The daily gazette., 1882-08-24
oNTHE BRINK OF DEATH
,- calME FOR WHICH Red
1hI pENI TO HANG.
u1s CASE BRIEFLY REVIEWED.
,,.ct and L.ustful Assailant of Little
is ss,lIe Purse who is to suffer the Penalty
~ nIs offence Tomorrow.

n. morrow James Redden, colored
i,h "A years of age, will be hanged in
youi"ii ,uii card at New Castle, having been con-
te s,od J Al the May term of Court, of the
ue NC or committing a rape upon the per-
eua' = sarah j. Purse, white child. The
son .a.v W If tbe horrible and disgusting assault
w. !. IN familiar to many, but below will be
G,anJ resume of the case, a........
THE CRIME COMMITTED.
Nm Thursday morning, February 23d,
,oso ohout o o'clock, Redden entered the
tonse or William II. Purse, on the road
,''ling uOI from Odessa to Fieldsboro, about
"as and one half miles from Odessa, and
4 Mara found little Sallie Purse, aged ID,
s 'ioDs with her baby sister. Redden, who
S,.Enown to the child, asked her for some
Nng b eat and Sarah, who is "handy"
.hgtthe house, taking care OF 1t during
Ig nother's frequent absence, at once
rTd.ed. giving the fellow a meal of meat,
Gnheks and coffee After the meal Red
m went and sat by the front window,
heing the road, bailing two OF his acquaint-
lnces as they passed
Finally he looked up and down the road,
i and seeing no one in sight, arose from his
chair aud approached Sarah, who had
5 started to go into the yard. He grabbed
4 hfby the shoulder and threw her down,
3 and when the child screamed he seized her
Il h the neck and said "If you holler I'll
choke YOU" She was afraid TO make an
outcry aud he at last accomplish his terrible
purpose. Shortly afterward the brute left
4 ihp house, but before doing so he asked the
grl II she would tell her mother, to which
. Che replied eyes, as soon as she comes
home" He then, in a threatening manner,
aid "lf you say that again / will cut
your throat from ear TO ear, as have knife
in my pocket can do 1t with" He left the
house about o'clock, and Sarah sat by the
stove and cried until the arrival of her
mother.
Almost as soon as Mrs. Purse opened the
door, about dusk, the infant exclaimed
big nigger come in, mamma, threw
Sissy down; and she cried and cried"
Sarah then told her mother the whole affair,
but was not believed until she showed her
bloody clothing.
THE sCoUNDREL ARRESTED.
On Friday, Mr.. Purse, who had been from
home. returned. His wife told him of the
affair, and he Immediately procured a war
nn from Justice Vandyke. The paper was
h charge OF Alfred Stevens, who, with
Alexander Moody, made the arrest of the
fellow in Armstrong; store, Odessa, in the
genng. At Q o'clock that night Redden
vas taken to the Purse house and fully
ientiied by his victim, who described his
taures and his clothing very minutely be-
br he was brought before her That night
hewas kept in hotel under guard, as loud
threats had been made TO lynch him. At
noon on Saturday, February 25, he was
safely lodged in the Jail at New Castle
the hearing in the office of the Justice.
however, an excited man pushed his way
through the crowd and urged them to take
Nelatn out and hang him, and offers were
made to MFah's father to help him hang the
NitIen 0n Saturday an attempt was made
% trar Redden from the officers who was
taxing him TO New Castle, and perhaps all
.lal saved him was the moving off of the
train. s'e
THE TRIAL IN WILMINGTON,
on Wednesday morning, NAV "a, Redden,s
yaSe Gus Was taken up for trial at 10. 10 o'clock.
marry sharpley, Esq, represented the
Prisoner, having been appointed his counsel
" tle court After fifteen challenges had
Dtth made by the defense a Jury was en-
Rnelledi composed of the following per-
sons Manoye Mcfarland, Edward Who'd
s4d, Alexander NJ. Sparks, Thomas Lin
Sel} Mason Rumsey, John V. Christy. ].
W,l, ysal Brown, Eli Davis, s. V. b Garty.
Snldll "n Black, Atwood Wilson and John
ll' altl' Carty was the only black man ON
NV ~ lufl, ail OF whom Were Republicans.
"atl The Indictment had been read all
,@s NV WITNESSES Were removed from the court
4 ,9VSii 10 De admitted one at a time. Alex
1.ii agasi D, cooper, Deputy Attorney-G General,
Tended to prove, Nv ~
c.JaS aH D. q, farse was the first witness
ANY, N She told the story as narrated
msn ~ straightforward and modest
tn''in frequently being obliged to pause
t5a ap9 a away her tears. The prisoner In
a,s,@I,i, sA was identified as the one who had
iug Gas aer on the winter afternoon. Dur
tba Nh. discrimination by MIR. Sharpley
aGatl ,,r'Ss WI ~ stated that she did not get
psdr " " Headen until he said he wasn't
st,nj u go At 1910 the child left the
eoorsS Lloyd and Charles Brsker, both
Purs.,s t' astilea TO having seen Redden in
l2al eoag. aguse on the day OF the assault. At
ntLa'c ddJourned to meet at 3 o'clock.
James n aisetiioon u Elias Freye. colored, and
law tba -, s., u,Ieeh, white, testified that they
q Ws, PRISONER In Purses house on NAV
Sar,b n,,' ufse detailed the story told by
William II " tlle lorlner came home at night.
house and - ruise described the plan OF his
aa@sa u explained what he knew of the
ie nat,i walter V. Woods explained
Sarabis rrs ol the injuries he found upon
tIa a.s person, and other witnesses detailed
Thu Ga,'sst Ss OF the fiend.
fye ar sia'e ~, rested Its case at 4.42, and after
the dec, "a witnesses had been examined for
alili mt ~, ~ vain attempt to prove an
0bfeakn@ |lout 1p9. developing any new facts
cQIon sHIs N.Y. down the testimony of the prose
Demt,n, ,ni; Eolarpley rested his case,
Opening ni,,a niha,eeorllfy-GeneralC e Cooper, in the
Ainulrss l,ea ~, lor the State, spoke about 20
Oh III Tfnm mleh the court adjourned.
iar abDnt bD1Siay IN ', morning Mr.. Sharpley plead
prove tra,,' ~ =, lliihutss, in which he tried to
hot ra6rd tll. tne evidence that the child was
hands '"' heeeded to the prisoners de-
pcser[aa5, s,g- aa5,torney Gray reviewed the case in
Bis full i, rasp speech, presented the evidence in
entire grn"n3' e' exhaustiyely covering the
-40 1Msf l. lie finished at lI.35. At
Charge, and ~ uStlee % Comegys began his
"' - 10 the jury retired.
A. CONVICTED.
Friday mo.n,s NJ hours of expectancy, at 1920
court roam a@Oflllng, lg, the jury came into the
Point '9'l TL Tor explanation upon a difiicnlt nil
they rett,is rne matter was made clear, % when
agerdlct, 81 again, at 1l.4S returning with
a ariyinr a. wards learned that the DELAY
'le negro MI a. a Verdict was occasioned by
guilty j 55dtfyinan Carly, who voted q moi
guilty. '''ileS' on the 10th ballot voting
ia SENTENCED
burned at slit 3 J5ary had been polled court ad
When the r6iaS, ri6siaS, meeting again at 8 O'Clock.