Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-03
EXCITING TRIAL FOR MURDER. AND SUICIDE OF
THE CRIMINAL IN Court

The Washington IN. C) Wing brings us an account Of
the trial Of the Rec George w. Caraan for the murder Of
q. H. Lassfer in Hyde county, North Carolina in No
yember Of last year Caravan first araigned before
the Superior Court Of HYDE at the spring term Of this
year. and his affidavit that he could not have
done him in Hyde the case removed to Beaufort
The trial commenced on Wednesday, the 23d utmo. in
Superior Court before Judge BAILEY and was brought
to close on Wednesday, the 3oth having lasted just one
week The counsel for the State were, Geo. S. Steven
son, (Socitor) E. ]. Warren and D. NJ. Garter, Esos.
and Tor the defence James W. Bryan b. Satterhwaite
W Rodman, and R. S. Donnel, Esqs
After the examination OF witnesses and the arguments
OF counsel the case, at halfpat six o'clock Tuesday
evening, was given to the jury who had been charged
strongly In favor Of the prisoner by the Judge who re-
cpal witness for the State The jury however had only
in consultation about thirty minutes when the Court
reassembled and the Jury summoned before IT. The
Judge then told the Jury that no had called them hack
to correct into which he had fallen in his charge
in regard to the law applicable the attempted
mont OF the main witness for the State which law the
Judge then fully explained and said that it did not re-
quire them as he had first charged to reject the test
mony OF that Witness but allowed them to weigh 1t and
give IT the consideration which they might think it ent-
titled to. The Jury again retired.
The testimony given the trial is very voluminous
and is to be printed in pamphlet FORM The Washington
Wing gives the following synopsis it, which was written
but not published before the verdict rendered:
Caravan fifty six years old and for many years has
been popular preacher in the Baptist Church-a man
strong will exercising powerful influence friends
and feared much hated by his foes Lassiter was
quiet young engaged the business Of teaching Some
months before the murder Laster boarded in house Of
Caravan and quarrel between them, aeg-
ing that Lassiter too familiar with his (O wife, Cara
talked very freely among his neghbos on the subject
said that ought to be shot that shooting good
hun and that he and l. could not both live in neigh
oornood &c and finally tried to get out warrant
against L., alleging that he had attempted his life.
lie went on in this for time when l. sued him for
SANDER laying the damages Mt 600. few hours after
tne VIII was served on C- lassiter was killed.
Ho had finished school Rose Bay, and on Monday,
the 10th Of November 1889 started foot with carpet
bag in bis hand the Lake. where he had an
other school About o'clock P NJ he passed house, on
his to the Lake. Shortly passed left his house
and went the the which lie between
the house and the spot on the road where L. killed. his
turned to the hous. po until sne
down. That night he gone, the witness could tell
now ne was not at home when the witness went bed
tuesday he remained at home, but Wednesday rainy
day he took hoe and into the woods and was gone
several hours Thursday before L missing he people
on the Lake thinking he the Bay the people on
the Bay thinking he at the Lake, c. Of the
neghbors and inquired he had any thing L. stating
day with package Of clothes and he thinking he had
run away Friday evening" when told that the people were
be musings had heard any thing it, Saturday
ing the search for L. still going on, he friend to
come and see him; that was missing, supposed to be kill
ed and added that he CO. at home all day Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday and that he could prove by
wan Sawyer 1.-THE main witness the trial for the sate his
nephew, a boy who was living with him.
The body OF L. was found Satursay esc,no 4 ia AZ
| mall knf a. y bc-.
= " --.ase, IN an open spot which was surrounded
brafs, undebrush, DC, and which covered with
the dug just large enough hold the body the body
pressed into it, the grave filed up with the surrounding
earth and pressed down. and the carefully laid back
upon it. The moss leaving trace of foot print there
no sign that any body had been there except that the
moss the had faded little and about handful Of
fresh dirt it, and dead limb Of had appa-
reny been recently disturbed the bark which had evidently
just fallen of it, lying spot and the limb in another
The who searching the body stopped
day
when these appearances attracted their attention, and the
body was found
taken from the body three from the heart There three
sizes Of shot found in the body and in Of the barrels of
were found. That night c. left Hyde county, telling his
nephew snwyer that if he std there he should be hung
that he should send for his family and he Isl 20 with
them Sunday morning he landed from Durhams
Creek Mills in Beaufort county about thirty miles his
home telling the man who rowed him that he
after piece of land which another trying buy
and that was the of his hurry and charging him
Keep his movements q secret
"From this time till his arrest at night in his house in
january following the State did show his whereabouts
But from letters received by the sheriff Of Hyde from Ten
nesse IT seems hS had been in that State preaching under
the assumed name Of John Forbes.
After his imprisonment Hyde county Jail he tried to
get Trend TO hire the witness Sawyer 20 away. He had
offered this same witness before the body Of L. found
negro If he would he (C) home all day Monday
tue murder was committed And whilst in Hyde Jail he
70 friend 1.-THE letters produced in Court get Sawyer
out Of the way lie had given, he sad letters
Mary This wife) $500 get Sawyer off If that would NOT do
give him $1,000 and il that would do, he This frend)
get rid Of Sawyer by hook or by crook and not suffer
his (C.'s) neck to be broke"
The above the main facts brought out by the mass
OF testimony the trial The defence set up for the
prisoner that three of the witnesses Including Saw
yer bad sworn falsely that they had committed wiful
and deliberate perjury that 1t impossible for Cara
wan to have gone through the woods after Lasstr pass
ed his house quick enough to have him off and tho
danger Of convictng Of murder on circumstantal
evidence learnedly, ingeniousy, and deliberately
dwet upon. But the Wing states that the general-t
might say unanimous-opinon of those who heard the
trial is that Caravan guilty Of the murder He how
ever, maintained his sefcontrol throughout even when
the clothes by Lasser when he was killed were
hibed in court pierced with bullet holes and stained
with blood. lie is thus described in the Whg
Caravan fine looking man as one would ind among
a housand-all admirably built with massive head show
ing with enormous animal passions large intellect These
passions have destroyed him, having given himself all his
life TO their unbrdled sway His wife, apparently his
age, and his three children him during
the trial. accompanying him to and from the and
jail. Ii is melancholy sight"
At half past eight o'clock last Wednesday morning the
Jury returned into court with verdict of guilty The
Jury was then polled and discharged by the Judge.
of the Court for hour then ordered and the
crowd commenced leaving the courtroom, when two
ports Of pistols heard in quick succession 1t
found that Caravan had two sefcockng barrel
pistols One Of them he had discharged at j. WARREN
Esq, 1.-THE counsel for the prosecution who had made
the closing address to the Jury,) who but slightly
wounded the ball having struck just above his heart and
glanced and with the other Caravan had shot hole
through his head the prsonersboxl
HoMIcDE.-A difficulty occurred in this place Tues
day night between Dr. A. p Wye and Avery Parham,
which weregre to state resulted in the death Of the lat