The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-07
Mountains out of Moie-HiIis -
Much Ado About Nothing! -
The Clayton ku kiuxing
Affair So-caIled

Nine Days Wonder and talk. and
and telegraphing. and nor
over the doings Of a pair negro
-ascal8 at Clayton, in Johnston county.
Briefly stated, the facts appear to be as
Chas. Smith, and Henry Davis, or
Ed Perry, IT Jordan Lee Gle i known
BY each Of the three names in different
localities) are rascally negroes, OF the
smart class. Smith has been IN the
Penitentiary and wanted for various
crimes in Jones and Lenoir counties.
These fellows %conspired to clean out the
village Of Clayton, which has no regular
poljce. nor banks. but contains a mum.
Der of stores which do a large cash bus
mess. The distance from Raleigh can
be travelled between sun set and sum
rise another advantage. They brought
a mule to carry off their plumber.
smith vas met midway between Raleigh
and CLAYTON by VIM. Barbee, railway
section master. for whom he had for
merly worked. Smith said he was just
walking down the track a few miles.
Davis had taken the mule along the
country road. They arrived near Clay
ton at dusk. and hid the mule behind
liberty church. They then crawled I'M
der an old building near the store OF
Ellington * Tomlinson, which i next
to Barnes x linton whom they propos-
ed 10 rob. Smith boosted after his ar
rest that they heard every word OF a
conversation between John Brannan
and Allen Dunn, when the stores were
being closed for he night.
During the night Smith and Davis
cut their way into the store, and pro-
ceeded to select such goods as they want
ed Smith passing them out to DAVIS
who removed them to a safe distance.
The noise finally aroused a young man
from Virginia named Cabell WHO was
sleeping in a room over the store. He
crept down an outside stairway, and
picked up an axe, the only weapon at
hand. Just then Smith ran o. the door /;
receiving as he passed a severe blow
from Mr.. Cabell, who although only in
nightclothes pursued the negro some
distance, and attempted to capture him.
Smith had a large knife with which he
inflicted severe and painful wounds upon
Mr.. Cabell, aiming to kill him, and COM
inc very near to it. The affair naturally
created great excitement and lndlgna-
ton through the settlement. Our peo-
ple who have been accustomed to sleep
ing with doors wide open, even III war
times. do O relish this daily increasing
prevalence of burglary, murder, outrage
and arson.
Smith was captured in Raleigh a few
DAYS thereafter in the act OF robbery;
and being recognised, confessed and
implicated Davis. Portions OF the stolen
| property were found in Davis possession.
They were taken to Clayton by officer
| Lewellen, and turned over to the local
| authorities. The matter had made so
much stir that both friend and foe of the
| prisoners knew of the transfer.
The Examination before the Clayton
| Magistrate was not concluded until too
| late an hour for their removal to Smith
| field, or the county Jail: consequently
they were kept for the night in a little
office neal the "BmI' office. All the
evening Smith talked in boastful, bragg
giny STYLE: detailing some 10 or 20 in
| stances of robberies committed by Davis
and himself; and laughing over their mar
row escapes. Repeatedly he referred
to Davis for Confederation of his tales;
but the latter negro sullenly responded
My lawyer told me to keep my
mouth shet!'
At 10 p. M, the prisoners were left
under guard of constable Hardy Mitchell
| Joe Mitchell, Allen Dunn, and Argo
Warner. According to Joseph Mitch
| ellis statement, about 3 o'clock A. NJ.
after the three other guards had gone
to sleep, two men with black faces step
ped in the door (Which was wide OPEN
and presented pistols to his head, with
a command not to speak. Another
man then came in, and spoke TO the
negroes; who without hesitation, or the
utterance of a sound, got up and followed
him out.
The two other blacks then wa liked
out. He saw but three men. 1t was
some time before he dared arouse the
other guards and give the alarm. OF
course there was great excitement next
day, and the whole country was secured
for traces of the lynching: but nothing
could be found, not even horse track.
Then began a series of the most as.
tonishing rumors, which were duly
printed in the Raleigh dailies; and also
telegraphed all Over the land. We have
seen fully fifty accounts of the affair in
our Northern exchanges. 1t was first
alleged hat the two negroes, still in
handouts, were swinging to a tree nea
Clayton. A few days later, the bodice
were reported bound with chains, riddled
with bullets, neal Neusc River. Then
forty horsemen were seen or the bridge,
tossing the poor wretches into the river,
amid a chorus of blood-curdling yells.
Then the usual Moralizing began.
The papers pompously preached on the
enormity of the crime, and the disgrace
to Clayton. The Negro preachers
Numbered from their pulpits. The
Yankees rehashed their old s'virtuous
indignation against Southern barbarity.
The colored convention on New
Years day passed resolutions: and a
telegram to Petersburg from Raleigh SAID
Gov. Jarvis would harp upon it in his
message to the Legislature. The New
York Times abused our Chief of Police
for not Furnishing two white boys, and
not protecting the two burglars-in
another county!
Last week the rumors took a new
phase. 1t was reported that Davis had
turned up, alive, but with sores on his
neck and wrists, made by the chains,
when the Lynchers threw him into the
river"
Smith. he alleged, had been shot and
drowned. But strange to say no white
man who has actually seen Davis can
be found.
Later, these stories gained strength;
and a posse of colored men, Stewart
Ellison, Nortieet Jetfreys, Jr. and halt
dozen members Of the State Guard (col-
ored company went out to rescue the
escaped victim'' of the Lynchers. 1t
is said Gov. Jarvis authorized them to 90.
They found a negro woman who said