The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-21
on. Ne sot Southern Cistiiza-
uon." An Awful Crme.

man has been missing Tor four weeks !
~ipauires were made. aud Mrs. Iruse
said she supposed her husband was in
New York. Mrs. Dru,e has apparently
worried over her husbands absence aud
has teiesmphed 10 various directions 20
dnd HIN.
During the past week ugly runors
have been circulated. Neighboys told
ofsceing black smoke pouring from The
Druse chimney and smelling a terrible
smell, as OF meat bnrning. The excite
ment grew. aud nej2hbors told Mrs.
Druse of the stories that were atioat
about her husbands disappearance. Mrs.
Druse resented the lmputaLons aud
threatened 10 prosecute any one Mo
circulated ISLANDERS about her. The mat
ter died away somewhat, hut suddenly
sycv arain to greater proportions.
1t WAS said Mr.. pruse Lad been muI-
dered. his body boiled r. I've, and the
Bones buried. The Ieighbors called
again. and noticed new pant on the
II OF and woodwork ~ tie room. The
ami, consisted o, " lllaln lTuse. hls
y le. Roxy. i daughter, Mary aged Il, n
huv. George. AGED -, anG Frank Gates.
4 ucpheN OI Mrs. )rust, aged Il. The
house WAS an old one ten rods back
from the road, with large barns on tW"
sides. Charles I'ett, a noighbor, lives
100 rods west, Jeremiah Ecker ap"ul
100 rods northeast.
pett and the Ecker family believed
that there had been foul play MIR.
PETIT had noted the black smoke and the
fearful stcnc on i'eG II. MRS. fCkieI
and PETIT question J the hoy Gates, q,
stolld youth. lie finally weakened. ana
soon admitted the crime The District
Attorney, \. 3 steele, Was sent 4or'
and arrived last evening. rs soon ~
he arrived he questioned the boy. who
thcn told Ell tie burning ot the body,
aud went with hn = teunG What vas
lett OF the remains, winch "aS Simply 2
sHal! heap q ashes aud 2 lew chafred
bones.
The NoroucI arrived to-day. Alter z
few 81 the residents MA test.icd Frank
Gates WAS pgt on the stand, aud told
under oath an astounding ts3c that IS
/ given here almost ia his " words:
MY name i Frank Gates. | havc
l.vod fer the past five or sis weeks with
my aunt. Mrs. NllIarl Isusr. dhd
.or let .Ay board and went T. school.
MY uncle Was killed iac Thursday
before Christmas. helped to kll hIm
and dispose Of the ttnalus. L2>i sum
MGR my aunt wanted 70 hire me TO shoot
Uncle William. She sad she would
give me a GOOD many dollars Tor doing
it, told her | would not doit. There
"as nothing more said then, but this
winter my aunt and Uncle Eli had a
good many worus.
"On Thursday before Christmas, in
the morning, Uncle Bill asked me to
get up aud build the fire. | did so.
Aunt Roxy and Mary her daughter got
up Uncle Blu went and did the chores.
| asked if | should help him. and he said
NO. He said he would rather do the
himself. When ne came in to his break
fast lie sat down to the table. l had
nearly finished mme My aunt told me
to hurry mp | asked her what She
wanted. She then told me and George
TOGO out OF doors, but not to 90 Tar rom
the house.
Il heard a noise three or four times.
Then she called Us. She tad a revolver.
She handed il to me and todd me 10
81, st Uncle BIN or she would shoot
me. She put the revolver uptbmynosc
when She said this. ! then llrcd at I'm
Gle William. He was sitting IN a chair
or Oh tie floor. | was 50 excited !
could not say which Then she took
the revolver and fired at him until thc
revolver was empty. Then she took
the X aud pounded him III Tie head.
Uucle lGll said:
"'Oh, Roxy. don't
'.She then chopped his head of and
SEN me and George up stairs after n
straw tick which was filled She dragged
him on to the TX and told me | should
help drag him mic The parlor. she call
Ell for me to come IN I told her |
couldn't. and then Size sent me and
George down in the brush lot after the
sharp axe. When we came hack with
it she took It into the other room and
shut the dccr. SIZE tod me and GcGryc
to 20 up stairs, ana then called Us down
again and sent us to Tie hog pen after
some shingles. She built up a hot ire
in both stoves, and ther had me watch
at the north wind1w and Mary watch
at the south window. Then She took a
Block and a board into tAe parlor and
chopped him M, aud then put the pieces
in the fire. She told me to crowd the
kitchen stove with shingles.
Next day an saw Of hm was a
1arrc bone. Mary had that and put it in
tile other stove. 1t had flesh on each
end. Next morning she took up the
a e from tie stoves, put some ii j
bag and some Il a tin box. Ste told
me to hitch up tie horse, aud she was
going to my fathers. When we rot
into Mr.. Wallis mp we vent two
rods into the swamp | took tho ashes
ana threw them 81 the ground. We
then went to fathers. and was taken
sick and had to stay home a few days.
When | went back Mrs. Druse told me
t. get The new axe and saw the handle
Off. Mar took the handle Of which |
had sawn u two pieces, aud pat tin the