The Burning of the Kingstree Jail (January 1867)
Burning of the Kingstree Jail: Coroner’s Report
Archival ID: 1867_01_24_Yorkville_Enquirer_P2
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BURNING OF THE KINGSTREE JAIL — REPORT OF THE CORONER’S INQUEST.
At a Jury of Inquest summoned to inquire into the cause and circumstances of the burning of the jail, the following verdict was rendered after four days investigation:
That the twenty-two colored persons confined in the jail of Kingstree came to their deaths by the burning of said jail, wherein they were all consumed, except the portions of three bodies inspected by the jury. They further found that the fire originated between the ceiling overhead of the second floor and the floor of the third story; that it was communicated by some of the prisoners confined in the jail, but whether communicated by accident or design, the jury are unable to agree upon any conclusion. They also stated that had the jailor been in his proper place at the jail, and with the keys in his possession, when the jail was first discovered to be on fire, and when the alarm had first been given, the three women, and perhaps more of the prisoners, could have been saved, and that for this neglect and dereliction of duty, the Sheriff and Jailor are censurable.
In witness whereof I, T. B. Logan, District Judge for said District, acting as Coroner, and the Jurors aforesaid to this inquisition, have interchangeably put our hands and seals, this eleventh day of January, A. D. 1867.
T. B. LOGAN,
District Judge and Acting Coroner.
Edw. J. Porter, Foreman; W. M. Kinder, I. Nelson, Wm. F. Ervin, D. M. Duke, J. C. McCants, E. R. Lesesne, Jos. G. Kirkland, J. M. Staggers, M. J. Hirsch, M. Schwartz, Jas. M. Nelson, S. E. DeRackin.
Why This News Matters
This report documents a profound tragedy in early Reconstruction-era Williamsburg County. The loss of twenty-two lives—individuals who were “all consumed” by fire while in state custody—highlights the extreme vulnerability of African Americans within the post-Civil War legal system. The jury’s finding that the Sheriff and Jailor were “censurable” for their “neglect and dereliction of duty” serves as a rare, documented admission of institutional failure and the lack of protection afforded to Black prisoners.
This 1867 incident occurred during a volatile period of transition in South Carolina. The names of the twenty-two victims are not listed in this specific report, a common archival erasure of the era. Preserving this coroner’s report ensures that this collective loss is not forgotten and provides a baseline for investigating the systemic conditions of the time.
Archival Citation
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