General Sickles gave mé a black list, and orders that if I got any of them I should not let them go; when he said this, the whole mass of those young fellows sitting around on the steps--this bushwhacking, ill-looking crowd-raised up and walked around the horse. I rode over and said, "Paysinger, hold on; I have rode a good ways and I will talk with you." I got off and went down to the coroner's office, did not go in, but stopped as if I was looking after my horse, but at the first chance I struck off for the cars and just caught them. The cars were going up and I went on toward Greenville until I struck the down train, and on it I met three escaped State constables and stopped them going down, for I knew those men at Newberry would get them. I had left Mr. Farley. I found Mr. Owens there that I thought was dead. We locked ourselves in the privy of the mail car and came down the road until we got nearly to this town and then I came out.

Question. Who is Mr. Owens?

Answer. Senator Owens.

Queetion. You say you staid in the water-closet all the way down?

Answer. Yes, sir. People were coming and going. I got the mail agent to tell me everything, when he would go out and come in. When we got down below Frog Level, which was the only bad place, we came out, and Mr. Farley was there and asked where I had been, and I told him. But I must retrograde. I had promised Farley that if he would see me safe through, I would come down here and go before the executive committee of the reform party and make a statement, but I had to do things that a man would not ordinarily do. I went back on my word, because I could not do such a thing. I think, however, that I had no other way of saving my life. I know it, and so I have never been before that committee, and I never will go, because I cannot tell them what. he wanted me to tell. I think it was pretty well understood why, and I do not think. they will ever broach it.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. I do not understand that.

Answer. Well, sir, Mr. Farley is probably the head of the Ku-Klux.

Question. What was it you had engaged to go before the committee and do?

Answer. To make a statement in favor of the necessity of a row up there; to state that no one was to blame in the matter. They were afraid of martial law being proclaimed. there right off.

Question. Did you make that arrangement with Farley before you came down here? Answer. Yes, sir; it was one of the conditions on which he was to see me through. Question. Did you go before that committee?