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Question. What was the idea of so many men riding into town ?

Answer. They were not riding there; they were on foot.

Question. Did they ride in?

Answer. No, sir; they were not on horseback in town, as I saw. I went to the window, and some one struck a light, and they damned me to put out the light, and it was done.

Question. Who damned you to put out the light?

Answer. The party on the street. Some one in the room struck a light.

Question. Is it your information that the people who were here did not come on horseback.

Answer. They may have come to town on horseback, but not in the town.

Question. Did you never hear?

Answer. I never heard about it to know.

Question. You never made any inquiry?

Answer. Of course I inquired, but could not ascertain.

Question. Did anybody know?

Answer. Nobody knew.

Question. Was this an event of such utter insignificance that nobody inquired?

Answer. There was much inquiry, but nothing found out.

Question. Not even whether the men came on horseback or on foot.

Answer. I did not ascertain. I saw them in the streets on foot.

Question. Did you go out?

Answer. No, sir; I did not go on the street at all. I did not go down from my room. Question. You did not know their purpose?

Answer. No, sir; not until next morning.

Question. Did you go back to bed?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How long did these men remain in town?

Answer. I declare I do not know. They went up the street and passed back again in about an hour.

Question. What time in the morning was it?

Answer. I think it was about 2 o'clock. It was the after-part of the night.

Question. After they left you did not go out and inquire?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Was that the case of the citizens generally?

Answer. Some of the citizens came out, I think; came out at the time, I think.

Question. You, then, say you have no knowledge whatever of this organization, let its name be what it may, to which is attributed the outrages that have occurred in this county?

Answer. I have no knowledge of it.

Question. None whatever?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Were you present at or did you overhear a colloquy in your store or Mr. Dobson's store

Answer. That is the store I am doing business in.

Question. Were you there on Thursday night last?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Was there a man named in that party "Number Five."

Answer. Not that I heard, sir.

Question. Did you hear any colloquy about the desirability or expediency of a man named "Number Five” undertaking to, and being a good man for the purpose of, capturing the evidence taken by this committee?

Answer. I did not, most assuredly.

Question. Do you know of any man in this community, or any of that organization, known as "Number Five?"

Answer. I do not.

Question. Have you had no conversation with Mr. Tomlinson on the subject of these raids that have occurred here?

Answer. We have probably talked about it.

Question. Never talked about who were present?

Answer. No, sir; we did not know, I suppose.

Question. You say you do not know anybody who was present here at the raid on the county treasury?

Answer. I do.

Question. Were you in town when the ammunition was taken from the probate judge's office?

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Answer. In my room, in bed.

Question. When did you learn it?

Answer. Next morning.

Question. What has been your sentiment with reference to that occurrence, the breaking into the probate judge's office, and taking the ammunition?

Answer. I had no sentiment about it. It did not concern me at all.
Question. Are you interested in the store in which you are engaged?
Answer. No, sir; a clerk.

Question. You have lived here how long?

Answer. About eighteen months.

Question. You have no opinion about whether these two acts should be approved or condemned?

Answer. Of course they oughtn't to be approved, I guess.

Question. Which did you do?

Answer. I did not do either.

Question. Was that the general course of your people here?

Answer. Some condemned them here. I did not suppose any one approved of such

as that, at least I never heard of any man who did.

Question. Were any measures taken to arrest anybody?

Answer. No, sir; we did not know who to arrest.

Question. Were any measures taken to find out who they were?

Answer. Some men inquired around, I think.

Question. Did the public officers institute any inquiry?

Answer. I do not know that the public officers did..

Question. Has anybody been arrested for either of these acts?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Do you know of anybody having been arrested for any whippings or murders in this county?

Answer. No, sir; there have been some men tried here in courts.

Question. For what?

Answer. Being Ku-Klux here in the western part of the district. There were none punished.

Question. Were they acquitted or convicted?

Answer. They were acquitted.

Question. On what grounds?

Answer. That they were not there.

Question. On the ground that they were some place else?

Answer. I can't tell.

Question. What case do you refer to?

Answer. There was some negroes killed above there; some of the Seapaughs were brought down here and tried.

Question. Who were the witnesses?

Answer. I do not know the men at all.

Question. Whose murder were they charged with ?

Answer. A negro, Roundtree.

Question. They were acquitted?

Answer. Yes, sir. I do not remember the man's name.

By Mr. VAN TRUMP:

Question. Is there not a black man in jail in Chester County now charged with the murder of Roundtree?

Answer. I have heard so.

Question. You say you do not know of anybody being convicted of these offenses. Is there any chance, or prospect, or mode, Mr. Hunter, to find out these men in disguise? Answer. None that I know of.

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Answer. I did, but I could not tell their disguise; I could not see what kind of disguise it was; it was dark; I was not very close.

Question. Did you not see the form of the disguise?

Answer. It was something like a gown; some one color and some another.

Question. Have you no information on the subject of how they were disguised?
Answer. No, sir.

Question. How does it happen you know so little about it?

Answer. I do not know. I have had nothing to do with it.

Question. You made no inquiries?

Answer. I suppose if I had inquired of one of them I could not have found out.
Question. Have you never made any inquiries about them?

Answer. I have made some inquiries.

Question. You have not been able to learn how they disguised themselves ?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Is it not a common talk among the young men of this town, Ku-Klux?
Answer. I do not know it is the common talk.

Question. Is it not a frequent subject of conversation?

Answer. Not with me.

Question. Have you ever sold any goods or gowns to make disguises?

Answer. I have not that I knew it.

Question. Have you ever sold to any one an unusual quantity of such goods as are generally worn by them?

Answer. Not that I know.

Question. White or black?

Answer. No, sir; not that I know.

Question. I do not mean to persons known to you to buy them for that purpose, but have you sold no unusual quantity of such goods?

Answer. No, sir, I have not; but I do not know what such goods would be, in the first place.

Question. Do you mean to say you have no idea what they use for their disguises? Answer. I do.

Question. Have you ever worn a disguise yourself?

Answer. I have not, sir.

YORKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, July 24, 1871.

DAVID S. RUSSELL sworn and examined.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Do you reside in this place?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How long have you lived here?

.Answer. I was born and raised within a mile of here. My family is within a mile of here. I do business in this house.

Question. How old are you?

Answer. I am near thirty-seven years old.

Question. Have you any knowledge, Mr. Russell, of the whippings or killings that have been going on in the county for the last six or eight months?

Answer. I have none, sir; no knowledge of facts.

Question. Have you examined into any of them far enough to know the extent to which they have been carried?

Answer. There has been a great deal of it done, sir.

Question. Have you lived in the town here during all this time?

Answer. Yes, sir; I have been doing business here going on three years. I live within a mile and a half of this place-my family does-but I do business here.

Question. Please state whether you were here at the time the raid on the county treasurer occurred.

Answer. I was here.

Question. Will you go on and tell us, as far as you know, how that occurred? And if you know any of the persons engaged in it, tell who they were.

Answer. I could tell a good deal, likely, that would not amount to very much. We had an immense excitement here for some time previous to the raid on this building, but I will drop off all of that and come to Sunday. I think it was the 26th.

Question. Make it as brief as you can.

Answer. I think it was the 26th of February. There was an excitement here on Saturday and Friday; and the Monday before that there was a band of men, said to be two hundred and seventy-five, came here from North Carolina. I saw the men, but never counted them at all.

Question. Were they on horseback?

Answer. Yes, sir; armed. They rode the streets and hallooed, "Here's your KuKiux;" but there was an excitement, expecting a fuss between the whites and blacks, as I suppose.

Question. Were they disguised at that time?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Did you know any of them at all

Answer. I knew the faces of some of the men I had seen in North Carolina, but I do not remember their names now.

Question. That was on the Monday preceding?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. You say they were expecting some collision between the whites and blacks?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Had there been any excitement before that?

Answer. Yes, sir, some little.

Question. Go on and tell the story in your own way.

Answer. On Saturday Ed. Rose, a friend of mine, (the county treasurer,) told me he had obtained some pamphlets of the "Council of Safety," and asked me to read them. I went in and read them. He copied them, and sent some copies off. I had three in my stand-drawers down in the bar-room. On Saturday evening I heard it rumored all over town that they were going to attack this house at 10 o'clock.

Question. What had the pamphlet to do with that?

Answer. Stating the different councils, and so on. It was laid off in councils not exceeding ten or twelve men.

Question. What was laid off?

Answer. This Ku-Klux organization. They called it councils; “Councils of Safety." Question. Who told you that?

Answer. I read it; I saw it.

Question. I am speaking about the raid on the treasury.

Answer. Springs Withers brought the document into the county treasury.
Question. Who is he?

Answer. A son of Doctor Withers. Ed. Rose asked me what to do with them. I told him, you had better keep them dark. He had said he was going to show them. I said, you may be hurt here. Springs notified Rose that on Saturday night, about 10 o'clock, he was going to be attacked. He did that in my presence, and the presence of two others.

Question. Go on.

Answer. The thing passed off, and there was no attack made on the house Saturday night. I goes to Mr. Rose myself and asked him to take the money out of the treasury, and go and make a deposit in the bank. He told me he would not do it, and I asked why. He said the bank was not worth more than $20,000. I said, "Give it to some trustworthy citizen." He said, "You need not give yourself any alarm. I am all right.” On Sunday evening I came to church, and came up here after dinner. It was raining. I saw groups standing all over town, (ten, fifteen, or twenty,) many amongst whom I considered my friends, and I mingled with them and talked with them, and I could see there was a heavy excitement up, and I learned in conversation that Rose was to be attacked that night. I got two men to come down here to take the faucets out of my barrels and peg them up, but did not do it. Ed. Rose came in and asked to stay in my room. I told him he could not do it. He allowed it was hard he could not stay in his own house. I told him this half of the building was mine, and I said, "Ned, I have offered you everything fair. I have offered to take you. Clear away; you had better not stay here." He says, "You can't well throw me out of the house." I says, "I could not well do that.' The man was frightened. Talking to him, I mentioned the money again. He says, "The money is all right here," [slapping his breast.] Then I asked him, "Ned, as a friend of mine and a fair man, I have nearly two thousand stuck in here, and if they raid in here after you they may destroy everything I have." He says, "They will not harm you a bit." I says, "I don't know that. If you will go to your room I will go and sleep with you. He said he would rather not; he was going to stay and watch." I had a man tending bar. I had two bars in this place then. asked him off and talked to him. He said, "We will stay awake to-night, and when they come, unlock the door and let them right in, and we will both meet them at the door." Ed. Rose and this man Withers I mentioned that I supposed was his friend were in my room. By this time he was intoxicated-this Withers was. Rose would keep looking out of the front door and going out, and he says, "There is a guard over here; somebody is watching Bob Kerr, Bill Greer, and others." I never went out of the house, but shamed him to go back to bed to his own room, and at last told him he must go to bed, or go out of the house. He said he would. I went to bed, and I think between 12 and 1 o'clock he wakened me-pulling at me. I got up and struck a lighta candle-and by that time there was knocking at the door. "God damn you, give me that Rose." I had my boots to put on, and then I run to the door. The keys were gone. I run to my clerk, and found him going up with a pistol. I said put that away, and he laid that away. I went for my money-drawer and it was locked. I went to him, and he said it was all right. I went to the back door to see if that was right. I stepped on the stone step, and just then three men collared me and dragged me out,

and he put up a pistol and said, shut that door. I said, "That's one man's trouble; shut it yourself." "One of them said, "That is Russell." Then another said, “Damn you, go away; we don't want you." The cry then was, "Save the back doors." Then they came around, some twenty-five or thirty. I staid in the lot until they ordered me away some three times with threats; that if I did not go they would shoot me. That is about all I know about it. Ed. Rose had taken the key himself and gone with it, which he gave to me two days afterwards.

Question. He had gone away?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Do you know what they destroyed in the room?

Answer. Yes, sir; they destroyed about $1,100 worth of property, of whisky and wines and cigars, and carried off blankets and buggy-harness in the room, and other articles of value. They broke every door nearly that was fastened. My clerk, J. B. Porter, they took down with them to the treasurer's office. They struck on top of the safe several licks, but I do not think they got into it. They carried off his ammunition.

Question. Did they say what their purpose was?

Answer. It was 66 Ed. Rose. Give me Ēd. Rose." That was all I heard.

Question. Was he the county treasurer?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did they say what they wanted to do with him?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Did they get him?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. He fled?

Answer. Yes, sir. They abused my clerk, Porter, a great deal.

Question. Had you been trying to protect Rose?

Answer. Yes, sir; that is, I have been giving him advice. I saw the whole county was down on him, and asked him to go down to Columbia to his pa and stay there. Question. Does his father stay in Columbia?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What was the cause of the excitement against him?

Answer. They charged him with knowing something of the burnings.

Question. Where? In this county?

Answer. I did not think the man knew anything about it. I do not pretend to know. Question. That charge was made against him in the county?

Answer. Yes, sir.

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Question. How many men were there here?

Answer. I could not tell. I did not see what was in the front part of the house, but in the house and back I would guess there were seventy-five.

Question. How were they dressed?

Answer. Different ways.

Question. Were they disguised?

Answer. Yes, sir; all but one.

Question. Did they come on horseback?

Answer. They came afoot here.

Question. On the street?

Answer. Yes, sir; and they staid here until nearly daybreak-that is, in this village. Question. Do you know whether they came to the town on horseback?

Answer. My information is that a party of forty, or such a matter, came out here to Herndon's Mill on horseback about 11 o'clock that night.

Question. Did they leave their horses there?

Answer. No, sir; they came on. This is what the miller says-a man named Culp. Question. Of those who were here, did you recognize anybody?

Answer. No, sir; I could not.

Question. You are sure you did not recognize anybody?

Answer. No, sir; I could not.

Question. You say one man was not disguised?

Answer. Yes, sir; I did not know him.

Question. Was he a stranger to you?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Are you pretty well acquainted in this county?

Answer. Yes, sir; I have been all over it.

Question. What opportunities have you had to know it?

Answer. I have canvassed the county all over.

Question. Have you held any public office?

Answer. I have been trial justice for a long while, and I have electioneered all over the county.

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