The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-23
Foul Play AiIeged--A Tale OF
Blood

Mrs. Nancy Blxtcr's body vas ex-hum
81 on J liz Sth after four days burial on
Broad River. Ruthertor! county, Her
..om lch aud heart were removed bT Dr.
". b. Lovelace. of Forest City, North
Carolina. She died suddenly on July
3rd. at the age of 81 years She vas
afflicted with cancer and aged, yet her
daughter Mrs. Cusssu and a few Others
s~uprosei touI uL1g FASTENED her death
A prominent AMI wealthy citizen was
charged With OIL play, bat no proof has
been found against this worthy man.
whose character i above r~eproach.
Mrs Nancy Baxter had a $1,000 river
plautation which she wIiied and donated
to her friend. Colonel John McDowell
With, or near whom she lived No marks
of violence on her body were found.
Mrs. Nancy Baxter was the divorced
wifao, William Baxter a wealthy and hon
ored citizen. with sou ana niece were
foully murdered with an axe one night IN
Is45. The deed disclosed a Bloody Chapter
of Crime. William Baxter. a negro trader,
returning homewari and ladeo with gold,
stald all night AZ Mr. RIiey's IN Georgia.
He had frequently lodged With Riley,
whom he regarded a friend. Harrison
Riley Offered repeatedly to sell w IN Bax-
ter, his guest a colored man at a bargain,
Baxter with reluctance bought the negro,
paid cash for same, and started early
next mor0ing on his homeward journey
accom- panied by two sons aud niece In a
carriage a 50 the purchased negro. That
afternoon on their journey two persons,
IN female costumes, passed the party and
aroused a slight suspicion with William
Baxter who i~nterrngated the negro. That
night. they staii 30 miles distant from
Mr.. Riieys 5 aud near Tugaloo Liver and
South Carolina line.
That night three human being were
murdered and Tugaloo River sang their
requiem AS It's waters covered the dead
bodies of William Baker, a son OF seven
teen summers and a girl OF thirteen, his
niece, The recently purchased negro and
his former owner, bad plotted the murder
on the previous night, and IN the hands OF
the negro fiend was the instrument OF
death, while midnight slumbers held the
trio I'M deep reposc from which they
never, never awCke.
The innocence of the young boy. only
seven. unnerved the murderer's arm, so
said the uegro afterwards, and saved his
life from a tragic death.
The negro and his accompice fled with
carr iages, three horses and $4,000 in
gold.
Shakespeare and Webster truly said,
murder will out" The negro was after
wards captured in Alabama. confessed the
crime and was hung near his bloody deed
and his head placed on a pole, 100000 was
recovered Of the stolen booty. Riley es
capped capture. Here the tale of blood
ends not. Time like a star unhasting yet
unresting." passed on and H. Riley was
dis covered ten years afterwards in Cali
fornia by William Baxters brother, who
at first sight attacked him with a knife
AMI killed the accomplice Riley.
Baxter was tried and condemned to
death, but the motives of the deed and
Riley's crime secured a pardon, for the
avenging brother Andrew Baxter. Will
liam and Andrew Baxter werc brothers of
Governor and Judge John Baxter, of
Tennessee. Shelby -4urora.
Also of ex Governor Elisha Baxter of
Arkansas. They were uncles Of Capt.
Plato Durham, VIM. Crawford Durham,
and Rev. Columbus I urban Few men
posse sci so much native force Of chara :
ter.