The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-17

ILL HARRIS STATEMENT.
Marshall Hays readily il ne
admission. and a little dor SWINE
open upon a gloomy scene. 4 singl4
candle IN the gloom east rlas,ly shall.
~ about. and groups Of guard, and
privileged persons gathered about old
Harris, who had been Iai>4d M and
rested or u arm. asked the old
man for his statement. lie spoke in a
voice scarcely above Il whisper H.
Ms an cid n.au 81 fifty tive wears.
cod black. witG q grizzly beard and q
auli. leerlng eve He Had endowed 4
falr reputation for being Gul4t and
orderly, but ma a family OF bad sons.
lie was questioned by Mr.. Havs and
myself. and admitted that ~ shot
thomas. but Insisted. even when re-
mlndCd OF the peril Of death. hat he
thought the officers were several law
less persons who had VS. ted his house
before ana had threatened him. When
he was left he sank back on the pallet
and lay mctIOnicss.
STATEMENT or THE -FOUR PRINCIPALS
| next went to the la1. iced iron door
Of the cell where the tour NiOlators
We're contineI |. a feeble r4v of light
falling into the dark cell outlined dim
IL the four figures on their Bonded
knees. with their mead, bowed against
the CHASTITY white walls. and the low.
thrilling murmur of prayer filled the
confined place almost like the loud
hum of bees. jeff Hopkins, who was
called up first, was a tall. dark fellow
with fine eyes. lie said he was inno-
cent Of the charge, and gave the
nam5s of places where he had been on
Monday night, and which, if proven
would have established an abb. He
was fortv-two years old. The next
called WAS Ed. Warner, a mere boy of
twenty two. tall, slim and slovenly
looking. He said he had been sick in
bed all Monday and until Tuesday
% and was not guilty. Jim Goode,
the third man, was Il heavily built
black villain, thirtv-eight years old,
who had been previously convicted of
assault on 4 White woman. and SEN
fenced to five years Imprisonment.
lie was Pardonel ont by Governor
Williams three months ago. after serv-
ing only two years. \ few nights
since he attempted to ~inyeigle the
wife Of a respectable citizen out of her
house at ten o'clock upon a ~frivalous
liCb1NI - ~ S'Ppoo'' iIiltAIt W
commit an outrage. When asked
what he had to say, he clutched the
bars nervou~ly, and in an earnest
voice. trembling SOL ewhat. said, I'm
4 goin' to tell lie trufe, gentlemen.
you want me to 10 it,. / was arrested
on Tuesday on 4 charge OF committing
a wickedness. Before God and before
man, gentleman. am innocent. and
can prove it, He then continued in
a resembling talk of five minutes. in
which under quts ions he was driven
tt admit that he had led a dessolute
life. When dismissed he turned away
with a moan 10 his pallet and went
down upon his knees again to humble
the prayers he had muttcred all dav.
Bill Chambers, the last man to talk.
was accused some time since of the
assassination sof Patt McAlullen. a la
bOrer on the government works at
Grand Chain, Wabash River. He was
d light brown, good looking negro,
with a black moustache glossy as silk.
He was twcnty-eight years Old. but
bore a bad character. He said, in u
calm, business like tone. Il ain limo
cent of this crime and know nothing
.. those who did"
IHilltE = RIDER On IOOI.
While the local reporters were busy
with Chambers, the faint crack of a
pistol was heard. In Il moment the
guards sprang from the floor, where
they had been crouchiug. Hays whis-
pered to the reporters, Now slip.
boys there is murder on foot and
pushing the door of the entrance aiar
the crowd hurrie cut without q word.
The beautiful grove and the streets
were bathed in a flood o. moonlight,
save where the swaying Shadows of
the locust tops covered the grass. A
quiet throng of citizens We're gathered
in the yard, and at the word OF CONS
mand from the guards retreated from
the grove to the street and left the
yard deserted except by a group OF
reporters, who were stationed behind
a clump of trees. For ten minutes
there was a dreadful suspense. Then
the tramp of feet was heard, and $50
men with black masks marched up
the streets and filed into the court
house yard.
GUARD OVERPOwERED THE PRISONERS
TAKEN.
They made no demands, said not a
word, but at a silent signal sprung upon
the guards, and at the same instant a
volley of gun and pistol shots were
fired. 1t took three minutes to disarm
and search the guards, and the KEY of
the outside door was obtained from
Marshall Hays. When the outside
door was unlocked fully fifty of the
masked men crowded into the dark
corridor, trampling over old Harris.
as he lay. wounded and weak. on the
pallet. The four men above named
were safe in their cell locked in, and a
search of ten minutes failed to find
the keys, although the iailer was
threatened with violence if he did not
procure them. He detied the mob,
who sent out and obtained cold CHS
els and sIedge hammers, and began to
Int tlrAnnH tLn lnttinnl L. z tLn