Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-06-04

SLI4P AaAeu, themselves setting this exam
pie, burn their clothes and shoes, and 20
some fifteen or twenty yards to a cold
spring, where, with exhortation, PRAYER
an1 song they washed and were cleansed
again Returning to the house they put
on new clothes, but had no more Shoes
Nearly al! that night, bitterly cold one,
they remained up, engaged in prayer +; the
next day they passed the same way-eat-
ing nothing from morning until night. At
night, while Sally and her mother dis
cuSsed some passage in Scripture, a dis
pute arose, occasioned as the defendants
told me, by both of them claiming to be
God. The mother thought Sally was the
devil, and ordered her sons and husband
to tie her; they did so, and thrust her, her
hands tied together, out of the door. She
attempted to get in; James seized a bit of
board, and tried to push her away, while
the mother, unable to hold the door
against her, ordered Eli to shoot the devil;
he fired hitting her in the hand, and then
as they described 1t afterwards, 1.-THE devil
scrambled off the doorstep" Soon she
Was back again, putting her bloody hands
In at hole at the top Of the door, when
Eli was again ordered to shoot. 'It seem
ed IKE, said he relating it to some one,
like as II ne had got in he would have de-
stroyed US all. / saw his eyes, as big as
dinner plates" and the mother saw him
| too. ''The real big, black, bald headed
old devil" Nimrod loaded the rifle with
| two bullets, gave it to Eli, who said
"Father, must [ shoot?" ''If nothing else
will do" said he, ''you must shoot" and
said Eli, 'this time pumped him right
between the eyes" The body lay outside
the door until daylight, then the mother
ordered the rest to carry the devil to the
log heap and burn it.
| This they did, all taking part therein
but Polly, whose mind seems to have
given way that night and to whom the
| whole scene seemed, as she testified. a
dream. The remains of Sally we're dis
| covered next day-nothing being left but
bit of the spine and skull, rib or two,
| some portion of the abdomen, and the
outline of the swelling shoulders and hips
! in the ashes Her funeral pile was in a
public place, few yards from the house.
in full view of every passer-by. quar-
ter OF O mlle-even less-distant, was a
dense wood, with many a rocky hollow
and gorge, suited for concealment. Tues
day they were arrested and made frantic
efforts to retain their rifle, apparently re-
gardlng it as sacred. The same day the
whole of the survivors were seen busy
about the old man, James, their hands
and fingers in his mouth, calling out
'Lord have mercy! spit it up!' He sub
mltted quietly to the rest. That day, too,
while visitor asked what had become of
Sally, Jane said: '"Ihe devil is in the cor
ner yonder; we killed him last night -
The old man, who was unconcernedy stop
ping up the hole in the door, said 50 This
is all the old woman's work she has scat
tered witch truck over u.s." That day, too,
Nimrod asked why he was going barefoot
ed in the winter, and what became Of his
Oh NJ, -
sold them to Peter for the price of two
souls" They were taken to Taylorsville,
Alexander county, and confined in jail,
where, few nights afterwards, they all
occupying the cage, u room grated with
iron on the top and sides, the sons killed
their mother by choking her. All that is
known OF this last is, that Eli, being ques-
toned as to it said "When got awake, she
was dead" Indictments were found
against James and his sons for The murder
of Sally, and against his sons for the muir
der OF Jane. Owing to the excitement
prevailing in Alexander county, their
counsels removed their trial to Caldwell
county. Many medical men visited them
in Jail, and six heard the trial and testified
as to their opinion of their sanity. Three
were Of belief that they were insane, two
that they were sane, and one was doubtful
After three days trial before n jury of
unusual intelligence, the examination of
nearly forty witnesses, the arguments of
Messrs. Folk, Dula, Linney and Cilley for
the defence, and Messrs. Caldwell and
Male for the State, and an able and learn
ed charge from the presiding Judge, the
prisoners were acquitted, whereupon the
Solicitor for the State entered nolle pro-
sequi to the second indictment.
In appearance these persons are almost
idiotic. They exhibited neither remorse
nor joy after the death of Sally and Jane,
ard showed no sign of emotion on the
trial. When told by their counsel that
they were free, their only answer was a
vacant look and a "welI !" A medical
witness of skill swcre their grade of intel
lect. as near as he could tell, was not above
that OF child of seven years of age. They
are now under the care of their relatives.