The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-03-28
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF VIM. SHACKELFORD. ALIAS
J. p. DAVIS.

OF VIM. SHACKELFORD, ALIAS
J. p. DAVIS.
He Records His Life-.And Gives an
Account OF His Crimes--A Thrilling
Warning and Appeal--By the Man
Whose Last Day on Earth is To-day.
VIM. Shackelford, alias J. P Davis,
will te hanged at Pittsboro to-day The
CHROnICLE lays before its readers
sketca Of his life, and p full confession
Of some of his crimes, written by his
own hand. This autobiography was Sc
cured at the expense of pains and
money.
Preface.
This autobiography appears as il came
directly from the hand of Davis, except
that great deal has been left out that
would have been Of little or no interest
to any one; aud his description of the
part be played in the seduction of two
innocent women has also been emitted,
| AS we'll as much that was said of divers
| ministers and others, on the ground of
its personality.
He wrote the following pages while
was acting as night-watch and handed
them to me for publication
JAMES E. BURKE.
The Autobiography.
Having decided to wlite out brief
sketch OF my life, | do 50 with no nope
of realizing any benefit therefrom, bat
that it may serve as a qualification to all
who feel an interest in me: and that it
may be {. satisfaction to those who at
any time have eildeavored to promote
my happiness here.
Feeling, as Dc, that | am wholly in
adequate to the task, undertake il
with fear, lest should fall short Of the
ohj ct in view; but hoping that, notwith
standing its imperfectlons, it may in the
order Of Providence prove benefit tx
some who may be saved from like error.
by its warnings, | will endeavor to brius
forth a short history Of my life, if il
the few days that now remain to me,
may De able to 0onSummate the work be
fore me.
My father was of Irish descent, borl
Of wealthy parents twenty-one mile
from Marion Court house, South Caro-
lima. Oh the road leading to Georgetown
at 4 place known as the Red house, il
B@iton'5 Meek My grandfather, VIII
Vas a rice planter, died about thre
weeks fore the birth Ct my father, an
my father was left motheress at the ag
If tivo ia,s He was taken and raise
by uncla John Baker, who turned owe
to him Hi, fathers estate at the age {
ninete II years At the age Of ,went
my father married Mary >, Davis. al
q their oldest child, having been born
the year 1S4S have one sister, seye
years younges than myself
| received a moderate edUc3tiou, IL
that T5 f.fher Was not able 70 hay
given me d collegiate education, but
i had to stop scho2 10 60 to the army
1864, al tbe time Hien a.! men from 81,
teen 10 sixty were called INTO Servic9.
was mus cred IL undor Col Cash,
Florence. and was jurIe,; over to Go
Dukin aud received arms at Atlant
# Georgia.
! was ia the army but a short tim
~ having been discharged, after an eX II
I nation py Drs Culpepper and Dogget1.
=, unfit for service on account OF prOtrac,
a sickness.
- After the war | resumed my stud;
: az school, but did not go long before
ID ms, young lady, Miss Eliza Potter, /
81 whom / formed a very strong att&e
!, ment, end we were married III Dece!
- her, 1866. We have had eight chiidr
born to US, seven Of whom aIe living.
ii was llcensed to preach st Sol
~ 81 Chapel, S g., by ". O. Powell (P
-, Methodist Episcopal Church. South,
od the year 1870, after which | continu
to labor by aiding the preacher III chars
and The local brethren "ltnin the bouI
: of the work until the fall of 1880, wh
u. !, | was appointed by the Rev. DR.. Ros
nc to take charge of the ConWayboro {
~ cult, but did not do so because Of a 81
ei- ply having been sent to them after C,
l's ference. But in view Of this aproi
ny ment, disposed Of my farm IL War
g. ar,i bought a, farm on the Lake Swan
ny in Horny county, to which moved
- 1880.
OrlnG TO bad crops, | was unable
pay for this farm, and lost it Il
zes rented farm within half mile of
as fat her, who had also moved to Ho
VT county While living here | made
me oldest daughter submit to me by thrt
ed of killing ner if she did not, a"d Y
she ,gas about seventeen yearS of
ay- she gave birth to cOlid.
ood This child was supposed to have .
ere born dead, bat that was Lot so 1t
the weii developed child, but in orde
But cover, as far rs possible, the shame
he disgrace that knew would rast upon
) a took il, without saying to any
Ugh what l was going to do, and placed
hey a bag in which put two heavy brl
.dly and carried it just at dawn OF Gay
the lake, about a quarter OF a mile
eak- the house, where got into my boat
will padded out into the middle OF the
and let the bag and its contents s'n
etts, the bottom of the deep
the No one, of course, knew that
y to thing had really happened. to my
lone ily, but they believed it so strongly
if i. they spoke of taking action in the
ter. and to avoid any further trc
in from that source, I moved, in the
land ter of 1884, to Marion Court NJ
3 To- South Carolina, where | worked
owle coach shop, and afterwards at the
poke net business.