The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-03
OUTRAGES m NORTH CAROLINA.
Three Men Murder Negro, Ills Wife and Four
Children IN Their Own Home.
The House Burned to Conceal the Crime-A
Mothers Devoticn-The Woman Alarms
the Neighboy5 and Secures the
Arrest Of the Murderers.

RALEIGH, N. O., May ., 1871.
The Sentinel Of to-day has correspond ence from
Rutherford Court House, which gives the details OF
one OF
THE MOST HORRIBLE oUTRAGEs
that has ever shocked human ears. The perpetra-
tors OF the deed are radicals though It parakes Of
the nature Of Ku Klux outrages. SIX souls were,
without q word Of warning, ushered into eternity,
and their slaughtered bodies afterwards consumed
In the flames OF their burning home The outrage
occurred In Morgan township, on the border Of
Mcdowell county, and Is as follows:-
Silas Weston, free negro before the war, has for
many years been living with Polly Steadman,
white woman Of loose character. Polly has or had
four children, whe the eldest about fourteen, the
Youngest nearly two years OF age.
sILAs AND POLLY
lived peaceably together, and were In better crcum
stances than. most OF their class. Some time ago
three notorious characters-Govan and Columbus
Adair and M. Bernard-were charged with the theft
Of a quantity Of brandy and bound over at Mcdowell
County Court Silas had seen the thieves carrying
of the booty, and was subp9ned as the principal
witness for the prosecution. The Adairs threatened
his lie n he peached, but Slas expressed deter
mnaton to bring the rogues to justice. What we
now proceed to state is
THE SWORN DEPOSITION
of tie woman. Polly Steadman:-On Wednesday
evening, April 20, shortly after nightiail while the
family were preparing to retire 10 peaceful repose
the dog began TO bark violently. Polly, looking
through the chinks between the logs, received o
pistol bullet in the eye. With wild scream she
sprang back, and at that instant the door was
brok en- down and In rushed Govan Adair, Columbus
Adair and Bernard,
FIRING AS THEY CAME.
Silas fell dead. with two balls IN the head. One of
the assassins stood over the children as they Law
upon the floor, shooting them through the head ike
SO many pigs. Polly stopped to creep under the
bed but was flung back. Then she began
to fight like tigress. One of the butchers
attacked her with knife. Finally, with five deep
cuts on the body, with ner throat deeply gashed and
rs'o o. snoS through the eye this poor creature
broom straw preparatory TO
THE GRAND AUTO DA FE.
Meanwhile every voice in the family had been
stilled Six llfeless bodies lay on the bloody moor
the old man on the hearth, the mother hayQled in
clothes, lying where they all had been jostled
BY rude feet. The fends contemplated their woik.
pared to hide their tracks. PIing up clOlhnS.
straw and otner combustible matter they applied
their souls, 1ed away into the darkness.
MOTHERS DEVOTION.
-, And now occurred what may well sound marvel.
arouses herself seizes ner youngest child VINO gives
signs Of life, and crawling towards the door, tries
Ut"e ouv "AlVViCA CuAu, uut nature I1S, aud the
body lies just outside she threshold; then, win
supernatural strength, Polly staggers the distance
OF nall Q mhe to the residence Of Mrs. Williams,
THE ALARM.
It is TOO late. Three b!eached skeletons grin from
the ashes, and bllstered corpse lay without the
spatched for SheriH Walker and for medical assist
ance; but before either arrived Polly, surprising her
self In the last agony OF death, soemniy tesided
against the murderers She knew them well; they
were her near neighboTs. and were n ot disguised
Her testimony was so clear and positive it CARRIED
convection 10 all VINO heard It, Accordingly Squire
Hanes promptly issued warrant for
THE ARREST
OF the suspected parties They were found at home,
one of them In bed, though date In the day Sheriff
walker arrived shortly aiterward and conveyed the
prisoners to this place. where they are closely con-
fined. Commenting on this horrible affair IL "a
proper to state with emphasis that all the parties
them, the slain and the slayers are radicals Of the
deepest dye. The Adalrs for years have attended
the polls for no other purpose than to insult aud
1numdate conservative voters. SO 'trOOy loili
were they that even with murder In their hearts
they sought to make the deed rebound for the
benefit OF their party. S