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 G. Riddle | July 3, 1860 | at the residence of Mr Richard Burton | Natural Causes | ||
John E. Paul | June 14, 1892 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
John E. Elsmore | November 28, 1869 | at the house of John E. Elsmore | Homicide | pistol | |
John David Twiggs | September 15, 1864 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
John Butler | October 23, 1850 | at the House of Mr Seth Butler | Homicide | knife | |
John Brown | December 20, 1844 | at the house of John Brown | Natural Causes | ||
John Agner | December 26, 1883 | at Mr. John Agner's | Homicide | knife | |
John | slave | September 27, 1863 | at the residence of Johnson A Bland | Accident | |
Joel W. Warren | November 9, 1894 | at Joseph Mirren[?] House | Natural Causes | ||
Joel Roper Sr. | August 30, 1845 | at the house of Joel Roper Sr | Suicide | rope | |
Joel Etheridge | November 29, 1893 | at Joel Etheridge Residence | Unknown | ||
Joe Weston | January 31, 1895 | in Edgefield County | Homicide | ||
Joe Elam | February 16, 1882 | at Nicholson premises | Natural Causes | ||
Joe | infant negro | August 26, 1860 | at John Huiets | Accident | |
Joe | slave, boy | September 13, 1860 | at the residence of D. M. Glover | Homicide | |
Jno. C Swearingin | April 24, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
Jim Coleman | freidman | November 15, 1866 | at the Mackey Place on horse Creek | Accident | |
Jim Brown | Child | April 19, 1882 | on Jasper Talbert Premises | Unknown | |
Jim | slave | June 10, 1859 | at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road | Natural Causes | |
Jim | negro boy | July 23, 1855 | at Wade Holsteens | Homicide | knife |
Jesse Weatherford | September 4, 1849 | at the plantation of Mrs R Blaylock | Homicide | shotgun | |
Jesse Moragna[?] | March 3, 1882 | at Luke Moragines[?] House | Accident | ||
Jesse Limbecker | June 18, 1869 | at Hamburg | Accident | ||
Jane Glover | January 12, 1883 | at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation | Unknown | ||
James Thomas | colored | July 20, 1869 | at Liberty Hill County | Homicide | |
James S. Aiton | June 19, 1893 | at J.S. Aiton deceased | Suicide | pistol | |
James Reynolds | December 20, 1860 | at the residence of James Reynolds | Homicide | ||
James Ramsey | December 12, 1869 | at the residence of Andrew Ramsay Sr | Homicide | pistol | |
James Perry | December 27, 1894 | at Mt Enon Church | Accident | ||
James Mitchell | February 18, 1879 | at L D Laudrums | Natural Causes | ||
James Miller | March 29, 1847 | at the house of James Miller | Suicide | rope | |
James Leppard | February 13, 1893 | at F. M. Leppards | Natural Causes | ||
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
James Frazier | Babie | October 24, 1890 | at D. B Hollingworth | Accident | |
James Edward Settle | boy | March 9, 1884 | on Henry Hill Plantation | Accident | |
James Booth | August 23, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | ||
James Blocker | May 6, 1897 | Accident | train | ||
James Bledsoe | May 15, 1893 | at Dr D.P. Lalsrones[?] Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Jacob Long Jr. | December 19, 1848 | at Jacob Longs | Suicide | razor | |
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
Jack Taylor | April 11, 1892 | at the house of Hal[?] Miles | Natural Causes | ||
Jack | negro boy | May 14, 1852 | at the house of H. W. Posey | Accident | |
J. M. Long | October 10, 1891 | at J. M. Longs | Homicide | ||
J. J. Jennings | November 16, 1860 | at J J Jennings | Suicide | ||
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
J. H. Christian | July 21, 1856 | in the village of Edgefield in Room No 11, in B. J. Ryans Hotel | Homicide | pistol | |
J. F. Styron | April 21, 1891 | at residence of J. F. Styron[?] | Accident | ||
J. E. Black | May 8, 1861 | at the Residence of J. E. Black | Other |