Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1853-12-09
Exciting Irial--A CI5rgyu man .o4Vlg-o~
Of M-urder--Eis Attempted Il urder CT
the Prosecuting Officer, and Suicide.


The Washington N. C.) Whig brings us an ac-
count of the trial Of The Rev. George W. Caravan
for the murder of c H. Lassiter, IN HYDE county,
North Carolina, in November Of last year. Car
avian was first arraignod before the Superior
Court of hyde, at the spring term Of this year,
and on his affidavit that he could not have justice
done him in Hyde, the case was removed TO Beau
fort.
The trial commenced on Wednesday, the 23d
ulimo, in the Superior Court. before Judge Baily.
and was brought to a close on Wednesday, the
30th, having lasted Just one week.
Caravan is fifty six years old, and for many
years has been popular preacher in the Baptist
Church-a man ofstrong viii, exercising pow
erful influence over his friends, and feared
much as hated by his foes. Lassiter was a quiet
young man engaged in the business of teaching.
Some months before the murder, Lasster boarded
in the house Of Caravan, and quarrel arose be
tween them, Caravan alleging thai Lasster was
too familiar with his (C.'s) wife. Caravan talk
ed very freely among his neghbors on the subject;
said that L. ought to be shot that shooting was
too good for him, aud that he and L. could not
live in the neighLorhood, &c, and finally
tried to get out peace warrant against l., allcg-
ing that he had attempted TO take his life. lie
went this way for some time, when I. sued
him for sander, laying the damages at 50 coo. 4
few hours after the writ was served on c., Lassi-
ter was killed.
g lie had finisheda school or Rose Bay, and on
Monday, the 18th of November I852) started
on foot, with a carpet bag in his hand, to 60 to
the Lake, where he had engaged anobor school.
About o'clock, P. NJ lie passed C.'s house, on
his way to the Lake. Shortly after he passed. c.
left his house and went across the field towards
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 her apron
She returned to the house immediately Caravan
not until sundown. That night he was gone
the witness could not tell how long: he was not
at home when the witness went to bed. Tues
day he remained al home, but ON Wednesday
rainy day, he took hoe and went into The woods
and was gone several hours. Thursday, before
l. was missing, (the people on the Lake think
ing he was al the Bay, and the people on the Bay
thinking he was at the Lake, c. went to one Of
the neighbors and inquired if he had seen any
thing of l., stating that his &c. 50 family had seen
him pass his house on Monday with package Of
clothes, and he was thinking he had run away.
searching for l.. he expressed great surprise that
he should be missing never had heard anything
oft. Saturday morning, the search for L. still
going on, he wrote to friend to come and see
him that l. missing, supposed to be killed
and added that he co. was at home all day Mon
day, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and that he could
prove it by Caravan Sawyer, (the main witness
on the trial for the State) his nephew, a boy who
was living with him.
Z. Tho body Of L. was found Saturday evening
back Of c. S house, in an open spot which was
surrounded with briars underbr,Sh. &c. and
which was covered with moss. The moss over
the grave had been carefully removed, the grave
dugj just large enough TO hold the body, the body
pressed into it, the grave filled up even with the
| surrounding earth. and pressed down and The
moss carefully laid back uron it. The moss
leaving trace ola foot print, there was no sign
that anybody had ever been there, except that
the moss over the grave had faded little. and
about handful of fresh dirt was near 1t. and 4
dead limb Of a tree had apparently been recently
disturbed, the bark, which had evidently recently
fallen Off lying in one spot and the limb in an
other. The men who were searching for the bo-
dy lad stopped in this lonely spot 10 rest having
given up the search fer the day. when these ap-
pearances attracted their attention, aud the body
found.
q L. was killed by gunshot wounds. Several
shot were taken from the body, three from the
heart There were three sizes Of shot found in
the body, and in one of the barrels Of /. C.'s gun
found in the house just such shot, and of three
sizes, were found. That night c. left Hyde coun-
ty telling his nephew Sawyer that if he staid
there he should be hung; that he should send for
his family, and he IS must go with them. Sun
day morning he landed from a canoe at Dur.hams
Creek Mills, in Beaufort county, about thirty
miles from his home telling the man who rowed
mm over that he was after piece of land which
another man trying 10 buy, and that was the
reason of his hurry, and charging him to keep
his movements a secret.
g From this iime till his arrest at night in his
house, in January following, the State did not
know his whereabouts. But from letters receiv-
ed by the Sheriff of Hyde from Tennessee. it
seems he had been in that S ate preaching, rnder
the assumed name Of John Forbes.
:. After his imprisonment in Hyde county iail,
he tried get friend to hire the witness SAWYER
to go away. He had offered this same witness.
before the body of l.. was found, negro if he
would swear he (C.) was home all day, Monday,
the murder was committed And whilst in HYDE
Jail he wrote to friend (the letters were produ-
ced in COURT for get Sawyer out of the way He
had given, he said in one of the letters, Mary
(his wife) $500 to get Sawyer off; if that would
not do, give him $1,000; and if that would not do,
he (his friend must get rid of Sawyer by hook or
by crook, and not suffer his (C.'s) neck to be
broke p"