The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-10
A DESERVED DOOM.
Conviction of Young Man for tho Double
Murder of His Wife and Her Little
Child
MARION. N. c.. September "a.

MARION, n. c., September "a.
Hoke Calhoun Secrest was convicted
to-day, in the Superior Court of McDow-
ell County, of the murder of his wife,
Maggie Secrest, and his step-daughter,
Minnie Stephenson, on the 9Th of March,
1877, and sentenced by Judge Gudgu to
be hanged on Friday, the 18th of No
yember, 1878.
Secrest is about twenty-oue years old,
FIVE feet and ten inches high, dark brown
hair, blue eyes, and weighing 160 pounds.
He is of rather prepossessing appearance,
and under other circumstances would bo
called handsome. He seems to have
been a wayward, cynical and waspish
youth, giving his parents great trouble,
and, on account of his superior physical
strength. being a terror to his associates.
Living in the vincinity of his father, Ia
well-to-do planter,) in Union County,
was an attractive widow, aged twenty.
FIVE years, Mrs. Maggie Stephenson, who
had little daughter, Minnie, three years
old. About two years ago Hoke became
enamored with his fair neighbor, visited
her often, and manifested a great fond
ness for little Minnie. At length the
widow became alarmed at the result of
their intimacy, and demanded that his
oft-repeated promises of marriage should
be Immediately fulfilled. To this Secrest
at once assented, proposing that they
should take trip to the mountains, Gel
ebrate the marriage there, and so surprise
the neighbors on their return. Pleased
with the romantic proposition, the trust
ing and happy woman prepared for the
journey. On the 2Sth of February, 1877,
Hoke Secrest, Maggie Stephenson and
Minnie Stephenson, in buggy, left
home. Going westerly, they passed
Charlotte, and on the 5th of March
arrived in Newton, where, q marriage
license being procured, they were law
fully married. On the 9Th of March
they stopped for dinner mile from
Hickory, Burke County. From this time
neither Maggie Secrest nor little Minnie
Stephenson were ever seen alive.
On the next day Hoke Secrest was seen
alone fifteen miles west of Hickory. He
returned alone to the county of Union.
When asked as to the whereabouts of
Maggie Stephenson he replied that ''she
bought an emigrant ticket in Charlotte
and had gone West" To different per-
sons he told different stories to account
for her not returning. Exhibiting an
order signed in her name, he assumed
charge of her property, but when shown
the notice of their marriage in the local
papers of Hickory he utterly disclaimed
I no mfr
On the 10th of January, 1878, while
number of boys we're hunting: three miles
west of Hickory, in dense thickct near
the highway, they found a shallow grave,
which, on being opened, was found to
contain parts of the bodies of o woman
and child, with several articles of cloth
ing. Scattered near the grave were
found many bones, both of the adult and
of the child, which had evidently been
gnawed by wild animals. Murder was
at once suspected. Great public excite
ment was aroused, and no time was lost
in ferreting out the mystery. Hoke Sc
crest was remembered, and on him sus-
picion rested, causing his speedy arrest.
So indignant were the people of Burke
county that such monstrous crime
should have been committed in their
midst that they determined to lynch him
and bury him in the grave of his victims.
This was prevented by having the train
in which he was brought from Union
County pass through Hickory without
halting. A preliminary examination
was held at Morganton, when, the evil
dence being very strong, he was held for
trial in the Superior Court. The case
was brought to Mcdowell County on the
affidavit Of the prisoner that he believed
he could not have an impartial trial in
Burke.
The allegation of the State has been
sustained by the most complete chain of
circumstantial evidence, and the case for
the defence utterly failed. The case was
given to the jury at thirty minutes after
10 last night, and they returned with
verdict of guilty at II o'clock. He re-
ceived the death sentence this morning
with no manifestation Of emotion. An
appeal to the Supreme Court was granted
on application of the culprit's counsel,
and this will lengthen his life about six
months. Probably the annals of crime
furnish no parallel to this internal deed.