Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-31

The Appling County Murderer's Lease
of Life Drawing to a Close-What He
Has to Say About the Crime-The
Lowery Gang in Carolina.
A MORNING NEWS reporter called at
the Jail yesterday and was accorded an
interview with Fletcher Lowery. The
condemned man is found in cell No. 10.
Deputy Jailer Klnchley said, as the re-
porter walked up to the cell door, Glow
cry, here is reporter who wants TO talk
with you.''
The prisoner was sitting at the foot Of
his cot, next to the cell door. Looking
out through the bars, he said
Chow do you do, sir: can tell you
a good deal, l reckon, as a good many
things have been told about me that are
not true
While Lowery was speaking the
reporter studied his physlOgnomy.
He is a tall, broad-shouldered, strongly
built. bright mulatto, with square face,
straight nose, clear black eyes, with fore
head broad, and Of medium height. A
short growth of hair formed a moustache
and a set of whiskers, while his chin was
shaven. He was comfortably dressed and
cleanly in appearance.
when YOU were leaving savannah with
the Sheriff a few days age did any one ap-
pear to want to take you from him"
Lowery smiled and said: "When we
got down to the corner of Liberty street
to take the street car Tor the depot, half
drunken negro came up and SAID 10 me
who are yer? What they gwine ter do
wild yer, wild dat big chain bout yer
neck:' He was told that l was prisoner
going to court in the country, but be Kept
on talking in his foolish way as though
| be was looking at big bear IN circus
for the first time in his life. l didn't pay
any attention to him, and don't remember
now all he said, but the Sheriff called out
to somebody and asked where he could
find a policeman. when few other people
came up on hearing him ask the question
| lust to see what the matter was. About
| that time we got on the car and started
! to the depot. No one on the train
seemed to notice me much. When
we got to Jesup | was taken into room
and STAYED there with the officer. At
| JesUp no one seemed to know or care
| about nv being there. and didn't see or
hear of anv one who wanted to make
| trouble. ON our way back to Jesup day
or two ago, the Sheriff, a lawyer and three
other men armed with shOtguns were with
us: but there was no trouble of any kind
that ! heard of, and don't think any one
thought of making any"
s'Have you refused to talk to anyone
NO, sir; Pm always glad to talk to
people when Pm allowed to do So"
Have you talked with any newspaper
men this week!'
Not that I know OF. You are the only
| newspaper man that have seen so far as
l know"
"Why did you kill Brumage? Had you
been on a spree when you killed him, or
was it jealOusy?''
Il was not drinking at the time. 1t was
on account of the woman. / am sorry
for it,
chad you been drinking much before
| the murdergr
Il was in the habit of taking a drink
! sometimes, but not to get drunk"
''What was your fathers nameV
John Ounce Lowery. He's been dead
a long timer"
'.How old are youY'
"Well I'm not sure, but l reckon I'm
pushing the thirties pretty close"
Where were you born?
''In Robertson Country, North Carolina"
Chow long before the war;"
"Em not sure, but as near as l can
come at it ! reckon | was about y years
old when Sherman went through there
| just before the war closedg'
us your mother livingg'
Eyes. sir; in North Carolina. | heard
from her not long agO-after l got into
this trouble"
Nv hat is her name:'
''Iva-Iva L0wery."
Did you belong to the LOwery gangF
what! you mean those OutlawsW
The reporter nodded In the affirmative,
when LOwery went on to say: Il didn't
belong to them, but my uncles and some
other people did"
Did you have anything to do with
themT'
s'No, sir; all l know about them is that
| they were outlaws. and that my uncles
| belonged to them. / couldn't help that.
| never was arrested for anything until |
got into this trouble, The lawyers up in
| BaXley knew that letters came there
from people whom l know in North Caro-
lima who gave me a good recommends
ton"
What did you work at in North Caro-
lina?''
Il most of the time worked on turpen-
| tine farms.''
Chow long have you been in Georgia"
'sOver three vears-I reckon it's more
than that, almost five years"
What have you been doingV
working as a clipper on turpentine
| farms. 1 was working for Mr.. BaXley up
to the time l was arrested for this"
''DO any Of the ministers come to see
vou?"
Zone came yesterday, but don't know
his name. Before l went to be sentenced
Mr.. Matthews. Mr.. Holmes and MIR. Hayes
came to see me. l would like to see them
again, and [ wish they would come
Oftener now"
Are you sorry you got into this
trOuble?'
Yes, sir, l am. l wouldn't do any
thing like it again. | suppose we all do
things some times that we are sorry for
afterwards, and l regret that | had any
thing to do with this"