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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keal Johnson | colourd man | October 20, 1866 | at J.M. Proctors Residence | Homicide | pistol |
Prince | negro boy | December 23, 1849 | at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek | Homicide | knife |
infant child | infant child | August 5, 1878 | at the residence of H J Wright | Homicide | |
Peter | negro man | June 16, 1838 | at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys | Homicide | stick |
Jim | negro boy | July 23, 1855 | at Wade Holsteens | Homicide | knife |
Robert Parks | September 27, 1894 | at Parkville | Homicide | lick | |
Will Collens | October 20, 1894 | at Gaines SC | Homicide | ||
Andrew Trapp | December 4, 1869 | near Trapps Mills | Homicide | knife | |
Thomas Glover | August 2, 1893 | at Bill Werk[?] Residence | Homicide | ||
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
Isham Glover | August 10, 1892 | at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | ||
Tom | negro slave | December 18, 1858 | at Chlo Watsons | Homicide | |
Allen Smith | Freedman | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol |
Wilson Griffin | freedman | February 13, 1867 | at Luke Rodgers | Homicide | |
Robert J. Butler | September 15, 1864 | at Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Henry Burt | June 21, 1895 | at Henry Burts | Homicide | knife | |
Julia Van | June 20, 1892 | at the plantation of Mr Joe Thurmond | Homicide | ||
Prince | slave | January 15, 1865 | at John Seiglers | Homicide | knife |
Matilda H. Posey | February 26, 1849 | at the house of Martin Posey | Homicide | stick | |
James Bledsoe | May 15, 1893 | at Dr D.P. Lalsrones[?] Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Henry Padget | freedman | November 14, 1866 | at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek | Homicide | |
Dave Parkman | December 16, 1897 | at Cheatham place | Homicide | pistol | |
James Reynolds | December 20, 1860 | at the residence of James Reynolds | Homicide | ||
Jno. C Swearingin | April 24, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
Lucious Perry | November 8, 1891 | at the plantation of Ben Boatwright | Homicide | ||
Namro | negro man | August 11, 1844 | at the house of Rob King Esqr | Homicide | club or stick |
Willis Asbell | December 7, 1877 | at Ridge Spring | Homicide | ||
John M. Tillman | May 6, 1860 | at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill | Homicide | ||
Alfred Hollingsworth | October 10, 1898 | at David Strothers place | Homicide | razor | |
Allen Holmes | March 4, 1882 | at Oscar Seigler Residence | Homicide | ||
Mary Grace Aldrich | infant child | August 11, 1856 | at Graniteville | Homicide | |
Levi H. McDaniel | March 9, 1859 | at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road | Homicide | ||
infant child | infant child | December 14, 1877 | at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation | Homicide | |
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
James Thomas | colored | July 20, 1869 | at Liberty Hill County | Homicide | |
James Booth | August 23, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | ||
Darling Willis | March 4, 1859 | at Wade Holeston warter | Suicide | pistol | |
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
William L. Russell | September 6, 1849 | in the Hotel of H Jordon | Suicide | razor | |
Nancy | Slave | June 19, 1847 | at the house of Mrs G. Rily's | 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 |
Ellick | negro man | April 26, 1851 | at the house of W. F Prescott | Suicide | rope |
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
Blassingame Wise | April 27, 1848 | at or near the Negro quarter of Mrs Wiley Glover, on Savannah River | Suicide | ||
Joel Roper Sr. | August 30, 1845 | at the house of Joel Roper Sr | Suicide | rope | |
Lizzie Carson | January 29, 1892 | at John J Carson Coleman Township | Suicide | pistol | |
Samuel M. Dowel | July 25, 1844 | at James Murrels | Suicide | knife | |
Joshua Miller | December 22, 1851 | at Joshua Millers | Suicide | shotgun |