Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-10-28


SIDNEY HILL-Cross eramined-I was
summoned to the coroner's inquest was noti
fed, when in Charlotte, by a telegram from
Coroner Williams. l had quit Mr. Hopes
and left this State. I accompanied some
men of that neighborhood to Kings Noun
tain Station, where met man to whom
hired as clerk and accompanied him to
Charlotte did not know the man who
employed me would be ut Kings Mountain
near about all have here said
Counsel here read Sidney Hills testimo-
ny before the jury of inquest as folows:]
"SIDNEy HILL, swo,7e, says:-I resided at Mr.
Hopes until last Monday morning, the 23rd of
November. Atabout half-past three o'clock, on
Tuesday morning, the 18th of November, 1874, |
was woke up by Mr.. Hope, who desired me to
20 to Meek Whitesides' and tell them As quick as
coud-tell them Mary Castles was dead-and
sides and wife. was at Mr.. Hopes the day be-
fore she died. eat supper with the family. The
deceased was there. l was impressed with the
belief that Mary Castles was in a family way
Mrs. Hope and Mrs. Whsonant had charged
Mary Castles with being in a family way before
her death. Heard the same at her death. have
saw the deceased away from home; saw her at
Mrs. Hope had some rash words. heard this
while lived in the family. 1 have been living
with them since the third of October, 1873.
heard Mary say she wished she was away from
there was directed by Mrs. Hope, the wife of
Mr.. Albertus Hope, to watch and see if there was
an intimacy existing between Mr.. Hope and the
deceased. Since the death Of the deceased, Hope
told me that the reason he did not tell me Mary
was sick, that he did not wish to wake me on
such an occasion. The message sent by me was
fall tl,nfN uStl
J. S. HILL"
Cross examination resumed.-At the inquest
I told all | knew. l told all that have told
here tonight. related the story of the child,
Lulu, at the supper.table. At the inquest
did not say Mary Castles was pregnant in
July; l do not think specified the date. |
did relate, at the inquest, the proposition Hope
made to me that if would marry some body
to please him, he would give me the lower
part of his plantation. Hopes kindness to
Mary and his crabbedness toward his wife,
were the grounds of my suspicious. Mr..
Hope did not permit her to visit as much as
other girls of the neighborhood we're accus-
toned to. I disrcmember about her going to
the sacramental meeting at Smyrna two weeks
before her death | cannot say positively,
but think Mary was at picnic at White
sides Mill that autumn, or some time after
the crops were laid by. She went several
times to J. Whtesides and to Mr. Wilson
ants once; also to Meek Whitesides'. l
cannot say what time in the year she went to
Meek's, but it was not in the fall. | do not
remember Of the sacramental meeting at
Smyrna. The child's story of Mary and
Hope on the porch did not excite or shock
me. thought about it, but made no remarks.
Though friendly with the Whitesides', l said
nothing to any of them about it. l first told
this story to j. B. Whitesides and two others
at Smyrna during the inquest Previous to
the inquest was asked what | knew about
the child l did not then tell all have here
said. Though had seen what | have here
related, when | was interrogat' d as to the
father of the child, l did not say suspiconed
Hope was afterwards interrogated by MIR.
Bell, in presence of Robert Whitesdes and
Thomas Brown. then told part Of what
| have here said. | was not then asked as
much as l have been asked here. 1t was while
returning from Mr.. Hambright's that Mrs.
Hope asked me to watch her husband and
Mary. This was previous to the supper.table
scene. did not say that in July | thought
Mary was pregnant. did promise Mrs.
Hope that would watch her husband and
Mary; but did not tel her of my suspicious
or of what had previously noticed. Mary
had no beaux to my knowledge. | was EN-