The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-10
MhpfoN. ~ 8. gaptsmber D.

sle4sffrfisf 20 = ~ ~ ~ n.
MARIoa, NJ. g, saptsmber "a.
Hoke Calhoun Secfest sVas convicted
to-day, in the Superior Court of 9TcD Dow.
ell County, Of tile murder OF his wife,
Maggie Gectest, and his Bistep- daughter,
HH1iGn;o Stephenson, on the Stu OF ,Sdarcn,
1877, and sentenced by Judge Gudgu to
be hanged on Friday, che 18th of No
yember, 1873. ~ f.ss-f3li'1 is.s
Secrest is about twenty-oue' yeafe old,
| five feet and ten inches high, dark brown
hair, blue eyes, and weighing 160 pounds.
He is Of rsther assessing appearanee.
and under other circumstances would be
called handsome. He seems TO have
been, o weyward, cynical and lsasPish
youth, giving his parents great trouble,
strength, being terror to his associates.
Living in the vincinityo of his father, ia
vell-to-do planter,) in Union County,
was en- attractive widow aged twenty.
five years, Mrs. Maggie Stephenson, who
had littlo daughter, Minnie. thfes years
old. About two years ago Hoke became
enamored with his fair neighbor, visited
her often, and manifested great fond
ness for little Minnie. At length the
widow. became alarmed at the, result of
their intimacy, and demanded chat mis-
oft-repeated promises of marriage should
be Immediately fulfilled. To this Secrest
ct once assented, proposing that they
should take trip to the mountains, cell
ebrate the marriage there, and go surprise
the neighbors on their return. Pleased
with the romantic proposition, the trust
ing and happy woman prepai>M for the
journey, On the 28th of February, 1877,
Aoke secrest, Maggie Stephenson and
Minnie Stephenson, in 6 buggy, left
home. Going westerly, they passed
arrived in Newton, where, d mafriaga
license beng procured, they were iaW-
fully married. 4 On the 9th OF March
they etopped 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 Geen
alone fifteen miles west of Hickory. He
returned alone to the county Of Union.
When asked "a to the Whereabouts of
Maggie Stephenson he replied that sfsiie
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
papero OF Hickory he utterly discIa. med
1t as untrue. al s'529
On the 10th of January, 1873, while q
number of boys were hunting, three miles
west Of Hickory, in dense thickct near
the highway, they found shallow grave,
which, on being opened, was found to
contain parts of the bodies of a woman
and o 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
gnaYed by spila a.sln.sIs Agsr.a.=szzss
at once suspected. Great public excite
ment vas aroused, aMd no time was lost
in ferreting out the mystery. Hoke Se-
crest was remembered, and on him pus.
ipicion rested, causing his speedy arrest.
So indignant were the people of Burke
county that such q monstrous crime
should haze baes committed II .s.c;.
midst that they determined to lyne 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
was held at Morganton, when, the evil
dence being very strong, he was held for
trial in tie 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 I
| Burke.
The allegation of the State has been
sustained by the most complete chain of
circumstaEtiai 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 1t ~ o'clock. He re-
ceived the death sentence this morning
with no manifestation of emotion. An
appeal to the Sapreme Court was granted
on application Of the cnlprigs counsel,
and this will lengthen his life about six
months. Probably the annals of crime
furnish no parallel to! this internal deed.