Edgefield County, SC
Total population (1850): 39,262
Enslaved population (1850): 22,725
Percent slave: 58%
Extant nineteenth-century inquests: 524
Date range: 1829-1899
Percentage of violent crimes in county sample: 39% (202/524)
The small, rural district of Edgefield, South Carolina was the Deadwood of its day, amassing a reputation for murder and mayhem unique in the nation. Forget the gangs of New York, the toughs in tailored suits strutting about Edgefield's Court House Square were up for almost anything. Take this typical exchange between Thomas Cherry and Charles Cobb.
Cherry: "You Damn puppy."
Cobb: "What are you?"
Cherry: "Do you mean to call me a Damn puppy?"
Cobb: "What are you?"
Cherry: "If you call me a Puppy, I will ag you in the face."
Cobb: "You are nothing else."
With that Cherry stabbed Cobb through the face with an umbrella.
"If we over in Edgefield insult each other, there is generally a fight or a funeral afterwards," noted Ben Tillman, one of the ten men of the district to serve the state as governor. Like Tillman, circuit judge Thomas Mackey took an almost perverse pride in the region's reputation. "I am going to hold court in Edgefield," he told a friend, "and I expect a somewhat exciting term, as the fall shooting is about to start."
Like most reputations, Edgefield's was at once deserved and exaggerated. At 39 percent, Edgefield County does have the highest proportion of violent crimes in the CSI:D sample. At 35 percent, Greenville County is not that far behind. More important, Edgefield's reputation for affairs of honor masks the mountain of dishonorable violence revealed by the morgue. Men spoiling for a fight on the street are rarely much different at home. In June 1893, Bill Gasten was sitting near his wood pile when his wife emerged from the house to draw some water from the well. Something she said set him off and he grabbed up a walking stick, hit her with it, then threw her down and began choking her. Emerging from the kitchen, her sister grabbed up the stick and told Bill to "let his wife alone." She had just started back to the kitchen when Bill cracked her head with a hoe.
Edgefield County, SC Inquests
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Type | Death Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Agner | December 26, 1883 | at Mr. John Agner's | Homicide | knife | |
William | negro man, boy, slave | February 13, 1849 | at R. F. Barretts | Homicide | knife |
Benjamin F. Jones | March 24, 1845 | at W B Griffins | Homicide | shotgun | |
Hammond Frasier | November 6, 1897 | at Trenton S.C. | Homicide | pistol | |
Willie Toney | March 26, 1899 | at Edgefield Court House | Homicide | ||
Thomas Glover | August 2, 1893 | at Bill Werk[?] Residence | Homicide | ||
Wallace E. Bland | July 4, 1880 | at Edgefield C. House | Homicide | ||
Will Collens | October 20, 1894 | at Gaines SC | Homicide | ||
Robert Parks | September 27, 1894 | at Parkville | Homicide | lick | |
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
Isham Glover | August 10, 1892 | at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | ||
Peter | negro man | June 16, 1838 | at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys | Homicide | stick |
Henry | male slave | July 15, 1858 | at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | hickory stick |
William Bailey | July 19, 1846 | at the House of Samuel C Scott | Homicide | ||
Elijah Reynolds | April 11, 1878 | at Johnstons | Homicide | pistol | |
Andrew Trapp | December 4, 1869 | near Trapps Mills | Homicide | knife | |
John E. Elsmore | November 28, 1869 | at the house of John E. Elsmore | Homicide | pistol | |
Carey Ashley | October 11, 1879 | at J W Wises[?] plantation | Homicide | pistol | |
William Cloud | July 8, 1851 | at the Spaun[?] Hotel | Homicide | pistol | |
Charles | slave, boy | September 25, 1861 | at Elijah Watson | Homicide | |
Robert Neid | free man of Colour | August 26, 1847 | at Vaudun[?] Factory | Homicide | dirk knife |
Lizzy | three negro children | October 2, 1846 | at the house of Philip Brogden | Homicide | axe |
Eldred Glover | March 2, 1852 | at the house of John Doby | Homicide | pistol | |
Robert J. Butler | September 15, 1864 | at Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Henry Burt | June 21, 1895 | at Henry Burts | Homicide | knife | |
Dave Parkman | December 16, 1897 | at Cheatham place | Homicide | pistol | |
Frank Holson | freedman | January 9, 1867 | at Lee Holson | Homicide | pistol |
Thomas Booth | August 23, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | pistol | |
Julia Van | June 20, 1892 | at the plantation of Mr Joe Thurmond | Homicide | ||
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
Aaron | slave | December 5, 1852 | at A. Bushnells Shop | Homicide | chisel |
Nelson Smith | freedman, boy | October 4, 1866 | at Andrew Warts | Homicide | |
James Bledsoe | May 15, 1893 | at Dr D.P. Lalsrones[?] Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Elick Youngblood | child | March 21, 1881 | at S[?] R Warren | Homicide | |
Riller | three negro children | October 2, 1846 | at the house of Philip Brogden | Homicide | |
Jno. C Swearingin | April 24, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
Lee Ryan | September 27, 1877 | at the plantation of Abram F Broadwater | Homicide | iron instrument | |
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
Rose | negro woman Slave | March 14, 1846 | at Michael Longs | Homicide | |
W. Brooker Toney | August 12, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | pistol | |
Namro | negro man | August 11, 1844 | at the house of Rob King Esqr | Homicide | club or stick |
Sam Howard | Freedman | August 6, 1866 | at L. L. Halls | Homicide | knife |
Lucious Perry | November 8, 1891 | at the plantation of Ben Boatwright | Homicide | ||
Rose | three negro children | October 2, 1846 | at the house of Philip Brogden | Homicide | |
Aaron | slave | December 3, 1851 | at the house of Larkin Swearinghim | Homicide | cow hide |
Alfred Hollingsworth | October 10, 1898 | at David Strothers place | Homicide | razor | |
James Thomas | colored | July 20, 1869 | at Liberty Hill County | Homicide | |
Mary Grace Aldrich | infant child | August 11, 1856 | at Graniteville | Homicide | |
Stanmore B. Chappell | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Yancy Hardy | December 31, 1877 | at Dr. GJ[?] Butlers Plantation | Homicide | pistol |