The New York herald., 1879-02-12
STATEMENT OF JESSE ROGERS.
Els Eiiss Singular Confession Of How Jealousy and ST.
sBdtian Worked Ha Destruction
SOME EXTRAORDINARY LETTERS
Startling Assertion that No Murder Was Com
mitted and that the Negro Jack
son Still Lives.
TAzRwRuL, Tenn.

TAzEwRuL, Tenn,
Via MoRnIsTowN. Feb 5. 1879.
At daylight yesterday morning started for
Powells Valley for the purpose of keeping an ap-
pointment made for with the alleged murderer
of Ed Jackson-Jesse G. Rogers. While had been
informed that the King of the Valley had expressed
a willingness to me had an impression. how
ever, that he really anxious, and rode
ont with some misgivings. After had forded tho
Holston River felt that in the dominion of
the redoubtable Jesse. being the head of PowelIs
Valley. As rode down the river inquiry developed
the fact that nearly every house owned
by either q Rogers. Caywood. Sharp,
Clark or some of their connections. 1t was
an almost unbroken succession Of friendly
outposts the other end of which stood the houses
of the leaders. / then realized forcibly than
ever how utterly desperate would have been any at
tempt arrest these and drag them out of this
valley by force. had ridden only hour or two
after crossing the river before met half dozen
horsemen. with q square built. well dressed man.
mounted on handsome gray stallion, riding at the
head. There was mutual halt and at my first in
qury the leader announced that he himself was Jesse
Rogers After few moments private conversation
he agreed to turn back with me to his house, where
could talk the matter at leisure. II will then
tell you he said the whole Of this thing. from the
beginning to the end--my history and my wifcs-and
human being before. and I tell it to you
simply because many lies have been published
that want to get the truth OUT" AS rode along
I had fair view of the man whose the recent
tragedy has carried the contnent-a decisive.
brave man, as one can see at glance; square sit
ter. we'll poised and restful. There is no trace Of
weakness about him. but rather the signs of sturdy
defiance. Brown wlriskers closely trimmed. a firm
but full mouth. penetrating gray eyes. high and
white forehead erect supple, thickset figure. small
hands and feet, beaver overcoat and souch hat AS
we drew the Caywood house-a large frame
buiding-he said lightly:-"My wife will be scared
when she coming. This is the third day I
have left home to be gone for some time. and each
time got back home before night. She joked me
this morning about not being able to leave her. and
said if I came back tonight it would be be-
something serious had happened. SO
she will be scared" Sure enough, We
refined up at tho gate slight figure.
with shawl thrown about it, ran down the steps.
through the hall and out into the cold. 1t was
Emma Rogers. ''the belle Of Powell's Valley" Her
husband hurried to her. spoke few words and she
went in the house. was ushcred into large room.
with immense fireplace. in which goodly pile of
maple and hickory cracked and glowed. Rogers
seated himself and with the air Of man who has
disagreeable task hand. went At to work
at it.
1.-THE TRUTH IN THIS MATTER"
"I am going to tell you the truth in this matter.
and all the truth. You probably mover heard such
story from the lips of before and you probably
will again. OF it is hard for to talk
about it. but think it best to let the world know it
all. married my wife when were children.
was not eighteen and she was just fifteen. / never
had any sweetheart but her. and don't think she
had any but me- don't think there
a hat oh of1,o boffa
lived happier together. For long years man had
better wife than had and man loved his wife
better. Three children born to us. the young
est, our little boy, alone living until The first
break in our happiness caused by me. 1 got
tangled up with woman in Tazewell, and got to be
very much under her influence. I with her so
much that it got to be public talk. My wife got TO
be very Jealous and unhappy. and I confessed tho
truth to her and promised to break off the connec-
ton. found that could not do it. however. al
though really didn't care for the woman.
Just thrown in the way of her. and things drifted
along pretty much they did before Then En- got
TO be worse than ever. She at last worried herself
sick and bedfast for nearly six months.
couldn't make her out. She moody and quiet
and kept thinking she was going to die. talked
to her people about her and they afraid
she was going crazy. Her grandmother and her
two uncles died insane. She acted still
more and more strangely. until that something
must be done or she would die. then took her
travelling. She kept insisting that she had been
poisoned. and she had q peculiar looking medicine
that she took all the time she travelling. Inever
suspected her virtue any more than would suspect
babes in my arms Things went along this way
until election day. Then saw something that made
mo little suspicious. Il Just asked En-. passed
ont. IL any man had ever been To see her. sho said
M m ha hal No
sort of advances to her. went sce him about it,
and had passion in my heart. That was the first
time that ever heard Of any doing or saying
ono thing out Of the way to my wife. When went
TO Mays he told me the whole thing about
Ed Jackson. I cant begin to tell you what
fclt or what thought then 1 wont from
one to tho other trying TO get the truth Of it
for an hour or two. and then 1 went to my
vito and asked her IL what heard true She
turned pale death and said II was. She de-
MED IL an instant As soon she had confessed
shc staggered toward the sovc aud putting her hand
In tho stove pulled out bundle Of letters and said.
"Jess. read theml" never said word TO her. I
went out OF tho house to the stable. That where
shot at Ed Jackson. 1 shot all my barrels out and
ran 10 the house. just twenty steps OF. for moro
cartridges. My wife met me at the door. with the
cartridges in her hand She said. jess, no will
kill your hurried back to the street.
rfiK AN ApuLrERER-
II want to stop herc. said Rogers. his voice hard
ening and growing tcnse 'and tell you how that man
accomplished the ruin of my wife, As told you. she
was unbalanced and made miserable by my gallant
ing that other woman. Ed jackson knew all about
my connection with tho other woman. and ho
began to talk to my wife about 1t. He
told her les lies about y making it worse than
tho woman he would tell my wife. and have her
posted where she could sec me meet her. After get
ting her nearly crazy about II he told hor ho could
break II up. In this way he got into her confidence
and secrets. After pretending that no had tried 20
break IL up he told her that he had drug he could
give mo that would make me hate the woman She
begged him to uso u on me- and he said no would.
You must rcmenber sho n simple co untry pirl
that married before she had been to school any and
that had ideas except what she got from hearing
tlc country side folks talk. Of course the drugs
didn't Affect ms, IL he used any. About this time
my wifa. worn out and broken down. NJ AZ faken 10