Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-28
OUTRAGES By HOLDEN's Mob IN
NORTH CATALINA

North Carolina, were fully ventilated at
he hearings on the writs of habeas cor
,us, before Judge Brooks at Raleigh.
Bad as were the former reports, the real
facts of many of the cases far exceeded |
n enormity those given to the public |
through the press. The first case taken
up was that of Josiah Turner, Jr., editor |
Of the Raleigh Sentinel, aDemocratic
paper that has been pouring hot shot into |
Gov. Holden with such vigor as to make |
bis position decidedly uncomfortable.
The return was in substance, that Kirk
arrested him by order Of somebody, for
conspiracy with others not named, to
overthrow the State government. Judge |
Brooks inquired if any sufficient cause
could be shown for longer detain-
ing the petitioner in custody. Mr.. Boy
den, of consul for the respondent, Kirk,
replied, 'sWe have no legal evidence of
any kind of the prisoners guilt, and there
fore do not oppose his discharge" The
next case was that of Felix Roam, who
was charged with being accessory to the
murder of ]. W. Stephens. A motion
having been made that the prisoner be
discharged. Mr.. McCorkle, of counsel
for the respondent, Kirk, said he knew
no cause why the prisoner should be
longer detained in custody as they were
not in possession of particle of evidence
of his guilt. The otherprisoners brought
before Judge Brooks were discharged on
similar grounds. Here were citizens of
the State arrested and held as prisoners
by brutal mob, styled by courtesy mill
tia, without particle of evidence that
they had committed any crime whatever.
A man was pointed out by one Of Hold
ems informers, and he was forthwith
arrested by the mob without SO much as
informing him why. But the worst is yet
to be told. Lucien H. Murray, respect
able citizen of the town of Graham, Ala
nance county, testified under oath, that
on the 9th of July last he was put under
guard and detained in camp as prisoner.
What followed is given in his own words:
'''This aff1ant was placed ia tent with
two other persons also prisoners and on
the night succeeding, about ] o'clock, the
said Burger came to the tent, with can
die, and addressed this affiant, who was
awake, asking, is that you, Murray n to
which affiant replied, Yes. Said Burger
tnen retired to his own tent, and shortly
afterwards came back without light and
touched this affiant upon his feet, and in
low tone of voice ordered him to get
up, the other two prisoners being appa-
rently asleep. This affiant replied Very
well; can l get my shoesG' The said
Burger answered No, you will not need
them long2' He then took this affiant to
his own tent, where there were three of
his men armed with pistols. The said
Burger then said to this affiant that He
must tell him all about the hanging of
Wyatt Outlaw This affiant replied that
he knew nothing about it, and that he did
not know that Outlaw had been hanged till
after sunrise the morning after it was
done.S RThe said Burger replied, 1T is a
damned lie; know that you do, and
proceeded to say that there was an affida
Wit filed in his office against this affiant,
stating that he, this affiant, had seen Out
law hanged by one Adolphus Moore.
This affiant replied it was false, that he
knew nothing about 1.-THE said Burger
put rope around the neck of this affiant
and said, 'Patten and Rogers, (alludiDg
to two others of his prisoners), knew
nothing about it till they were hung up,
and they could then tell all about it, and
you must do the same He then took
this affiant to a tree, about fifty yards
from his tent, with the three armed men
aforesaid, threw the end of the rope, still
on this atlantis neck, over branch of the
tree, and having already tied this atlantis
arms in the manner usual with criminals
about to be executed, he, the said Bur-
gen, drew the rope and swung this affiant
up by the neck. After suspending him
for a short time, he was let down, the
said Burger asking him if he would con-
fess then; this aff1snt replied that he
knew nothing to confess. The said Bur.
gen and his men, aforesaid, then pre-
sented their pistols at this atlantis
breast, and threatened to blow his heart
out if he did not confess. This
affiant still refusing TO make the admis-
sion demanded, the said Burger seized the
rope and again hoisted this aff1ant from
the ground, more roughly than before,
and suspending him longer. Upon being |
let down this afiant was unable to speak |
for some time. The said Burger then |
said, 'Now confess thatyou saw Moore"
Affiant replied, he could not do it. Said |
Burger replied, "You must acknowledge
it or die" and said to one of his men,
Sergeant, hang him up to that tree and
let him hang till s o'clock in the morn
ng; then cut him down and bury him
under the ueen After some converse
ion and threats of killing this aff1ant, the
said Burger said to this afiant, 81 will
now give you until Tomorrow night, and
f you don't confess then, | will kill you
lead" Affiant replied, 81 will never
confess, for have nothing to confess"
This affiant was then taken back 20 his
ent, aforesaid, after being charged to
3ay nothing about what had occurred,
md threatened with death if he diyulged
t."
When Burger found he could extort
lothing from Mr.. Murray by this species
# cruelty, the prisoner was remanded to
aptivity and held until released by Judge
Brooks, on the 10th of August.
D. W. Weldon, another citizen of
Iraham, testified under oath that he was
rested by Burger on the 23d of July;
nat he was confined with others in the
curt house at Caswell, and that upon
eeing soldier below carelessly handling
pistol, he demonstrated that lie might
boot some one. The soldier Immediately
eplied with an oath, 81 will shoot you," (
nd fired his pistol, the ball passing near {
le head of Mr.. Weldon. From this
me forward Weldon seemed to have in
lrred the hostility Of said Kirk and bis
Ulcers, who cursed and maltreated him {
q divers occasions. Subsequently he
nc Talon 70 GRAHAM, opd confined in thu |