Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-01

y
them, and they may return again into the
sympathy and kindly protection of those
among whom they have so long lived, and
deserve and receive from the people Of the
South every privilege and right to which
they entitle themselves.
Messrs. ToIar. Powers and Watkins.
The following is copy of the petition
in circulation, invoking the Executive
clemency in behalf Of these gentlemen, sup
posed to have been sentenced to death by
the recent Military Commission in Raleigh.
We earnestly hope that some effort will be
made by the friends Of these unfortunate
gentlemen to procure the signatures OF our
citizens to this petition, and trust our read
ers in the various counties will also have 1t
promptly signed and transmitted to the
Governor Of the State. We will gladly as
sist them in giving the petitions the proper
direction if they are forwarded to us !:
To the President of the intel States
TIE undersigned, citizens Of North Carolina'
respectfully represent
That. on Sunday evening, the 10th day Of Feb
rnary Of the present year, respectable Dung
girl, returning from church TO her home in the
vicinity Of Fayetteville, Was met III the suburbs OF
the town, assaulted, dragged from the pubnc
highway, and most brutaIly outraged. That Oh
the night Of the same day one Archie Bebee, a
colored man, was arrested by the police Of Fey
ettevliie, Charged with the commission ct the
crime, and on Monday, February 18th, the SAL
| Archie Eebee brought before certain M2Gls
| trates Of the county of Cumberland fox his pre-
Eminary examination upon the charge before Il en-
toned that at said exam nation the prisoner
| Bebee fully identified by the oath OF the
young lady upon whom the assault had been COM
! rltted and by other testimony, and, by the
Magistrates afoI esaid was committed to await his
strial at the next term Of the superior Coart for
Cumberland county. Your petitioners represent
! that the report Of this crime produced great m
dignatJn III the minds OF the whole community,
and that large crowd OF citizens, both white and
colored, assembled to hear the preliminary exam
nataD Of the accused that ate the examina-
ton the young lady passed through the assem-
bed crowd from the courS room TO q carriage
that handkerchief falling FROM her neck reve aed
t e marks of the brutal clutch Of the rAvishel s
fingers upon her throat, and that lie crowd,
already excited, became frantic with Indignation.
The prisoner, being brought out a few moments
after, was set upon and killed by pistol shot
fred from the midst Of The crowd, and thus swift
retributio1 followed his offence.
Those Of your petitioners who know anything OF
the facts of the killing, asseverato most solenny
that they believe the whole affair to have been the
! offspring Of the excitement OF the moment and
entirely without generalization or concerted ac-
ton.
In tic month Of May last William j. Tolar,
Thomas Powers and David Watkins were arrest
ed by order OF MAJ or General Daniel Z. Sickles,
then commanding the Second Military District,
and in July following were brought to trial before
! q Military Commission assembled in Raleigh,
North Carolina that at said tria! immense
amount Of testimony elected, Of mos. coz tlic
ting character. That after long and labOrI0us
trial the prisoners have been rcmande4 10 pris N,
and it is understood have been found galty and
sentenced to death. That according to the course
of Military trials the decision OF the Court aunOt
4 he aft President
Your petitioners, therefore, uncertain to the
finding OF the Court, but believing it 70 have keen
adverse to the prisoners, desire to blHg the mat
ter before You, and most earnestly to beg. in be
half OF these unfortunate men, your clcmcncy and
pardon.
William J. Tolar, the prisoner charged with the
iiriDg Of the pistol is peaceabe, quiet, orderly
citizen and Christian man, who commands the
respect and esteem of all who know him; he is the
head Of large and helpless family, who now
await III agOnized suspense the fate Of beloved
husband and father. And ycurp CtitOncrs repre-
sent that several highly respectable witnesses
whose characters cannot be impe&cbed, have
sworn most positively that Mr.. Iolar did not ti1c
the shot.
Thomas Powers is the uncle of the outraged ie-
male and her nearest male protector, her father
being long since dead.
David Watkins is q rash and excitable young
man, the principal proof against whom is that
Gtter tie death Of Bejee, he m de some rotous de-
mOnstratiOnS and attempts to cut the body.
Your petitioners do not Justify this inractio4 OIL
the law but they entreat the Presidents pardon
TO these unhappy men they sincerely believe thai
the ends of justice have been more than served
The brutal 1iend, who attempted to CRAFTY his
usts upon the person Of virtue and innocence, lies
in his grave ; an old and respected citizen, ar
rested upon charge Of completely in the killing
of Bebee, incarcerated for several months and q.
length released because 40 shadow Of testimony
could be found against him except that Of an III
famous woman, who Was proven to have sWOrl
falsely now lang aishes on d bed Of sickness, the
result of his imprisonment, with little prospect o.
a suro recovery. Several other CT the most re
spectacle young men Of the town, 60 lying il
jail awaiting trial for the same otfense-the gray
y headed father of one OF them gone to his grave
leaving his innocent the tenant Of felOni
dungeon !; a whole community plunged into thu
, utmost anxiety and distress, and fair young gir
ruined for life Enough Of suffering has been &C
casioned by. this terrible episode in the life Of
6 quiet and peaceful town.
Your petitioners, therefore, beg thai you vii
extend your pardon to all concerned in this trans
action draw a veil over the dark page Teotor
the husband and father to his afflicted family
open the prison doors to these young an;
let them go free. And thus you will add to tn
already heavy weight of gratitude borne to you b.
f. the citizens of North Carolina AID by mercy
mingled with Judgment, teach us to honor an
reverence that government to which we have c
, late pledged renewed and sincere allegiance.