Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-07-22
turner 40 Hidden.
HILLsBoEO, II. c., July 10Th. lS7t

TO G0vERNoR HoLDEN:-I received. will
proper loathing and profound contempt
your telegram asking for the particulars 81
acts OF violence offered to my family bv
some unknown a3saeSiI- firing gun into
my house of MIS- Turner. I was no: III
home when it occurred. l believe it 20
have been the net Of some Gocnbar o? tho
secret JacObinical oUb3 which your Excel
lency organized, swearing 70 and with them
20 stand up TO and defend each other,
Through summers hest and winter s
cold" &C., and if you failed, or any q
them failed, tho peraIty was 20 b. "pierGcd
through the heart.
II [ should faiI 10 observe the dignity
and moderation Of expression which be
comes a citizen undressing the Chief tx
eoUtive OF the State, your Excellency may
attribute it to anger ana Indignation, iusi
ly aroused Ey recent acts Of outrage &c
which l and ny family have been eubjec
ted, rather than TO want OF ciyi!lty and
common politcnees.
Myself and family have been subjected
TO many threats Gnd several acts Of VIC
lcnce, and even assassination has been at
tempted upon US.
Your Excellency has personal acqunin-
lance with Dennis Hanos, a oolored Re
publican who has been ~ ice convicted by
jury Of his country for larceny il break
ing into the store Of James Parks and
stealing shoes therefrom. You ere aware
that our carpet bag Judge, Tourgee. set
aside tho verdict after conviction, aud did
no! require Dennis to give bail for his ap-
pearance at court.
! told Solicitor Bulla if he did not issue
a special capias for the arrest Of Dennis
Haues I would expose him as coliuding
and conspiring with the Judge for the es-
cape of villain aud thief The capias was
issued, bnt Dennis disappeared, and had
not been seen III Orange until thG night
after the firing into my house.
1t is due to Solicitor BuIia 30 state that
he has always, in my presence, condemned
the action of the Judge III sottipg aside the
verdict III this case.
There is another character with whom
your Excellency has personal and official
acquaintance; / mean John Lodbotter, Of
Henderson county, convicted ana sentenc-
ed by Judge Henry to twenty five years III
the Particularly. You will recoIIect he
reached Raleigh, in charge of the Sheriff
OF Henderson county, OH the 18th day of
December last, and on the same day you
pardOntd and discharged him, assigning
a3 reason for it ii your report 10 the
General Assembly that Lodbetter was an
idiot and only fOnrteeD years Old. six Gnys
after yon discharged him he was arrested
for stealing, md lodged in Orange jail,
when he had grown to be big butly ne
gro fellow, weighing about $50 pounds,
como twenty or twenty five years Old, aud
not a: al! more idiotic than those OF his
cla.s generally ! What wonderful change
in six days, il your report be true
Here he remained six months or moro,
! when he broke jail and made his escape.
at the same time releasing some dozen
horse thieves, telons, &c.
Among these fe!cns released by Ledbet-
tc: was one Bill! Hall, who was in Jail for
ri attempt 10 Assassinate Dr. Montgomery
on the highway. Z.
For several weeks before the firing into
my house band Of armed negroes were
frequently seen about and around my
I house. armed. and with cauteC1s and ha
vcrsacks, usually amDushol ncay The road
| passed in going to my home Two 81
them were discovered by O woman and
! Child, lying in al cot Geld IL sight Of my
house. one Of whom was recognized RGJ oha
Ledbo:tor. Bill Hoil lives only sh1cc miles
from me, and Dennls Hanea only one mile.
! I Will mention another theory believed
by some to be the reaFon OF the peril 10
myself and family. -FOUR ExcoIlancy Las
stated privately IN conversation. and pub
liclv in the editorial columns Of y0nr CT
gan, the Standard, that / wac - King ot
! tho ku Klux - ana your organ has also
stated that l assa8ainatod Stephens, or
caused it TO be done. These cQiumnies
y
btothe, hood OF the Leagues to sock EL6ir
revenge upon mo and minc, concluding, Gs
! they might logically do, from the pubIica-
! lions IN the Standard, lusS mentioned ana
your course on q certain memorable 0cca8-
! ion before the Mayor III Raleigh, that such
! acts on their part would be highly pleasing
| to you. Sometime ego the Sheriff and
posse went in pursuit OF Ledbetter and MS
band, who were seen and fred OF, but
| kT,ax poHf Wow rNc ~ryS.
! Governor. how difficult it must be for a
civil officer TO capture e feIOn, who has SO
many sworn brothers, black and white,
ana some Of them in high positions, sworn
TO island by and dofend them, through
summers heat ana winters cold" under
a penalty, in case Of faunrc, Of being
/ ''pierccd through the heart"
Ny family has net wanted protection N
my absence, eirce the danger has become
so apparent. My neighbors have been
| 7igilant, much so, standing about my house
and grounds, at night, although neither /
nor my family were aware Of it at the
time.
The civil law in Orange is ample for the
protection Of all her citizens. It only
needs that offenders be pointed ont to be
arrested and punished.
! With the strong arm of tho civil law to
protect me, you may Judge of my aston
ishment when Gen. Clarke, your militia
Colonel. telegraphed me that detach-
ment of twenty men were on their way for
the protection of my family, and that the
commanding officer was ordered to report
to me.
Sure enough, your militia arrived about
daybreak, Saturday morning. I informed
the General that, as they had been sent
for my protection, would defray all the
expense of them from Raleigh and back, if
they would return forthwith. was not
willing that the people of Orange should
be taxed to feed and pay soldiers for my
protection. My proposition was not &C
coded to by the General, and I then mott
fed him that if your militia dared to put
foot on my premises, enclosed Or unen-
lclosed, would cause the Sheriff to arrest
them for forcible trespass, and put them