The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-03-03
violence in AIamance.

re- a violence in Aiamahce. gEd f8f
Some two weeks ago we noticed in; the
STANDARD that lawless bands of men were
committing deeds of violence in Alamance
county. We then stated that colored man
had been taken out of his house at night.
hung up by the neck and severely whipped
by men disguised. The notice that we then
took of the ill and barbarous treatment of
Caswell Holt, the colored man referred to,
by this lawless band of f. z. KS, was re-
piled to by ]. A. Moore, the Representative
from that county, through the Sentinel. Mr.
Moore, in his reply had the assurance to JUS
tify the act-that the man lynched and
hung up by the neck had been guilty of un-
constitutionally appropriating other peoples
property to his own use. I've
At the time Mr. Moore published this
card in the Sentinel, the facts were then be-
ing investigated before P. R. Harden, one of
the Justices OF the county. Upon the trial
and examination had before Mr. Harden, it
was in proof that fourteen or fifteen men
disguised, at the dead hour of night, took
this man, Caswel Holt, out of his bed; that
they stripped him and tied his hands
betwcs q his legs, and that each of the men,
at the command of their leader, (the only
one who spoke inflicted FIVE lashes each,
in all about seventy five lashes; that after
they had thus lacerated his back, two of the
men took stick, held in the hands of each,
and rubbed his back from his shoulders
down, subjecting him to an infiction of pain
cruel and barbarous, besides hanging him
three several times by the neck and beat
ing him in the face, as appeared by
the marks of violence exhibited week
after. The man was cruelty beaten. and so
seriously injured that he did not recover for
several weeks. For this outrageous wrong
the member from Alamance becomes the
apologist, and adds, under the weight of his
name and position, that it was punishment
inflicted for appropriating the property of
other people On the trial before Squire
Harden, it was in proof that but one case of
larceny had been perpetrated in the neigh
borhood during the past year, and that of a
few bushels of wheat. The owner of the
wheat testified that the man who had been
beaten and outraged, had not been sus-
pected. 1t was further had in proof that the
man thus punished was ignorant of the fact
that the wheat had been stolen Some six
or eight suspected parties and others were
examined before the examining court, held
by Squire Harden. On their oath they
| swore that they knew nothing of the whip
ping of the colored man, nor did they know
of any man or set of men known as the K.
Z. KS, or by any other name, who were
committing these deeds of violence in the
county. We are informed that this is the
third case of violence by whipping in the
county, committed by men disguised, within
the last few weeks. The first, colored man
by the name of Sandy Sellers, the next, a
white man named Leonard Rippy, and the
one we are now noticing. But this does not
satisfy them. Still bent on evil, they went
to the dwelling of Joseph McAdams, one of
the Justices of the Peace, most unoffend-
ing man, placed newly made c.,ffin, with
threatening language written on it, at his
door, after he and his family had retired for
the night, and, upon going out, (being
aroused by the noise0 four or five shots were
fired Mr. McA6ams is held in constant
dread, so much so that he has called on
neighbors to remain with his family while
has been endeavoring to secure home in
another part of the county. Threatening
letters have been thrown in the houses of
other citizens because they have dared to
aid in investigating and ferreting out these
outrages. -if l"7 ei
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