Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-15
Is FLEM0N THE MAN?
South Carolina officers Not Allowed
to See Him Until To-Day,
BUT THEY DESCRIBE TIE Dominic.
They Will Pick Him Out From Among the
COlOred Prisoners.
STRONG PROOF FOUND IN TWO LETTERS

The police authorities are pretty thor
oughly convinced that John Yeldell, the
minister, known as Rev. E. Flemon.
wanted for murder in South Carolina, is the
right man. United States Marshal Storm
and Deputy Sheriff Thomas J. Lyon, who
are here to identity him and take him back
for trial, have not yet seen him, but they
both know him well and have described
him so accurately that all doubt as to his
identity has been removed. These officers
stopped in Harrisburg on the way to Pitts
burg and had the requisition papers signed
by the Governor.
This morning at 9 o'clock Yeldell will be
brought into court, and confronted by the
two men for Identification. An exciting
scene is expected. The minister is bright
fellow, and has ingratiated himself into the
hearts of the colored people. His arrest is
the general subject of conversation among
his congregation, and many of them will
not believe that their preacher is the man.
Yeldeil has given out that If he is taken
back to South Carolina he will be killed,
and this has stirred up the people of his own
race.
ONLY SIX LYNCHINGS THERE.
When Marshal Storm heard of this state
ment he laughed and said Yeldell would be
given fair trial. He stated that only six
negroes had been lynched in Edgewood
county since the war, and they brutally
murdered an old man of so years. Three of
the men, by the way, were ministers
Marshal Strom is wealthy plantation
owner, and he says Yeldell has picked many
bale of cotton for him. He said he would
know him by his voice and walk, even if
Yeldell were to paint his face, although he
has not seen him sipce the murder was COM
mitted, four yearsNN ago. Yeldell's father,
according TO the Marshal, was a bad man,
and gave the authorities more trouble
than any colored man in the region.
He says John Yeldell isa desperate fellow,
and both officers admit they are afraid of
him. They are supplied with a good pair
of nippcrs and are well armed.
Another seemingly convincing proof in
the possession of the officers that Ysldell II
the man wanted consists of two letters, m
written by brother-in-law and the otherx b,
,Yeldell. Since the murder was commi LteC
the officers had lost all trace of Yeldell1 1
was currently rumored among the nd {groe
that he was in some school studying fol }r tn,
ministry, but they couldn't locate( him
Finally the brother-in-law got intR som,
trouble, and
LETTER FROM REV. E. FL4sMoN
was found on his person FROM certain
facts in the letter they were led to believe
this was Yeldell. When the pSteacher wa:
arrested the answer to this lett er from the
brother-in-law was found. In 4he letter the
brother-in-law gives him somex information
about the marriage of his sist$ Ter and four oi
his companions implicated il tn the crime.
The names in each instance az Re given. The
close connection and corr rlfespondence OF
these two letters soon conV Enced Inspector
McAleese and Captain D(a IAN Sylvus that
Flemon is the man wantedG
The murder for which, Yeldell was ar
rested was committed in 1856. One SUNDAY
morning YelGell, in cokmpany with four
other negroes, visited the village of Parks
vile. The men were 81 lpplied with short
pistols, and got to drink ing little, though
Marshal Strom said Tshe men were not
drunk, and he never knew John Yeldell to
be intoxicated. Aboukt the time for church
services to begin the fnegroes with Yeldell
rushed through the fktreets firing their pis-
tolls into the air. TI6 he next day
A cHARGlE OF RIoT1NG
was made against III hem, and Deputy Sheriff
j. S. Blackwell sts fried out to look for them.
He chased them q ii day on Monday, and
ran them down in cabin on Tuesday.
When he approach Ehed the door to make the
arrests, he was 81 hot and killed by one of the
men. Yeldell fled, but his companions were
captured, convi Icted and sentenced to be
hanged. Another hearing was granted
when it was Shown that Yeldell did the
shooting, and the sentence in their cases
was changed ito imprisonment
The Marsh;h h said that when he tried to
arrest Yeldel u the latter drew a revolver
which he dig not see, but one of his faithful
colored boy'is who was engaged to Yeldell's
sister grabb Jed it, and saved his like. Yeldell
has been fugitive from justice ever since.
He was 'aise1 by Ex-Governor Shepherd,
of South Carolina, and has a good educa-
tion. THE Governor will be called as a wit
ness at thu e trial in South Carolina to tell
what he knows about him.