Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-02


Eith me in the Court House. Invent down
irst and they followed went straight on
home because had NV horse DO feed. II
Don't know exactly where Stephens
sat in the Court House; was by the
door and he was on the other end
OF the bench; he was right before
me on my right hand ne had Q news
I might have said I heard DR.. Roam say
something about the oolored people having
the Court House, dont reconecs don't
know whether said 90 awhile ago or not;
I might Don't know II / said before the
inquest that I went out while Hili was
speaking, might have said SO; 10 has been
so long can't recollect; think I went ont
said the colored people could have the
Court House, raid they could have 10 that
evening. The colored people were going
TO have 6 meeting nc the academy. did
not see Wiley after he turned down the
passage.
Question=Did'nt yOu say before that
You saw Wiley afterward out on the
square.
Answer-Don't think said 90, might
have said it. don't recolIect; did see him
before Mitchells before gave in my taxes;
don't think said / saw him afterward, but
I might have said il; didn't say I saw
them 60 into the room where the body was
found; don't think said before. that
didn't see them 90 into o room; might
have said it, don't recollect; might have
sworn before that we all went down while
Hill was speaking. didn't tell before all
7 have told here, wasn't questioned 80
much. The Sunday after the murder I
told Isaiah Graves that / saw them 60 down
together, but he said didn't tell him that
about their going into the room; he's said
that Monday.
Question-Did'nt you deny before the
inquest that you saw them go into the
room-did'nt Daniel johnson AJAX yo1 the
question and didn't you deny it2
Answer might have denied il; won't
say didn't; it has been so long I can't
remember, but don't think anybody asked
me the question.
Witness then explained about his being
summoned and how he got here.)
Resumed. T just turned my head az I
went out, saw them turn the corner into
the passage as saw them; dds look back
any more; they were about Is feet from
me, think Kerr was speaking when went
down.
| Re. DIRECT.
told Humphrey Lea, on Sunday, about
seeing them go into the room didnt tell
any one else; didn't tell the lawyers, only
MIR. Hill he didn't ask me about seeing
them go into the room.
BY THE COURT.
was afraid about that time was afraid
of the coIored people and whites too am
easy to scare was not afraid OF the Ku-
Klux.
Humphrey Lee examined. Iheard CAL
vim talking to Mr.. Graves on Sunday, heard
him say to Mr.. Graves that he saw Wiley
and Stephens go down and go into room;
heard Graves say something in return but
don't know what it was.
CRoss-ExAAGNED.
@. Calvin said here just now that he
didn't tell Graves about seeing Wiley and
Stephens go into a room.
Witness. He did tell Graves so, heard
} him, asked him after Graves was gone
what it was he said and he told me the
same words.
Thomas Stephens sworn and examined.
/ Am brother to the deceased; was in the
= Court room in the afternoon of the day OF
the meeting; after the close of the meet
ing went to my tobacco field 300 yards of
and while there heard the town clock strike
five. Went back up to Groom's tailor
< shop and while there q boy that lived with
. deceased came and asked me if had seen
him. The sun was then half hour or
three quarters high. Stayed at the Court
t House that night till O'clock and then
went to the house of the deceased and
stayed there till after day.
8 GROSS RXAMINKDs
8 Groom's shop is on the street about 30
r yards from the Court House; the boy went
= towards MitchelPs after he told me of John
, being missing. I went home about dusk.
Q and while eating supper Horny came and
II we went together to the public square,
? went round the Court House TO Meals
l. store and made enquiries; it was then near
8 O'Clock and before the guard was placed
around the Court House. Was with those
!. who searched the Court House; saw them
= look in at the window, the box was brought
d from opposite the grand jury room; thinl
q they looked in at both windows; stayed
/; till 2 o'clock. saw no one in the Cour
= House, Bemphill was with me and Henry
10 till 2 o'clock, when I left; dont know
y what Hemphill did after that
ID Jerry Graves or Poteet examined. Wen
0t with Calvin Miles after wood to the Clerl
ID and Masters room in April last we boil
- got turns of wood and came out dom
f. know whether he locked the door or not
n carried the wood 10 the store didn't hea
re- anything said about the key. This was II
B. the afternoon, about three weeks befor
Stephens death. When Calvin testifiet
before the inquest and said that no on
Ia went with him after wood, told him b
IN had forgot, that was with him. He sal
20 he was talking about another time, bu
when we went over to the shoe shop wher
n. there were o number of colored people. b
Of denied that was with him. We took th
- wood from near the middle Of the pile
IN there was a right smart gap in the pile
na wood where we took it from.
be FOR THE DEFEEsE.
Ii Col. r. B. Watt recalled. Was pressr
G. during the entire sitting Of the jury OF in
w quest on the body of Stephens; hear
ITS Calvin Bigelow's testimony he was que'
70. toned about seeing Wiley and Stephen
Inn going into the room and denied moi
positively. The question was repeated an
pressed by Daniel Johnston, or one OF th
"a. colored jurors, and again denied it. y
;Io was asked if he had not said he saw 81
at men carry Stephens into the room and az
,as swered he had not /; then he Was aske
again if he had not said he saw Wiley az
Stephens go into the room ; answered =