Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1894 — A LIQUOR LAW RIOT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A LIQUOR LAW RIOT.

CITIZENS SHOT DOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Two Spies Also Killed—Others Pursued by an Angry Mob—Three MlUtla Companies Disband Rather than Support the Obnoxious Law. Tillman Calls It Rebellion. All South Carolina Is in. excitement over a bloody riot at Darlington Friday, as a result of an attempt to enforce the ’ dispensary liquor law by constables, otherwise known at spies. Two citizens and two Constables were killed, and three citizens seriously wounded. Others were slightly hurt. After the fusillade the Constables took to the woods. The feeling of th,e people of the town is shown by the following telegram: U a McCullough and all available are after the murderers, pursuing through Country. Our efforts are to catch them. Dabgan. Mayor. This was received in answer to a teleeram sent by citizens of Columbia inquiring if assistance was needed. By the new law the State conducts bar rooms and forbids under severe penalties the sale of liquor by other than State dispensers. As a result places where liquor is illegally and secretly sold have sprung up in every nook and corner. To suppress these and render the State monopoly of the traffic complete a large army of spies is maintained, who scour the State from one enjd to the other. Whenever a place is suspected of being a blind tiger spies are congregated in the town and

suddenly present themselves at the door and make a search. The cities to which the spies confine their operations regard the new liquor law as an inroad on their liberties. Gov. Tillman at Columbia was annealed tc before the battle by the con-

stables, and ordered three companies of State troops to the scene. But the militia refused to move, and one company disbanded, amid the cheers of the people of Columbia. But the Sumter light artillery responded to the Governor’s orders, and a special train carried them to the scene: When they arrived everything was quiet, and they returned to Sumter. Meantime the constables were being closely watched, and resolute citizens, thoroughly aroused, were determined that they should not go forth to raid private houses. Resolutions were adopted to the effect that a man s house is his castle, and as such the citizens declared they would defend theirs. Squads of men had been sent from Florence and Sumter to assist the citizens, if need be, and the first movement of the spies was likely to be the signal for an outbreak. These spies had been re-enforced at the time the military company had been conveyed to Darlington, ana numbered twenty-five, armed with Winchester rifles. What was the spark that fired the magazine does not clearly appear, but near nightfall in Columbia the exciting news was received by telegraph that bloody fighting was in progress. When Gov. Tillman heard of the trouble and was told that the spies had taken to the woods, he said he could not blame them when there were four or five hundred men after them. The Governor blames the Columbia and Charleston newspapers for the outbreak, as they have persistently advised citizens to resist any attempt at search of private residences. Florence Dispensary Looted, A mob entered the State dispensary at Florence, S. C., and destroyed the entire stock of liquors. Three companies of State troops have disbanded under the general pressure brought to bear on them rather than obey the Governor’s order to go to Darlington. The excitement in consequence of this action is at fever heat.

GOV TILLMAN.