Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-24


had beeu a little bear show down at Mr..
Hunters. In short time after that l
heard horses on the street and raised up |
again and looked out of the window and l |
saw two men riding down the street and !
stop under tree near where | was sleep !
ing, and they stayed there a short time. |
After short time there was a vehicle Of
| some kind came up the street, suppose |
it came up the street-and they drove
across under that tree. AS the vehicle
came up these two men ON horseback rode
| OIL East street, then the buggy passed
through in the same direction.
| Burgen insisted that knew more than
that. told him did not, that that was
| al | knew. He then remarked of you
| don't tell [ will break your damned neck
tonight" l remarked that L knew moth
| ing more. lie said 600 back to your
prison, slr.'' 1 went back into the prison.
That night between one and two O'Clock
or about that time he came to my tent,
where l was sleeping, with a candle in his
hand. L was not asleep at the time but 1
raised my head and he remarked els that
you Murray ?"' said eyes it is" He
then walked back to his tent and in a short
time he came back without any light and
touched me on the foot. He said "Get up
and come out.'' said every WE'LL" He
spoke to me very low. Said 1 ''can put
on my shoes" He said ''No, you will net
have any use for them long" [ got up
and went out and he took hold of me and
led me into his tent.
Q. Without your shoes? A Yes sir, in
my stocking feet. When we got into the
tent there were three men with pistols. He
sat down and said, "You must tell me all
You know about the Ku-KluX." [ said 81
; don't know anything about them" He
said ''You are telling me damned lie," or
] ''you are damned liar" l have forgotten
t which, but / know that the " damned lie y
D was passed. 1 told him that 1 did net
know anything about it. Then he asked
0 me if did not see Adolph Moore tie the
s rope around Wyatt's neck. | told him |
= did not see any one that l could recognize
s that night.
S Q. BY " Wyatt he meant Wyatt Out
e law? A. Yes, sir. l told him / could
r not recognize anybody that night. lie said
J. ''none Of your damned lies" Then he got
up, and taking his pistol be put it at my
e breast, and the other three men did the
II same. Four pistols were presented at my
l. breast and cooked, and he told me that
e they would /" blow my damned heart GU
s if didn't tell.'' / told him that | knew
i nothing about it. lie then demanded 1
confession, and asked me if l was ku
p Klux. told him / was not. He said
re- must confess or he would :. blow my heart
.. out" l said: 81 have no information
N have nothing to confess He said g Pat
ton and Rogers could not confesss any
q thing until they got a rope around thei
=, necks, and then they could tell Ill abou
it, and you must do it, | made no re
ply. He picked up rope under the be,
:. and put it around my neck, and carried
me out seventy-f1ve or one hundred yard
to a tree, and threw tie rope over tn,
limb.
Q. Did the other soldiers go with him
Il. The four were along. .. Armed Al
armed with pistols. We went out to til,
g tree and the rope was thrown over thu
: limb, and then he asked me if l was read,
:. to make my confession. | told him hat
no confession to make that | knew moth
ing 20 confess. He then drew me up ant
held me there a little timc-not very long
and then let me down. The same comics
sion was still demanded, if | saw Moor.
put the rope around Wyatt's neck. tolC
: him l did not. He then said {" Ii yol
don't confess l will break your damned
neck" and he again took hold Of the rop,
and then drew me up. How long he hell
me there l don't know, but soon becaint
unconscious. On being let down [ wa
unable to stand, and could not speak O
: anything else. When | came to myself
~ was sitting against the tree, with the militi;
- on each side of me rubbing me. My arm
y, were united and the rope was taken off m,
l. neck. After | got so L could talk au,
- stand up, the confession was still demanded
- L again told him that had no confession
= to make that l knew nothing to confess
os lie then said to the Sergeant, g Hang hin
~, on to that limb until eight o'clock to-mor
n ~" 6tllu IIlSu cut MN GOWN an
! bury him under the tree on which he i
~ hung" He said {" Mr.. Murray if you hav
Of anything to say, give you permission t,
"a speak" [ just remarked, All have t.
10 say to you is, that when you hang me dead
o. you have just three more days" A pisto
was then put to my breast again--the fou
pistols as we'll as l recollect-and he asket
- me an explanation of the words used
ia what l meant. I said g You may live
o, you hang me until tomorrow, but will
not insure you for more than three days
ne He then stopped awhile and folded hi
- arms and said, Sergeant take him bacl
w to his quarters Then he said to me
81 will give you to cen o'clock tomorrow
IT, to make your confession if you don't Civ
y. it by that time [ will take you out and XII
II you dead" He then told me that l SHOULD
Dr. say nothing about what had passed F.; HI
Or said ''if you ever divulge what has passeC
here tonight L will kill you on sight,
r said every well,'' and walked back to ny
camp. OF course l never said anythin.
, about it until after / was released
Q. Where were you released? A. A
Salisbury. Q. BY whom? A. By Judge
= Brooks. How long We're you kept in Gus
=. tody9 A. I was kept from the 9th O
July to the 10Th of August.