New-York tribune., 1872-09-28
NORTH CAROLINA.
A SPECIMEN KU-KLUX OUTRAGE.


-, -, spprt, c,RRRSpONDBNr OF TnB TIaBUNkl
CpprNyrLE, Pitt County, N. G., Aug "
,hcr rior Ia Grconyillcl AGesperate uShl IN lie
f,urt houseI Conspiracy 70 murder uhi'eu e'"'oSS
Dopnty Marshall one man killed anu seFor"' oI
woundedV Such wa, the substance oi tho Se"S'.o
,cports 1 heard in TarbOro yesterday morning ""'
,,codnc 70 come to Greenvile in day or two 70 learn
,h .riieulo,s OF au election contest ab0nt 10 ''Ac
,,cc bnt on hearing tho reports above referred TO-
stated a once anl drove 10 the town through twenty
Eve miles OF the lnost cotton plantations tnaS "'No
t aoep I'm North Carolina On arriving here last even
inc / found tho people considerably eNcted "oou'
blo,dy aary that had occurred the day before pni
srpcd that neither the election oantest nor an exam
iu,ton FOR the violation Of the Enforcement act whoo
hal tabou place the s1mo afternoon hld 70 w
with It, Like almost all other murders that ha'eoo'
Cured u this STATE during the past year. the er'y
grew Of personal quarrel IN winch the Su'voo'o
politics not mentioned
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE MURDERER
Careful inquiry OF numerous witnesses, an eAamhha'
tnn OF The testimony taken before magistrate yeslu
day and an at t2e inquest over tho body OF
one of the Victims this afternoon, enable Inc to give
what believe 90 De perfectly accurate version OF tho
boIe al ar and TO correct wrong impression which
am informed will be received from report winch was
sent 10 Raleigh before my arrival Lewis Roach Is a
resident of Craven County aud figured as Lieutenant
In Kks Militia durIug the famous Holden war OF 1870
some time ago ho was appointed L. 5. Deputy Marshal
aud assigned By Marshal Carrow 10 this county siueo
his anpontmcnt Dc has made himself very obnoxious to
the people by making arbitrary arrests of respectable
citizens for alleged violations OF the Internal Kew
enue laws aud by the insulting manner In
which ho has treated the people OF The country nave
heard of some of the charges which Roach mas
arrested mem and on which the United States COmmls
sioncr hcre very Ignorant aud incompetent man "a Is
proycd by the orthography and grammatical consruc
tion OF some documents prepared by him which nave
examined has bound them over TO answer In tue Umteu
States Court. one Of ROachs first exploits was to
arrest man In Craven County and bring him, guarded
by four mounted men, TO Greenylle, Tor examination
before the COMMISSIONS The man was a respectable
farmer and charged with violation OF the law relating
10 the tobacco tax; selling tobacco Wlthout
hccuso 0s nearly as l can hnd out Inc
testimony showed that the man neither raised
manufactured, nor dealt in tobacco hut
that hs wife had paid negro washorwOman for days
work at her own request In tobacco which the man had
in tho bOusc. L. 5. Commissioner Cox thought 1t was
clear case and bound the to answer before the
L. 8 Court. But those things have nothing to do Win
the murder just committed, except to show the cha'Rc
ter of one Of those engaged in the airay f. NJ smith,
or Tank" Smith, he is called IN town here Is
Young man about 2j years OF somewhat addicted 10
drink and as the citizens say, high srung'-aways
ready for fight He is not as far as can learn des
peratc fellow and moi in the habit Of carry Ing pistol
Oh at least did not have one on Tuesday.
A SHOOTING AITRAY BETWEEN RowuIEs.
The trouble between these two men began about
election time Roach, tho Depuy Marshal, was In town
one day. and. rs he passing into the Courthouse
was hailed as a " bummer" by Tank smith. lie TOOK
no Lotco of it, and the matter was forgotten unt ie"
days lator when the two men met on the road about
seven miles from Then Roach remarked 10 COM
panion loud enough Smith TO hear There goes the
id tnsnc q very vile term who insultcd me- TINS
did not lead % blows. and the two men did moi meet
AGAIN until Tuesday afternoon. At that time smith saw
Roach in the main passageway OF the Courthouse anu
asked n the latter had reported him to be coward.
Roach replied that he had not. Ihen' Pald
smith. 4 am satisfied" Roach then walked
into tho Office Of the Clerk Of the superior
Court which Is the Administration headquarters In
this town, and there seven or eight OF ms
personal and party friends. Turning at the door, ne
called to smith you want to ght, you can have
an opportunity" some one IN the room said that no
body desired 10 fight, when Roach rephed 1t looks
mcnty like itthree upon ONE referring to the presence
oi two Smiths brothers Smith was 10y this time IN
The Clerks Office, and replied; It's ID lie, l can
,ship Won myself" Roach returned the lie, whereupon
Smith raised hickory stick he had in his hand TO strike
Roach Cherry the clerk the court seized tho stick
ami Ell WILSON, another of Roachs friends, caught
smith about the body. At the same time Roach drew
small four harrcled Colts pistol and fired The hIst sho
took eject I'm Wilson'S abdomen, nfciing iath
wound from which he died this afternoon.
Cherry and several others Immediately left the room
some through the window and through the door.
Roach Immediately fired again, and the ball this time
passed through tie pantaloons Of one OF Tank
smiths brothers The third shot took effect IN TANK
Smiths night forearm. painful but not dan
,erous wound. Just as Roach about TO shoot the
f,Brth time "Tank" smith and his two brothers
knocked him. and a friend named Ell" smith, who
had come 10 his aid down with their sticks, and the last
shot struck Roachs own left arm, badly shaterng the
bone above the elbow. BY this time the Sheriff. who
had heard the firing. rushed IN and queued the disturb
auce Warrants were once issued by Conservative
arrest OF all the engaged IN
tho ARRAY and after examination yesterday the
Smiths were placed under bonds 10 answer at the next
term of the court Roach still IN bed in the custody Of
the shoun.
THE MgRDER TO BE rRETENr FOR FEDERAL INTER
FERENCE.
Though smith and Roach did not belong 20 the same
rarty have been unable TO find particle Of evidence
To- show that any Of their quarrels the subject Of poll
Ties had ever been mentioned have heard II rumored
TO-DAY that the Smiths had formed conspiracy 70 get
Roach into fight aud then whip him, but don't think
tbe testimony indicates ANYTHING Of the kind None oI
the seem 20 have had pistol ana II would nave
been very foolish in them 10 nave meIla,e1 an altacA
uuou n man known 90 De always armed. hear also a
report that the United States officers here WI make
this ahay an excuse Tor Saliluk lot & 'il I'm,
p.cn This report has gained currency among TIE Ton
scryavcs Of the towu hut canuot Nouch Tor It's truth
Th.rris however no need for the Federal Government
10 interfere IN the matter. No man IN me county
lives. can he as impartiay tined right here IN
the Courthouse where he did the sloolhE
ana I least ono-haf OF the Grand aud Petit Jurors will
bc party friends. Beside this have talked Win WIN
Great many conservatives here, to-day not one OF whom
thinks Roach could under the circumstances, be CON
Ncted OF murder even II tried before Jury composed
s,rrly Of CONSERVATIVES There Is no doubt that an
attempt Will made 10 make ku kl1x outrage oi ths
affair OF 70 me II "p%1 1ost Ss aeScrSp UYi the rpgr
nf smith Who ] think. deserves severe punishment Tor
tbe ptrt lc took iu the hght after having examined
-. ~ '1t the whole matter denounce in advance,
auy such attemi q slander upon as loyal people rs
v, in any Northern city Every respectable citizen Of
ne comfy deuurcs the disgrace brought upon the