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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
infant child | infant child | April 14, 1895 | at Charley Moors | Homicide | |
Will Collens | October 20, 1894 | at Gaines SC | Homicide | ||
Jim | negro boy | July 23, 1855 | at Wade Holsteens | Homicide | knife |
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
John Henry King | October 29, 1865 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Isham Glover | August 10, 1892 | at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | ||
Peter | negro man | June 16, 1838 | at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys | Homicide | stick |
Joe Weston | January 31, 1895 | in Edgefield County | Homicide | ||
Allen Smith | Freedman | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol |
male baby | male baby | May 24, 1891 | at the Saluda River | Homicide | |
William M. Tredaway | March 27, 1851 | at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island | Homicide | ||
Wilson Griffin | freedman | February 13, 1867 | at Luke Rodgers | Homicide | |
James Reynolds | December 20, 1860 | at the residence of James Reynolds | Homicide | ||
infant | infant | March 24, 1892 | at Pinksville | Homicide | |
Henry Mobley | December 11, 1899 | at Johnston | Homicide | pistol | |
Dave Parkman | December 16, 1897 | at Cheatham place | Homicide | pistol | |
Prince | slave | January 15, 1865 | at John Seiglers | Homicide | knife |
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
Matilda H. Posey | February 26, 1849 | at the house of Martin Posey | Homicide | stick | |
Henry Padget | freedman | November 14, 1866 | at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek | Homicide | |
Johnson Peterson | March 9, 1892 | at Deny[?] S.C. | Homicide | pistol | |
Stephen Stalmaker | August 30, 1850 | at J.M.C. Freeland's | Homicide | plank | |
William | negro man, boy, slave | February 13, 1849 | at R. F. Barretts | Homicide | knife |
Alfred Hollingsworth | October 10, 1898 | at David Strothers place | Homicide | razor | |
Mary Grace Aldrich | infant child | August 11, 1856 | at Graniteville | Homicide | |
James Booth | August 23, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | ||
Hammond Frasier | November 6, 1897 | at Trenton S.C. | Homicide | pistol | |
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
John M. Tillman | May 6, 1860 | at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill | Homicide | ||
Willis Asbell | December 7, 1877 | at Ridge Spring | Homicide | ||
Willie Toney | March 26, 1899 | at Edgefield Court House | Homicide | ||
Allen Holmes | March 4, 1882 | at Oscar Seigler Residence | Homicide | ||
Levi H. McDaniel | March 9, 1859 | at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road | Homicide | ||
Prince | negro boy | December 23, 1849 | at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek | Homicide | knife |
Lucious Perry | November 8, 1891 | at the plantation of Ben Boatwright | Homicide | ||
infant child | infant child | December 14, 1877 | at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation | Homicide | |
William Samuel | April 26, 1891 | at Scima[?] Hill Church | Homicide | ||
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
Darling Willis | March 4, 1859 | at Wade Holeston warter | Suicide | pistol | |
William L. Russell | September 6, 1849 | in the Hotel of H Jordon | Suicide | razor | |
John J. Cobb | July 23, 1843 | at William Elkins Mill Pond | Suicide | ||
John Randall | October 19, 1857 | at the dwelling house of John Randall | Suicide | razor | |
Ann | negro woman | December 8, 1848 | at the house of Benja F Landrum | Suicide | rope |
Stepney | negro man | September 29, 1848 | at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River | Suicide | |
Larkin Swearengen | April 1, 1852 | at the hous of Larkin Swearengen | Suicide | razor | |
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
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 | |
Joshua Miller | December 22, 1851 | at Joshua Millers | Suicide | shotgun | |
Michael Long | October 11, 1877 | near the Residence of E.N. Youngblood | Suicide | knife |