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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Griff Zimmerman | October 9, 1899 | at Johnston Township | Homicide | pistol | |
Dave Parkman | December 16, 1897 | at Cheatham place | Homicide | pistol | |
Spencer Mays | freedman | November 8, 1866 | at John Buslys | Accident | pistol |
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
Eugene McCarty | May 11, 1861 | at Edgefield Court house | Homicide | pistol | |
Arthur Morris | June 20, 1898 | at M. W Clarks | Homicide | pistol | |
Lizzie Carson | January 29, 1892 | at John J Carson Coleman Township | Suicide | pistol | |
John E. Elsmore | November 28, 1869 | at the house of John E. Elsmore | Homicide | pistol | |
William Cloud | July 8, 1851 | at the Spaun[?] Hotel | Homicide | pistol | |
Ben Lowman | September 14, 1894 | at W.[?] L. Rawls Mills | Homicide | pistol | |
Wily Royal | January 7, 1895 | at J.S. Hancocks | Accident | pistol | |
Isaac Boseley | July 5, 1880 | at Ridge Spring | Homicide | pistol | |
Stanmore B. Chappell | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Lewis | negro man, boy | March 14, 1861 | at Charles Hammonds Brickyard | Homicide | pistol |
J. H. Christian | July 21, 1856 | in the village of Edgefield in Room No 11, in B. J. Ryans Hotel | Homicide | pistol | |
James Ramsey | December 12, 1869 | at the residence of Andrew Ramsay Sr | Homicide | pistol | |
Harry Anderson | December 16, 1882 | at Clinton Ward | Homicide | pistol | |
Thomas O'Donald | September 13, 1869 | at Dr. John E. Padgetts | Homicide | pistol | |
Stephen Stalmaker | August 30, 1850 | at J.M.C. Freeland's | Homicide | plank | |
Lewis Moore | November 30, 1891 | at the plantation of Robert Smith | Homicide | pocket knife | |
William Humphry | January 4, 1894 | at Etheridge Bridge | Accident | pocket knife | |
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
Andrew | slave | September 3, 1850 | at A.P. Butlers plantation | Homicide | rail |
Jacob Long Jr. | December 19, 1848 | at Jacob Longs | Suicide | razor | |
Alfred Hollingsworth | October 10, 1898 | at David Strothers place | Homicide | razor | |
William L. Russell | September 6, 1849 | in the Hotel of H Jordon | Suicide | razor | |
Larkin Swearengen | April 1, 1852 | at the hous of Larkin Swearengen | Suicide | razor | |
John Randall | October 19, 1857 | at the dwelling house of John Randall | Suicide | razor | |
Mary Randall | October 19, 1857 | at the Residence of John Randall | Homicide | razor | |
Basil M. Boone | November 4, 1855 | at the residence of Daniel Boone | Suicide | rifle | |
James Miller | March 29, 1847 | at the house of James Miller | Suicide | rope | |
Ann | negro woman | December 8, 1848 | at the house of Benja F Landrum | Suicide | rope |
Sarah Jowls[?] | November 16, 1858 | at Mrs Mary Ann Keys | Suicide | rope | |
Ellick | negro man | April 26, 1851 | at the house of W. F Prescott | Suicide | rope |
Joel Roper Sr. | August 30, 1845 | at the house of Joel Roper Sr | Suicide | rope | |
M. Emmitt Bryant | June 25, 1891 | at the Residence of Mrs Caterim[?] Bryants | Suicide | rope | |
Hampton Weaver | colored | July 17, 1869 | at the house of and on the farm of James T Outz | Accident | shotgun |
Margaret Simpkins | September 21, 1879 | on Jas C Brooks Plantation | Homicide | shotgun | |
Daniel | slave, boy | May 27, 1862 | at John H. Fair | Homicide | shotgun |
Michael Long | April 17, 1849 | at the house of Michael Long | Homicide | shotgun | |
Benjamin F. Jones | March 24, 1845 | at W B Griffins | Homicide | shotgun | |
Jesse Weatherford | September 4, 1849 | at the plantation of Mrs R Blaylock | Homicide | shotgun | |
Lewis Bartie | July 26, 1864 | at Mount Zion Church | Homicide | shotgun | |
Wesley Weaver[?] | June 15, 1858 | at Mrs Lydia Nevus[?] | Suicide | shotgun | |
Joshua Miller | December 22, 1851 | at Joshua Millers | Suicide | shotgun | |
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
Abram | man slave | August 17, 1860 | at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin | Accident | snake |
George Low | col | June 6, 1869 | at Sand Bar Ferry | Accident | stems of yellow jasmine |
Peter | negro man | June 16, 1838 | at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys | Homicide | stick |
Matilda H. Posey | February 26, 1849 | at the house of Martin Posey | Homicide | stick |