Yorkville Enquirer

Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer,
LETTER FROM CHESTER.

CHESTER, Jan. 3, 1876.

The Chester and Cheraw Railroad Company, through their representatives, J. A. Haseltine, President, and Col. J. D. Wylie, of Lancaster, applied, a few days ago, before Judge T. J. Mackey for a mandamus, instructing the County Commissioners of Chester to levy a tax to meet the interest on the bonds of the county of Chester, issued in aid of the Chester and Cheraw Railroad. This mandamus was asked for because of the peculiar phraseology of the act, a doubt was felt by the County Commissioners whether it was their duty to make the levy. They did not doubt the validity of the obligation of the county of Chester to meet the interest on its bonds issued in aid of the Chester and Cheraw Railroad: but they entertained some doubt in regard to their duty in the premises. So it was thought best by all parties concerned to obtain a solution of the difficulty from the Judge of the Circuit, which was accordingly done.

The mandamus was granted, requiring the County Commissioners to levy the tax.

At a late meeting of the Master Masons of this place the following members of the order were elected for the ensuing year: J. B. McFadden, W. M.; J. S. Withers, S. W.; J. D. Means, J. W.; N. B. Alexander, Secretary, I. L. Gunhouse, Treasurer. The installation services have also been held, when the brethren elected were formally invested with the robes of office. At a late meeting of Chapter Masons the following members were elected for the ensuing year: J. J. McLure, H. P.; T. S. Mills, King; R. C. M. Alexander, Scribe; J. B. McFadden, C. H.; G. W. Curtis, P. S.; I. Heyman, R. A. C.; J. H. Kaufman, G. M. 3d V.; N. B. Simpson, G. M. 2nd V.; I. McIver, G. M. 1st V.; C. E. Cobb, Secretary; I. L. Gunhouse, Treasurer, and J. H. Crawford, Sentinel. On Thursday evening last the Masonic brethren had a grand jollification in the way of a good supper, which was greatly enjoyed by all present.

The entertainment differed from that of last year, inasmuch as it was confined entirely to brethren of the order. I have been requested to state that the Deputy Grand Master of this Masonic District, Colonel A. Coward, of Yorkville, will meet the Masters of the various Lodges, at this place, on the 2nd Tuesday of January.

The Rich Hill Tournament came off, according to appointment, on the 23rd ultimo, and proved quite a success. The chivalric amusement was witnessed with pleasure by the large number of persons who were present. The first prize was awarded to Mr. P. W. Hardin, Knight of Sandy River; the second, to Mr. C. S. Cook, Knight of Chester; and the third to Mr. V. B. McFadden, Knight of the Belles. The Queen of the occasion was Miss Laura Brown, of Rossville; her Maids of Honor were Miss Belle McFadden, of Lewisville, and Miss Nannie Hardin, of Chester.

After the riding and crowning, the party adjourned to a building near by, where the mazy dance was begun, continued, and did not end until the close of the day.

The holidays passed off quietly and pleasantly here. The young men gave a dance at the Cotton Hotel, which was a very enjoyable affair. A considerable number of ladies graced the occasion with their presence, and looked as charmingly and danced as prettily as the sterner sex could desire. Our neighboring town, Union, by the presence of two of her fair and attractive representatives, carried off the honors of the evening. The dancers displayed their pleasure in the amusement by the lateness of the hour at which they ceased to trip the light fantastic toe. In addition to the presence of youth and beauty, matrons, with their lords, attended, and looked with admiring eyes upon the beautiful and dazzling scene.

Christmas day was principally celebrated at this place by the colored population, who appeared upon our streets in great numbers and in very happy spirits. For the most part their behavior was quite commendable. Still, there was one obstreperous fellow, who in consequence of an excessive indulgence in mean whisky, became so belligerent and powerful in his own estimation as to defy the combined police force. It is enough to say that he was locked up until he had cooled off.

The whites were also happy on that blessed day, if their exuberance of feeling was not so demonstrative as that of their colored friends. Their happiness took shape in the form of an extension of the ordinary salutations of that day, in an exchange of presents, and lastly but by no means least, in a very general and hearty enjoyment of that delightful beverage, egg-nog. There were some who, acting upon the principle that Christmas comes but once a year, imbibed rather freely and were slightly overcome.

While good order and peace reigned in town, the county was not so happily blessed. Blackstocks and the vicinity were the scenes of two unfortunate affairs, one of which resulted in the killing of a colored man, named George Mercer, and the other, in the serious wounding of a colored man, named Leroy Finney. The latter difficulty occurred in the town of Blackstocks, on Christmas day, and was occasioned by Finney's speaking, to a white man, named Matthews, in regard to his using his pistol in a negligent and reckless manner. Matthews, who was drinking at the time, upon hearing the objectionable remark, fired the pistol at Finney, who fell, seriously wounded in the head. Matthews immediately after the occurrence, fled, and has not yet been arrested. The difficulty, in which Mercer lost his life, took place within a short distance of Blackstocks, and the principal facts are briefly these: On the evening of the 27th ultimo a number of men and women, all colored, were assembled at a negro house, and were engaged in dancing. Stephen Young began to make a disturbance; and after being urged by George Mercer to "stop it," and refusing to do so, was put out of the house. In a short time, being readmitted into the house and seeking out George Mercer, he gave him a terrible cut with a knife in the region of the heart, producing almost instantaneous death.

The horrible deed was perpetrated so silently and yet so surely, that the dance ceased not, nor did the fiddler "break his tune" for some time after the commission of the foul crime. The negroes were wrought up to a high pitch of indignation, and had not Sheriff Walker arrived on the scene, they might have been the judge, jury and executioner of Stephen Young, who was arrested, lodged in jail, and will soon be tried upon the charge of murder.

New Year's Day was greeted with a very warm welcome at this place. At the hour of twelve, on Friday night, the merry sounds of church bells and the roar of artillery announced the delightful fact of the arrival of Centennial year. Judge T. J. Mackey was at the head of the firing party, and when several salutes had been given in honor of the new year, was called upon for a speech, to which he heartily responded. The Judge joined in the chorus of denunciation of the Whipper and Moses outrage, which has been sounding from the national heart for the past week.