The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-05-06
NUMBER As.


Consul TO Pernamhuco, s. A., il the gentle
man CO who figures in the following accounts
of arrests and hanging in North Carolina.
Mr.. L. III. Murray, merchant and highly
respected citizen, was taken from his family
and held prisoner for days. The following
is an extract from bis testimony under oath
Answer. = = Colonel Bergen came to my
tent with candle in his baud. had not
gone to sleep. raised my head. Said he.
Ills that you, Murray?n Said /. at, is"
and he walked back to his tent. In short
time he came back again without any cam
die, touched me on my feet. and told me to
get up and come out. asked him IL could
put on my shoes. He told me, "No, you
won't have any use of them long, went
out, and he took me into his tent with three
other men. They all had pistols. He told
me | must now make confession il did
not he would blow my damned heart out.
Question. Pointed the pistol at your
breast
A. Yes sir. *s* Then be put rore
aronnd my neck. took me out to a piece Of
woods about sevensy-Rva yards, tied my
hands behind me, and led me ur to tree,
threw the rope ever a limb, ard asked me If I
was ready to make my confession. told
him had no confession to make. Then they
drew me up off the ground, and let me hang
there little while-not long.
@. By a slip not
A.. 1t was a slip-knot.
Q. Clicked you
A. Yes; choked me pretty bad let me
hang little while. Then let me down and
asked me il was ready to confess. / told
him had no confession II make. Said he.
'sIf you don't confess | will break your
damned neck !" and he gathered the rope
again, and he and another one pulled me up
very roughly, and suspended me great deal
longer than he did before can't tell how
long hung there till was unconscious
suffered oil the pain till was unconscious.
He then let me down I was not able to
stand. When came too, / was leaning or
sitting up against tree, and a few men were
rubbing me.
@. To rouse and restore you to conscious
ness?
a. / suppose so they had taken the rope
off my neck. When got so could speak,
he asked me il | was ready to make confess
sion told him had none to make-that
knew nothing to confess. He then gave the
order to put tie rope on my neck again and
told the sergeant. "IIang him up to the limb,
and let him hang till eight O'Clock tomorrow;
then cut him down and bury him under the
tree on which he hung and he just remark
ed to me that If had anything to say-my
last words--to speak. told him had moth,
ing to cay. but If ne hung me up to that tree
till dead, that he would have but three days
more. BE asked me to give an explanation
of that word. did so; told him, "you
may be alive tomorrow morning and you
may not you NAV be hanged to limb cloes
by. If you hrng me dead am sure you will
go through the very same thing" The colo
mel stopped then. staid little while, and
gave me till ten O'Clock the next night to make
my confession. and told me if did not con-
TESS nv that time that he would take me out
and kill me dead. / told him. II have no
confession to make never expect to make
any more than have" Their. the rome was
taken from nv neck. my hands united, and
was carried hack TO camp. He told me I
should not say anything about what passed
that right if ] ever divulged he wonld kill
me cn sight. Well, nf course, never did
say ANYTHING about il till was released by
Judge Brooks. at Salisbury.
O. Did vnu make an affidavit that he did
intend TO kill YOU, il order to have him held
on bail by Judge Brooks?
A. Yes, sir.
George 8. Rogers, another victim Ike M.
Murray, guilty of no offence, had similar
experience. Here is an extract from his tes-
timony -
A. \ Then Bergen came to the tent
where was, and told me be wanted me to
go to his tent. lie told me / must tell who
hung Wyatt Outlaw. told him / did not
know. BE said You are a damned liar :,
| know you do know" Then he remarked
"Don't you know that 'Dolph Moore and Jim
Hunter were the men who hung Outlaw 2"
told him again did not know. He said
again was damned liar. He told me he
would give me till night to tell. and If I did
not tell he would make me tell. He said
II will break your damned neck if you do
not tell" Then he told me to go to my tent
and stay there. That night about 10 o'clock,
he came to my tent and told me to come mp
to his tent. | went there, and he asked me
then If would cotfess that knew who hung
Outlaw. told him I could not-I did not
know. Again he told ne j was a damned
liar, and went for rope. Pistols were "
ing on the bed, and he picked IN his pistol.
stepped outside Of his tent. He put rope
around my neck. and led me of 10 the woods
about seventy-fve or onc hundred wards. and
asked me then if would tell. Isaid / could
not tell did not know. Then he ordered
the lieutenant to pull me up.
Q. Was the rope put around your neck
with running moose ? VS.
A. Yes, sir. He stood in front of me
with pistol cooked, fastened the rope, and
the lieutenant pulled until it was tight.
2. Did it mise you of your feet 2
A. No, sir.
Q. ]. was pulled until the rope was tight ?
A. Yes. sir.
@. Did it choke you somewhat?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How, long did hekeep you 10 that wsy7
A. | suppose about minute be told his
lieutenant, "That will dol think these
are the words-and the lieutenant let me
down. lie asked me then if would confess.
told him had no confession to make. y
Then after making several threats to kill or
shoot me. be took the rope off my neck, and
gning bick to the tent he said. 81 believe.
Rogers, you are telling the truth, and ! will
do all can to release ynu to-rlor7ow. but
cannot de- it without orders from the Govern
or" (Holden.)