The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-24
AFATALtcIRcUs DAY.
Murders and Lynching in States
Vile.

Monday was a bloody an memorable
day in S~tatesville. Sells Brothers CIR
Gus exhibited in that place on that DAY
and an immense crowd OF people nal
come to town. many from Alexander
aud Wilkes counties. 20 see Tie circus
IL i estimated that tile crow numbered
fully eight thousand. During the early
mart OF the DAY the crowd he-an I" :
auor up. but the order wa generally
good uAtIl IN the afternoon when the
hlooI.lad BEGAN. when ono man We
Killed outright. and A man and 4 Cill!
wounded in a SIN lie fight Durin- th'
night the chapter wa ended WITH the
lynching OF the = who did the boot
I'M. Ii was a terrible day for States
VILE aud during the excitement OF the
afternoon. the circ1s folded IT. tent and
left the town and the crowd without
giy.n. a night performance.
The circus troubles begun on the Sat
urday night previous. when the first d;t-
nculty occurred. The town was then
full OF people and a good deal OF drink
inc wa. uoiny on. 4 trouble arose be-
tween a white man named Rhyme. from
Newton. and an unknown negro. IN
which the negro beat RHYME fatally.
crushing in his forehead and face.
Rhvne was still living Yesterday when
the Charlotte train left Statesville. but
wa, then living IL a hotel IL a supposed
diving condition. Monday about loon
a fierce pistol duel took place between
John Redman. white, aud Chas. Camp
bell. colored. in which Re,lman wac
shot through the heart. An cd fued
hid existed Between Redman and the
nero. aud when they met III S~tatesville
A fight was the result. Rednan fired
twice Mt the negro. but missed him and
the nero fired three times at ltcdman.
The first bullet from the necro'> pistol
entered the abdomen OF All old man
standing near named Tom Bell. intiIc'-
inc a serious but not a fatal wound.
The second bullet entered the leg Of a
little child that wa. being held IN IT.
mother'- arms. and the third took effect
in Redman : heart, killing Inn Instant
w.. Campbell was arrested and carried
to Jail in the midst Of the greatest ~
element. Redman'e friends took charge
OF his body. That night at three O'Clock
they surrounded the jail and forced an
entrance into Camphell's cell and Sc
curing the prisoner took him to a tree
on the western suburbs of the town and
hanged him. 30 gu city was the lynch
ing done that none OF the citizens 81 tie
town were aware Of anything until after
sun up, when Campbell's body Was dis
covered dangling from the tree. Nome
Of the to~wns-people had any hand in the
work and were not aware that ANY idea
- I,,.Ii,,,r tho pa,,rn baA haan a.,fa,-
tanned hy anyone Redman i Il son oi
John Redman, who wa murdered ~
the 18th of last April by his two
nephews. sons of Absalom Redman. in
upper Iredeli county. The nephews
were building a fence. the line OF which
John Redman disputed. A quarrel en-
sued. and the ~nephews settled it by
shooting Redman with a shot gun.
The Redman family are all known "a
desperate men. 1t is said that the Red
man who was killed in Statesville had
heen riding through the own flourish
M pistols and defying the law. Hi
death at the hands OF the negro greatly
incensed his friends and caused a big eX.
element. The lynching party number.
ed about thirty. Campbell, the negro
who WAS lynched, was from Taylors.
Vile. The news of his lynching was a
treat surprise to the citizens of the
town.
Passengers who arrived on the train
Yesterday morning state that just he.
f,re the train left Statewide, the dead
body "A negro man was found under Z
pile OF stra on the circus grounds. II
! alleged thu the negro was shot bl
o &c OF the cllcus men. and our infOr-
uaDt states that a man vas seen il
Statesville who says he saw the Difficult
ty between the negro and the Snowman
The negro was drunk aud was raising Il
fuss in the tent where the horses were
being fed, when the Snowman ordered
him out. The negro drew his pistol anc
shot at the Snowman. who returned Il
tire, killing the negro. This report,
however. has been c~ontralicted and re.
affirmed. aud there may be some doubt.
a. to its accuracy.
1t is but justice to the citizens o
Statcsville to say hat in all these dis
turbances not a citizen of the town wa,
engaged in IL single one. 1t was alto,
gether the work of visitors from the
neighboring counties. 1t was certainl,
Il day long to be remembered. and sucl
a n as the people of that place hops
=" "er TO see return.-Charlotte Obser.