The Orangeburg News

Political Riot in Barnwell County.

From the Augusta Chronicle & Sentinel we get the following account of a riot that took place at a township in Barnwell known as "Upper Three Runs," about twenty-five miles from Augusta:

In this township an election for officers was ordered to be held on last Thursday, the 15th inst., the day on which the difficulty occurred.

THE ELECTION.

The township was, of course, inhabited by two parties, Radicals and Democrats, and each faction had its candidates in the field. The principal officer to be elected was a Township Clerk, and for this position the Democrats were running a very respectable gentleman named John S. Green; while the candidate of the negroes was a man named Pickens Woodward, the son of a well-to-do merchant, who, we understand, has always stood well in the county, but who, being very popular with the negroes, suffered his name to be used on the Radical ticket. The election took place on Thursday morning, and was held at Nat. Greene's store. Of course, as the negroes had a large numerical majority, they carried the township and elected their candidate, while Greene was defeated. There were present at the election, besides other white men, the Democratic candidate, John Greene, his son, Frank Greene, his son-in-law, John Holland, James Tyler, Wyatt Tyler, and three or four others of the same name, Pickens Woodward, the Radical candidate, A. P. Woodward, his brother, and W. J. Woodward, his father.

HOW THE RIOT COMMENCED.

After the election was over, and it was known what party had been successful, a crowd of the white men were standing around the store discussing it: in which crowd were the parties above mentioned. At length one of the Tylers, an ardent Democrat, remarked, that while he hated very badly his party being defeated by the negroes, still he attached no blame to the latter for what they had done, but the men he did blame were the "d—d white scalawags who ran on the negro ticket." At this remark A. P. Woodward stepped up to the speaker and said his brother's name was on that ticket; that he was no scalawag, and Tyler must withdraw the offensive epithet. The latter declined to make the required retraction and an altercation between the parties ensued, while their respective friends gathered around.

THE MELEE COMMENCES.

While the quarrel was progressing between Tyler and A. P. Woodward, but before blows had passed, the Radical candidate stepped into the crowd with a drawn revolver in his hand to take his brother's part. As soon as this was observed, John Greene, the Democratic candidate, fell upon Woodward and knocked the pistol from his hand. At the same instant A. P. Woodward turned from Tyler, drew his revolver and shot John Greene, killing him almost instantly. Here John Holland drew his pistol to defend his father-in-law, but before he could fire, Woodward shot him inflicting a mortal wound.

A SCENE OF CARNAGE.

The melee here became general, and of it it is impossible to give any detailed description. The negroes retreated from the precinct as soon as the firing commenced, and the field was left to the Tylers, Hollands, Greenes and Woodwards. As fast as the combatants emptied their pistols, the useless weapons were thrown aside and the knife was drawn and freely used by both parties. We learn that as John Holland lay dying on the ground, with the balls whistling around him, and the parties dealing murderous stabs over him, he managed to cock and aim his revolver and shot A. P. Woodward twice, one of the balls penetrating his back, the other taking effect in his kidneys—the latter wound it is believed, being mortal. Frank Greene was also shot and severely wounded and stabbed with a knife. Jas. Tyler, Wyatt Tyler, and two or three others were badly stabbed, but none of their wounds will prove mortal. Thus closed this terrible combat, in which one man was killed outright; two others mortally wounded (one of whom has since died); in which every man engaged was, we believe, more or less seriously wounded, and which will carry mourning and desolation into so many families.