The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-08-24
[special to The statesman.l

came up, and 1t was renewed again at
Mckinney in November, 1850, when the
cotton crop of the rented land was being
sold, and Mr.. Norveli left the amount in
the hands of a merchant to keep until
who was entitled to it. The money re-
manned in this merchants posses
sion for nearly one year, the negro
refusing to accept the proposition for
arbitration. On Sunday evening, Octo-
Der 10, 1881, while NOrvell was sitting
near his open door, Caldwell appeared
and demanded the payment of the three
dollars. There was no one present eX-
cept Lillian, a ten-year-Old daughter of
NOrvell, and two baby brothers. With
the exception of the ante.mortem state
ment of the dying man, the childish story
OF the little girl, and the statement of the
negro afterwards convicted and hung
as murderer, what happened there is
mystery. The negrO's statement up to
his execution to-day was q most emphat-
ic assertion that he did the killing IN
self defense, and is q square cOntradic-
ton of the statements OF the dying man
and his little daughters, which was
in substance that the negro, standing
at the door. demanded the money.
NOrvell denied the debt, and told
the negro to leave the house.
The latter replied, drawing a pistol, 81
have come for that money; if you don't
pay me I'll blow your ID old brains
out" AS Noryell attempted to rise from
his chair the negro fired, the ball entering
his victims abdomen and lodging near
the spinal column. The wounded man
came out doors, walked around the
house, sat down in a chair in the yard
and his assailant ran off. The screams of
the children brought the mother of the
murderer and his younger brother to the
scene. The latter went for q doctor and
the former, good, faithful, kind-hearted
old "aunty," nursed Norvell tender
ly and carefully until he died, on October
"a, 1881. The expert testimony of the at
tending physicians, as to the probable po-
let, ETC., was such as to convince the jury
that the dying statement was correct and
truthful. Caldwell, after leaving the
scene of his crime, rode his own pony,
accompanied by Il negro companion
a short distance off, several miles away,
where he stole fine horse from a farmer
and sent his own home by The COM
panion. He then fled northward, and
by daylight next morning was seen by
some Chickasaws in the wilds of the In
dian territory, fully one hundred miles
from where he started. Search was made
for him in all parts of Texas and through
the territory by Sheriff Warden, of Col
lin county, and other officers, but no trace
could be found of him until Warden on
arriving at Sedalia, Missouri, learned
that a strange negro, answering the dis
cription of Caldwell, had recently arrived
In the vicinity OF Clinton, in Henry
county, about forty miles from Sedalia,
and was work on farm. WOrden went
there. identified Caldwell, arrested him
and took him back to Texas. He said he
to Caney switch in the ter
ritor, where he sold the animal and
boarding a night train on the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas railroad, proceeded to
Clinton, Missouri, and thence out into
the country. away from the town negroes
who he was afraid would betray him
should they find him out. Caldwell was
tried before his honor, Judge Joseph
Bledsoe, in the Collin county district
court, and on Februry 81, 1882, was con-
victed of murder in the first degree and
the death penalty assessed, He carried
his case to-the court of appeals, which, on
June, Z, 1882. affirmed the judgment of
the lower court, and on July II, follow
ing, Hon. A. De Almond, special judge,
pronounced formal sentence, decreeing
that the prisoner be hung on Friday, Au-
gust IS, 1882. Throughout his confine-
ment in Jail, during his trial and when
sentence was pronounced, Caldwell pre-
served a most Indifferent, unconcerned
manner, but he soon realized his ex-
tremely awful condition and sought
spiritual solace, and, like mos. other MUIR
derers doomed to death, prOfessed to
have found peace, forgiveness and
Savior almost in the shadow OF the gal
lows and on the brink of the grave.
He wanted to live, but was prepared to die
Your correspondent visited Caldwell in
his cell. He appeared to take his fate
philosophically, saying that "what can't
be cured must be endured" He was
asked for a statement of his case and a
sketch of his life. He was evidently
heightened, ambitious darkey-''stuck
up" and feeling himself "better'n COM
mon cornfield niggahs," as one of his race
expressed it. He said he was born near
Mckinney in 1862, and was twenty years
old on the seventh Of last May. His name
was Shadrach Meshack Abednego Cald-
well, but he despised and dIsliked the
fiery furnace cognomen and had abbre-
waited it to ssShack, !" and had insisted on
being tried for his crime under the name
OF ssShack, Caldwell, which was done.
His mother, he said, was a sort of Bible
fanatic, and gave him the long name,
which he believed had been the cause Of
bad luck to him,as he believed he had ,suf-
fered as bad as ifhe was in a fiery furnace
He said he had worked for great many
planters, and that ever since he was a