Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-10-20
LET SETTLE WITHDRAW
HOLDEN'S CONFESSION.
IN U.R Der Will oUT.
THE TRUTH AT LAST.
Who Killed Stephens !!

| On Inc nlgHb OI the zOtA OF SepCen
J Der, 1876, Rev. @. T. Baily. prom
4 nent Baptis1 Divine and editor OF 81
Biblical Recorder, Ill the course of
!. conversation with several gentlemen
J at Cameron, in Moore county
: made certain statements IN regard
j., w. W. Holden which were commuI
icated TO reporter of tue Raleig
! WeaOs and published in that paper O.
.he morning of the 30th. In conse
. | quence of that publication, Mr. Bale
e has written and printed the following
card: u
A CARD. +
. In the Daily Meas OF the Both ult.
All article was published which pur
. ports TO give the substance of state
ment made by me to certain gentle
men at Cameron on the might of the
2Sth. AS IA matter of justice to mysei
and ali the parties concerned it be-
comes necessary for me to Bbate the
following facts:
On my way to the Baptist State Con
yention III Fayetteville L was intro
duced to ex-Gov. Holden. During
the session of the Convention [ was
invited 20 dine with him and accepted
the invitation. [ spent the afternoon
with him, returning to the Baptist
church after tea. Our Intercourse
was free and agreeable. He gave ne
an account of his religious experience
and Of his political troubles. He stat
ed to me that the plan of the Kirk
/ war" originated with the Executive
Committee Of the Republican party at
| Washington, in the interest OF the
party ; tAat he was opposed to it, but
| was allowed no discretion III the mat
| ter that 1t was decided by that COM
| lnittee to lnaugurate and prosecute
! the campaign as he did it; that ii he
| did not carry out the wishes of the
party he aud the State were to be
crushed and that if he was snccess-
fui in the execution of their plans he
| would pl obably receive s Cabinet ap-
pointment, the Secretaryship of the
interior.
In reference to the death of Ste
phens I understood from MIN that the
Republicans had much to do with that
crime; that the prosecution of those
who were charged with 1t was dlscon-
timed because testimony was either
elected or lkel y to be elected which
would impiicate or crlmluate pronll-
nent members Of the Republican party;
that these fears were awakened IN part
by the discovery of the coil from
which the rope was cut which was
found on the neck of the murdered
man.
The statements of Gov. Holden left
OH me the clear and distinct imp1es-
sions that he had been the unwilling
instrument for the accomplishment of
the purposes of his party and that he
did not merit the odium which at
tached to his name ali over the State.
During the session Of the late Con
stitutional Convention [ called on Gov.
Holden in his Office at his own request.
IN very pleasant interview reference
was made to the removal of political
disabilities by Congress, and also TO
the removal of his own disabilities by
the Convention then in session. SO
favorably was L impressed with state
ments made by him that [ called on
Rev. j. N. Stallings, of Duplin and
few other members, and reQuestSd
them to use their influence to have
GOV. Holden's disabilities removed.
I stated these iacis Or some Of them
in the conversation referred to in the
NeaUs as mentioned above. I have
also given them in other parts Of the
State, where Gov. Holden happened
to be the subject of conversation. 1t
was done in the FREQ and easy style OF
social intercourse. and though l stat
ed nothing which was not true, l did
not expect to see it in the newspapers
or in print.
Iu any statement which I may have
made concerning Judge Boad or the
hanging of Judge Kerr, 1 gave or
meant to give my own opinions, bas-
ed on information received from other
sources; not from anything said to
mo by Gov. Holden. So far 50 can
now recolect he has never spoken to
ne in reference to either OF thOss gen
tlemen.
have made this statement in ths
interest of truth and not of any politi-
cal party also as matter of justice
to myself and all tine persons men
toned in the Neacs of the 30th.
@. T. BAILEY.
It will be seen from the above that
Governor Holden unequivocally con-
fessed to Rev. Mr.. BAILEY that Stephens
the Radical Senator who was killed il
the Court House in Caswell county, |
on the 21st May, 1870, came to his |
death from Radical violence, and that
it was because this fact was about to
be made public that the Investigations
were brought to an end. 1t appears
also that, with full knowledge of the
true state Of affairs, the Kirk war was
carried on until put stop TO by Judge |
BROOKS.
The record of the infamy of
the Radical party is now complete,
for it is proved by the confession of
one of it's most honored and trusted |
leaders, that it hesitates not to compass
the murder of those who may stand
in its way, even though they have
been long numbered among their
friends. That it hesitated not to |
compass by murder the death of its
enemies, it needed not the confession
of Governor Holden to Rev. Mr..
BAILEY or to any one else to prove.
That the foulest murder was intended
in the Kirk war is after Of record,
murder that was prevented only by the
courage and integrity Of Judge
BROOKS.
TkRE ,E,ayuE FS Az HAND.