The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-04-25

night last. a lew articles OF iurniiure anu
bedding were saved from the dwelling. We
learn that Mrs, Fore had $4,000 in money
and notes Of hand to the amount OF S3o,oOo
burned up. The fire originated in the kitchen
and had made such progress when discovered
and burned so rapidly that the inmates of the
dwelling had barely time TO escape.
FouYD GUILTY AND SENTENcED.--We
stated last week that the negro boy, Jack,
charged with the murder of VIM. Rowland,
on the night of the goth February last, was
on trial when our paper went 10 press on
Friday morning the jury returned verdict
of guilty as charged in the bill ofindictmen'.
Saturday morning the prisoner was brought
to The bar, and sentenced to be hung on Fri
day, the Goth dav Of June next. lie was ap-
parently but little affected by the sentence or
the impressive remarks of the Judge.
Up to the time sentence of death was pro.
nounced upon him, the negro steadily de-
clared that a white man by the name of WIN.
Williams, who lived in the neighborbood of
the scene of the murder, was concerned in
killing Rowland, and some circumstances
having transpired to coroborate portion of
his story, Williams was placed under arrest,
and true bill found against him. Ills case,
however, was continued until the next term
of the Court. But after sentence bad been
pronounced on the negro and Court had nd.
iourned, he made another "confessOn," in
which he says that the white man had moth.
ing to do with the killing-that he knew
nothing about it, and never suggested murder.
ing Rowland or anybody else; but that vii.
liams had held conversations with him and
another negro about going to Free State,
and had told them if they would raise n GER
tain amount of money he would take them
there. Williams is native of North Caro-.
linn, but has been living in East Tennessee
for some time, and possesses but little sense
or intelligence, as was evidenced by his ex-
animation on the trial of the negro. Jack
states that he went to Rowland's store on
the night of the murder, taking nm axe with
him-that he asked Rowland to credit him
for fifty cents worth of sugar, and that he
declined TO do so--thut he told Rowland he
would 60 and get the money and return
that he left the store, started home, went n
sholt distance, and concluded to return and
kill him. That he called Rowland up, tell
ing him he bad borrowed the money. Row.
land let him in, and while he was in the act Of
STOPPING to go under the counter, he struck
him on the back of the head with the pole
of The axe, "knocking him Dead" and thai
he then cut his throat with the axe. lie ther
robbed the store of what money he coult
find and left. In his previous statement, h'
said that Williams knocked Rowland dowI
with stick, and that he, Jack, cut his throa
with large knife, contending that the blow
from The stick killed him, MS he never moved
after falling. And here may be found thu
negro's idea or motive for duplicating th
white man. The evidence of all who exam
ined the wounds on the neck of the murder
ed man was conclusive that the cutting coult
not have been done with knife, but that
Ratchet or axe had been used. There can b.
but little doubt that the negro's last state
ment about the Killing is true-tlat he con
ceved and carried it out himself, although
no still alleges that he had The conversation
with Williams about taking him to a Free
State; but thatWillmms did not counsel him /,
kill Rowland or anybody else.
There has been good deal of feelin:
against Williams from his supposed compli
city with the murder, grounded principal,
on the negro's story, and there are persons
who doubt the truth of the latter's last state
ment, when there can be no inducement 70
him to lie, although they gave ready credcnc
to what hc said prior to his condemnation
and when it was natural for him to tbinl
that il he could implicate the white man n
having led him into il and dealt the blow
which he said killed Rowland, public sympa
thy might be excited in his behalf. Opinions
formed under excitement are always reluc
family yielded, but We have no doubt ever!
thing in relation to the murder, u there j
any thing yet undeveloped, will be brough
to light and the ends of justice be served. ]
is horrid thing to iasten even the instigatioI
of such crime on q man when there is
possibility of his innocence.
WHEAr..-As far Ms we have had m oppor
tunity Of observing, the growing wheat look
very well; and we think the apprehension
that il had been seriously injured by the Sc
-paye winter wns premnture,