The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-04
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS.

DICT OF GUILTY-ATTEMPT TO KILL TIE PRosEcu-
TING ATTORNEY, AND SUICIDE or TIE MURDERER.
The North State Ephtg of the 30th ult., published
at Wilmington, North Carolina, publishes con-
densed report Of the trial of the Rev. George W. Car
avian, for the murder OF Mr.. G. b Lassiter school
teacher, in Hyde county The whole case is remark
pravity developed and the tra2ic issue of the trial.
Eminent counsel we're arrayed for both the prOsscu-
ton and the defence and much excitement prevailed
during the proceedings. The paper before us gives
Caravan is Sc years old, and for many years has
been popular preacher in the Baptist church,
man of strong will, exercising powerful influence
over his ffiend5 feared much as hated by his
foes. Lasster was quiet young man, engaged in
the business of teschiDe Some months before the
murder Lassiter boarded in the house Of Cara van,
and quarrel arose between them, Caravan alleging
that Lassiter was too familiar with his (C.s) wife,
Caravan talked very freely among his neighbors On
the suhject-sSid that l. ought to be shot-tnat
shooting was too good for him, and that he and l..
could not both live in the same neighborhood, &C.,
&C., and finally uied to get out peace warrant
against L., alleging that oe had attempted to take
his life. He welt on this way for some time, when
L. sued him fer SANDER laying the damages at So 900.
few hours afier the writ was served on c., LASH
ter was killed.
He had finished a school on Rose Bay, and on
Monday the 18th Of November, 1862 started on foot,
With carpet bag IL his band to go to the Lake where
Re had engaged another school. About three O'Clock
p. he passed C.'s bouse on his way to the Lake.
Shortly sitter he passed, G. left his house, and went
across the field t.ward the woods which lie between
the house and the spot on the road where L. was
killed, his wife following with gun wrapped up in
Der apron. She returned to the house imne ia.eIy;
Caravan not till sundoHn. That night he was absent
from hcme,
TUESDAY he remained of home; but on Wednesday,
rainy cay, be took hoe and went mo the woods,
aud was gone several hours. On Thursday, before L.
was missed (tbe people on the Lake thinking he was
at The Bay and the people on the Bay thinking he
was 81 The Lske0 c. went to one Of the neighbors,
bal t1.sv ~nP
that his (C's) family had him pass his house on
Monday with package of clothes, and he was think
ing be had run away. On Friday evening" when told
that the people were searching for J. he expressed
great surprise that he should be missing never had
heard any thing Of IT,
On Saturday morning, the search for J.. still going
on, Re wrote to friend to come and see him-that
J.. was nissi0g-s supposed to be killed-and added
that be co. was at hvme all day Monday, Tuesday,
and Wednesday and that he could prove it by Cara.
wan Sawyer (the main witness On the trial for the
Sute) bis nsphew, boy who was living with him.
The body OF L. was found on Saturday evening in
the smps behind C.'s bouse, in an ZEN lot which
was surrounded with briars. underbush, &c. aud
covered with moss. The moss over the grave had
been carefully removed, the grave dug just large
enough to hold the bosy, the body pressed into It,
the grave filed up even with the surrounding earth
and pressed down and the moss carefully laid back
upon it. The moss leaving no ira &C of foot print
there no sign that any body had ever 0een there,
except that the moss over the grave had faded
and dead limb Of tree had apparently been re-
Gently disturbed the bark which had evidently ast
fallen from it lying in one spot and the NIB in an
other The mep who were searching for the body had
stopped in this lonely spot TO rest, bavisg given up
the sesrch for the day, when these ap at
tracted til cir ,tention, aud the body was found.
J.. was killed by gunshot wounds. Several shots
were taken from the body, three from the heart.
There three sizes of shot founi in the body and
in Of the barrels Of Cs gun, found in his house.
just such shot and of three Sizes were found That
night c. left Hyde county, telling his nephew, (Saw
yer that if he staid there he shoad be hung; that
he should send for his family. and he (S3 must go
with them. On Sunday morning he landed from
canoe at Durham's Creek mills, in Beaufort county,
abb ut thirty miles from his home, telling the man
who rowed him over that he was after a piece OF
land which another man vas trying to buy, and that
was the reason OF bis hurry, and charging him to
keep bis movements secret.
FRI this time till his arrest at night in his house.
in January following. the Safe did not show his
whtesbouts But from letters received by the sheriff
Of Hyde from 1eDnesse e, il seems ne had been in
that State preaching under the assumed name Of
John Forces.
After mis- imprisonment in Hyde county Jail, he
trtdto get friend to hire the witness Sawyer to go
away. He had offered this same witness, before the
body Of l.. vas found resro, II he would swear
tlat he Co was at home all Monday the day on
which the murder was committed. And while in
Gyd jail he wrote to friend (t,e letters were pro-
Guced in Court,) TO get Sawyer out OF the way He
bad given be said, in one Of his letters, Mary CHS
Wlt) s5VV 10 get SaVyer OH; II Lnat WOuldn I 90,
give him 81 600; and II that wouldn't do, he CHS
friend) must get rid of Sawyer by hook or by
crook ard not suffer his &C s) ne ok to be broke.
The defence set up for the prisoner was that three
Of the witnesses GncludDg 5awyer) had sworn false
ly, committed wfsl and deliberate perjury andthat
il wM impossible for Caravan to have gone through
the woods after Lasaiter passed his house quick
enough to have cut him fl.
The jury, after o protracted sitting, brought in O
verdict Of guilty, and the judge ordered recess OF
the court for an hour. Az the crowd was leaving,
the prisoner suddenly drew two pistols one Of which
be fred ut Mr.. Warren, the counsel for the State,
ard with the other shot himself through the head
killing himself instantly. The ball Of the other
struck Mr.. Warren on the breast just above the
heart, but fortunately glanced off and left only
slight wouod. The North State Wing says -
Caravan maintained his self control throughout
the trial. He was as fine q looking man as one
would frd among ard-ta admirably built,
wtb massive head, sho wing, with enormous animal
passions, large intellect These passions have de-
stroytd him he having given himself all his life to
their unDridled swsy. His wife, apparently about
his own age and bis children, having been with him
during the fIial, accompanying him to and from the
court house and jail
A report that the wife Of Professor Butler, who
was murdered Mt Louisville by one Of the Wards, had
died Of grief has obtained currency. It |, con.