Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-04-25
NANCE IN LIMBO.
The Brutal Child Murderer Safely Lodged
in Knoxville Jail.
After Liberty and Flight of Nearly
Three Weeks.

After Liberty and Flight of Nearly
Three Weeks
He Valves an Examination and ia Bound
over to Criminal Court
Most of our readers are no doubt familiar
with the facts and outlines of the horrible
deed which was committed seven miles from
this city, near McNIillan's Station, ON Mon
day morning, Srd inst, in which
William Nance figured as the
red handed murderer of his step-child, a
little helpless girl, only three years of age.
The sickening details of the revolving crime
were given in our columns, but in brief, the
facts as elected by the coroner's inquest
were about these The brute in human
form awoke about O'clock III the morning
from the pile of straw which answered for
bed for him and his wife and child in the
miserable, poverty stricken howell which they
occupied as home, to find that the
infant in its childlike simplicity and inno-
cence had committed a slight tresspass,
whereupon he, with all the rage of the de-
mon that he is. began to beat the innocent
and helpless thing numerically. This
aroused the mother, who interceded for her
offspring, but in vain, and the fiendish hus-'
band and step father, with all his brute
force, hurled the little thing
against the rail which fenced
in the pile of straw, and crushed
its skull so that death soon came to Its re-
lief. The life of the mother was threat
ened if she said anything about it. Her
screams upon the still-night air aroused the
neighborhood, however, who arrived on the
spot, and Nance departed for parts IN
known.
A special in our Sunday morning issue
| brought the intelligence of his capture in
Madison County, N. c., last Friday, by
| Deputy Sheriff r. E. Renner and Mr.. J. A.
Balch, of Cooke County. This information
was greeted with universal satisfaction by
every newspaper reader, and the announce
ment that ne was to be brought to Knox
vile on Sundays train, served to attract an
| immense crowd of persons at the depot, and
there was tremendous surging mass of
| humanity when the train ran in, everybody
reaching and pearing for peep at the pris-
oner. He was in charge of deputy Renner
and MIR. Balch, his captors, and Sheriff
| c. F. Boyer, of Cooke County, securely
| tied with rope. They were met by Depu-
| ty Sheriff W. F. Gibbs and other officials.
1t was with extreme difficulty the officers
could force their way through the crowd so
great was their enxiety to get a glimpse of the
monster. He was taken into Bells bus and
conveyed to the jail followed by a larger
| concourse than would be attracted by the
procession of John Robinson's circus. Ar
! rived at the Jail he was turned in and the
key turned in which shut him out from
public gaze for q time.
A brief mention of the meanderings and
capture of Nance, as related by his captors,
may not be uninteresting. He went first,
after committing the crime, to the Tate
Spring neighborhood, where he stopped for
few days, as was stated in a former issue.
From there he put out and crossed the
Holston River about Mooresburg, and
crossed the railroad near Whitesburg. Con
tinuing on he crossed Lick Greek and ovel
to Chuckey River, where he crossed at Ma
loney's MILL near Warrensburg, Greene
County. This was Monday IL inst. That
night he stopped with an old man named
Cline, who, by the way, had never heard OF
the crime. While there Nance heard that his
second wife Che had been married three
times Whose name was Phillips, lived with
her father neEr by. He sent by old mar
Cline for her to come to Cline's and SEE
him, but her father, who knew of the crime
Nance had committed, would not allow
her to go. He informed Cline of his
character, and asked him to say nothing tc
Nance till he could get some one have hin
arrested. Cline, however, went straight
back and told Nance what was up and he
skedadled on short notice.
Phillips went across to Parrottsville
hunted up deputy sheriff Renner and post
ed him, and he secured Mr.. Balch and pu
out in pursuit. This was Tuesday. Whel
they came to Cline's they found Nance gon,
and took up the trail
At the ferry where h
crossed, the ferryman described Nance, hav
ing discovered his name in India ink on hi
arm; where the sleeve of his wooden shir
was accidentally rolled. Nance went wen
on in the direction of Greenville, crossing
the Greenville road few miles above Pan
rottsville. He staid all night with a MAJ
named Meas, near Meadow Fork, and goin
on spent the next night in an old out house
taking breakfast with an old negro man
aud stopping with another man over night
Friday morning he started out and came u
with a man named Atwood, who had bee
to mill. He went with him for dinner. A
: they reached the house fire was discovere
breaking out in some new ground, an
Nance went out with Atwood and his boy
D to fight it. This place was in Madiso
Il County, n. c., about three quarters of
t mile from the State line.
d While this was going on, Messrs. Renne
and Balch, who had been in hot pursui
came to the house, told the lady of the hous
their business, obtained her confidence, an
having ascertained that their man was
the vicinity, waited until dinner VIZ
). ready. Nance came in to dinner along wit
: the rest, and soon awai1ed to the realization
: much to his CONSERVATION, that he was
the clutches of officers of the law. He ha
no arms of any kind, and offered no resi-
lance. The officers tied his arms and star
- 10 ,
Wolf Greek, where they kept him Frida
night Nance being slue-footcd and unab
to walk with any speed, the officers took
: turn-about walking and let him ride. E
q was discovered once or twice q
tempting to slip the rope frol
hisarms, as if to escape, but he could hay
made no speed. Messrs. Renner and Balt