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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jesse Moragna[?] | March 3, 1882 | at Luke Moragines[?] House | Accident | ||
Jesse Weatherford | September 4, 1849 | at the plantation of Mrs R Blaylock | Homicide | shotgun | |
Jim | negro boy | July 23, 1855 | at Wade Holsteens | Homicide | knife |
Jim | slave | June 10, 1859 | at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road | Natural Causes | |
Jim Brown | Child | April 19, 1882 | on Jasper Talbert Premises | Unknown | |
Jim Coleman | freidman | November 15, 1866 | at the Mackey Place on horse Creek | Accident | |
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
Jno. C Swearingin | April 24, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
Joe | infant negro | August 26, 1860 | at John Huiets | Accident | |
Joe | slave, boy | September 13, 1860 | at the residence of D. M. Glover | Homicide | |
Joe Elam | February 16, 1882 | at Nicholson premises | Natural Causes | ||
Joe Weston | January 31, 1895 | in Edgefield County | Homicide | ||
Joel Etheridge | November 29, 1893 | at Joel Etheridge Residence | Unknown | ||
Joel Roper Sr. | August 30, 1845 | at the house of Joel Roper Sr | Suicide | rope | |
Joel W. Warren | November 9, 1894 | at Joseph Mirren[?] House | Natural Causes | ||
John | slave | September 27, 1863 | at the residence of Johnson A Bland | Accident | |
John Agner | December 26, 1883 | at Mr. John Agner's | Homicide | knife | |
John Brown | December 20, 1844 | at the house of John Brown | Natural Causes | ||
John Butler | October 23, 1850 | at the House of Mr Seth Butler | Homicide | knife | |
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
John David Twiggs | September 15, 1864 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
John E. Elsmore | November 28, 1869 | at the house of John E. Elsmore | Homicide | pistol | |
John E. Paul | June 14, 1892 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
John G. Riddle | July 3, 1860 | at the residence of Mr Richard Burton | Natural Causes | ||
John H Webb | January 22, 1882 | at James Webb Residence | Accident | ||
John H. Anderson | March 21, 1891 | at Tom Anderson place | Homicide | ||
John Henry King | October 29, 1865 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
John Hester | May 13, 1846 | at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy | Accident | ||
John J. Cobb | July 23, 1843 | at William Elkins Mill Pond | Suicide | ||
John Laudrum | October 11, 1869 | at Dons Steam Mills near Rocky Creek | Homicide | knife | |
John M. Tillman | May 6, 1860 | at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill | Homicide | ||
John Matthews | October 13, 1829 | at the house of William Adams | Other | ||
John McKinny | September 26, 1894 | at W P. Lipfords[?] | Homicide | ||
John McManas | December 4, 1883 | at the Jail | Accident | ||
John Radford | April 12, 1860 | at the residence of John Radford | Accident | wagon | |
John Randall | October 19, 1857 | at the dwelling house of John Randall | Suicide | razor | |
John Rufus Russell | October 10, 1884 | at John L Russell House | Accident | ||
John Scott | May 10, 1851 | at Vaucluse[?] Factory | Accident | horse | |
John Seigler | February 13, 1856 | at J.H. Christians | Accident | buggy | |
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
John Webb | March 26, 1899 | at Edgefield Court House | Homicide | ||
John Whitlock | boy | September 8, 1869 | at Grainteville | Accident | |
John Williams | August 21, 1898 | at S H Nicholson | Homicide | stick | |
John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young | Accident | ||
Johnson Peterson | March 9, 1892 | at Deny[?] S.C. | Homicide | pistol | |
Joseph Jay | October 4, 1860 | at Joseph Jays | Accident | horse | |
Joseph Moore Jr. | April 19, 1846 | at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson | Natural Causes | ||
Joseph Powel | August 18, 1879 | at [??] | Accident | ||
Joseph Riddle | April 10, 1856 | at Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Joseph Ruffington | January 9, 1893 | at Thos O Attaways | Accident |