Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-27

RoGERsvLLE, Tenn, Nov. 25, 1881.
l arrived in Rogersville about o'clock
yesterday and found the town very quiet
indeed and very few people on the streets. /
The weather was cold and light snow fell |
for short time.
At the Powell House, which is admirably !
conducted by the whole souled Powell, l /
found Sheriff Bleyins and made arrange !
ments to see the condemned murderer, Joe |
Harris, whose miserable life was in a few
hours to cease at the end of a rope.
After a barber had been secured the /
sheriff conducted all the press representa- |
tives to the jail. Harris was in
a very good humor and addressed
us all quite pleasantly. He
was released from the cage in which he was
confined and took chair near the window,
when the colored barber began to shave his
face and trim his hair. The Rev. Dir. Nc
Corkle came into the prison in q very few
minutes and we all stood around him. Har-
ris' manner was very indltferent-for a man
who had so short time to live. When
question was put to him he would appear to
think amoment before replying, and if the
question did not suit him he would very
quietly and pleasantly remark that che did
not wish to talk about that When
he was asked about
his guilt or innocence, he replied that if he
had any statement to make, it would be
known tomorrow" I have never seen a
man so destitute of moral sense, or one so
indifferent about his end He professed to
have made his peace with God, and said his
case was all right. He did not seem to
comprehend the atrocious character of his
crime and, up to the last moment of his
life, did not express any real sorrow for his
act, or sympathy for the relatives of his
victims. | never have seen or read of a
character so utterly depraved.
At midnight last night, when the little
town was wrapped in silence ana slumber
l prevailed upon the sheriff to
LOCK ME- IN THE PRISON
with Harris and allow Inc to remain there
until morning. When We entered the
prison Harris was awake. He had not been
asleep, and was in the same pleasant humor
that was upon him in the afternoon. Blew
/ ms remarked to him that he had brought
newspaper man to keep him company. Joe
/ laughing said, he had no objections, and |
/ began to question him about his early life.
! l. +oI haI 10
time, but learned little or nothing. When
he was sixteen years old he began to support
himself and worked for anybody who
would employ him. He seldom remained
at one place longer than few months.
Sometimes he would be dismissed and
sometimes would leave of his own accord.
He claims never to have beed satisfied when
living with his people, and said his
mothers second husband
! ALWAYS TREATED HIM BADLY.
/ He confessed to have been fond of whisky,
/ and said that most of his wickedness was
done under its influence l asked him if
he had ever robbed any one. His reply was
no, very decidedly. l then asked if he had
ever received any money which he knew to
have been stolen. His answer was, CHOW
you are get ting at that matter" He
said several times that my questions
were unfair; that l was trying to trap him.
1 tried to make him understand that the
confession he had made to his Maker was of
no avail to him if he lied to man. He
thought God would not hold him response
BILE for what he refused to tell for publiea-
ton. Ny impression was from this that he
had been very much annoyed somewhere by
a reporter, and that he had very little use
for newspaper men.
He said that at one time, which he could
not fix, he had been indicted in Hancock
County for carrying pistol, and had
fed to Virginia, where he remained a year.
During his stay in Virginia he got
drunk with a friend, and they had agreed to
have a duel, just to try their skill at shoot
ing. There was no enmity between them
whatever. Harris first shot just cut the
inside of his friends leg, and the fellow had
advised Joe to shoot higher. Neither was
injured by the duel, though oil the balls had
gone through their clothes.
Joe also said that while in Virginia, h.
had gone to church meeting in the coun
t try, and had found pocket containing
$500, and when the congreg cation began to dis
| perse, several persons were searching abou
4 the grounds for something, and one of then
l. h II
replied yes, and asked for description
The amount of money was stated and h
gave it up, and the owner had given hin
SO.
He returned to Hawkins County ant
u worked for different farmers, never remain
ing long at one place.
When he came to relate the events @
1880 he became more guarded in his state
ments, and would often consider question
one or two minutes before replying. Iaske
him
HIS OPINION OF CHARLEY BROWN,
and he said he did not like the man
him for the work he di
:. for him. Occasionally l would ask hii
If pointedly such question as this: D
N you think, Joe, that people lied when the
said you used an iron weopon to kill thof
menu He would laugh and say, "Nov
X you ought not to ask me that" and woul
"A again accuse me of trying 10 takeadvantae
la of him.
inn, mo
a mind upon any one subject for five mi
l. utes He would wander from one thing
another, and about two hours and a hs
after midnight he became sleepy and fail.
to notice NE. ] extinguished the eand
and allowed him to sleep without distu
I i