Yorkville Enquirer

Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
LETTER FROM CHESTER.

CHESTER, December 20, 1875.

Cotton stealing is becoming a very common occurrence in this county. A few days ago a bale of cotton, belonging to a widow lady, living in the lower portion of the county, was stolen, carried to Winnsboro and sold. And now two bales, belonging to Mr. E. M. Mills, from the eastern side, are stolen, brought to our town and sold. The parties engaged in this thieving operation were Wade Rosborough, Leroy Chestnut and Willis Caldwell, all colored, the latter of whom lived on Mr. Mills' place. Mr. F. M. Cross, who bought the cotton, when he discovered it was stolen, immediately caused one of the parties, Wade Rosborough, to be placed in jail. The others, fearing a similar fate, returned the money. It is to be hoped that they will not escape so easily. The grand jury at the next sitting of the court will find a true bill against them, and if the counsel for the State does his duty, these rascals will undoubtedly be convicted. A lengthy stay in the penitentiary will do them good, and will be attended with a wholesome effect upon those who may be inclined to lay violent hands upon cotton that does not belong to them.

In a late correspondence, I had occasion to refer to the absurd demands made some times by colored laborers. The impression prevails among them that they are entitled to one-third of the crop, regardless of the advances that have been made them by their employers. The following account of the trial, in which John Jaggers, colored, was the plaintiff, and John B. Cornwell, defendant, will serve to explain. The plaintiff worked on Mr. Cornwell's plantation, and was furnished with supplies during the year by his employer. The supplies having been enjoyed, he did not relish the idea of paying for them. So he brought suit for recovery of the full amount of his labor. Of course, the Trial Justice decided against him, but, still, the defendant in the action incurred considerable trouble and some expense in resisting the suit.

On Tuesday the case of the State vs. Angelina Dawkins, colored, charged with committing an assault and battery upon Mary Johnson, colored, came up for trial before Trial Justice Sanders. The friends of the parties to the suit crowded the court-room and gave an attentive hearing to the testimony and proceedings in the case, which consumed a good portion of the day. The Trial Justice decided in favor of the State, and gave the defendant the alternative of paying a fine of ten dollars, or going to jail for twenty days. She paid the fine, and the State was enriched to that extent.

Dublin Walker, Senator from this county, has for the second time given the death-blow to the bill providing for a fence law for this county. He probably thinks that by this course of action he is carrying out the wishes of his colored constituents. Yet there is great room for doubt upon this point; for the negroes ought to know that their interest and that of the whites are inseparably united, and what injures the one is an injury to the other. Land-owners are extremely desirous of the passage of the fence bill, for the supply of timber is rapidly diminishing, and the time is approaching when it will be an utter impossibility to fence a large number of plantations in this county. But they must wait with patience for the expiration of his Senatorial career, as he seems bent upon the defeat of legislation in the adoption of which they are so vitally interested.

A matrimonial event, which transpired here last week, merits a passing notice. On Wednesday evening the Baptist Church was filled with an overflowing audience who had assembled to witness the nuptials of Mr. E. C. Stahn and Miss Victoria Nail, both of this place. The bridal party, which consisted of the happy couple and four additional couples, who acted as attendants, entered the sacred edifice about eight o'clock, arrayed in all possible beauty and loveliness, and in a short time the ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Sanders. Just at the conclusion of the ceremony one of the groomsmen was seized with faintness, and would, probably, have fallen, had not the fair one by his side acted the good part in extending to him a sustaining hand. He soon revived, but the unfortunate incident served to cast a shadow upon the enjoyment of the occasion, which, otherwise, would have been marked with unalloyed felicity. The happy couple, when the significant declaration of "husband and wife" had been pronounced, repaired, with their attendants and friends, to the home of the bride, where they delightfully spent the evening. With the exception of two of the bridesmaids, who were from Charlotte, the bridal party were from our town. All joy and happiness to the young couple who have so auspiciously launched their bark upon the sea of matrimony!

General W. A. Walker, Maj. S. P. Hamilton and C. S. Brice, Esq., represented this county at the late meeting of the Taxpayers Convention in Columbia. General Walker expresses a favorable opinion as to the probable results of the meeting. He was one of the vice-presidents, and a member of the committee appointed to confer with Governor Chamberlain. The Governor, he said, expressed his pleasure in meeting the committee, and in listening to the suggestions made by them. The most important action of the Convention was the passage of the resolution, recommending the organization of Tax Unions, so as to enable the taxpayers to act
in harmony upon the arising of any pressing emergency.

The young men, charged with destroying our street lamps, appeared before Trial Justice Sanders, on Friday, for a hearing. The testimony in the case did not possess the element of strength and they were discharged.

The question arises, who were the perpetrators of this inexcusable and outrageous act of destroying town property? To render a satisfactory answer to this question of public interest, those who are in authority must know no weariness in their efforts to discover the evil-doers.