The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-04-03
A HORRIBLEC CONFESSION.
THE MURDERER'OF HORTON GIVES A
HISTORY OF HIS CRIMES.
Showing that He was Probably the Vilest
Criminal Ever Brought to Justice With
in the History of North Carolina.

in the History of North Carolina.
The readers OF The SENTINEL ar
all familiar with the history of tn
murder of Horton, Chatham county
farmer. and capture of his murderer
j. P. Davis.
Davis was hanged at Pittsboro las
Friday and a day or two before hi
execution gave the following account
of his life to the State Chronicle.
The story is dreadful one an6
shows the darkest side of human ma
ture. We reproduce it here not only
as matter of news but as warning
a warning from the very gallows =
showing to what end life of deprav.
ity leads.
{ 5 81 THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
: Having decided to write out briei
sketch of my life, I do so with no hope
of realizing any benefit therefrom, nut
that it may serve as a qualification to
sll who feel an interest in me; and
that it may be a satisfaction to those
who at any time have eudeavored to
promote my happiness here.
Feeling, as do. that I am wholly
inadequate to the task, undertake it
with fear, lest I should fall short of
the object in view; but hoping that,
Notwithstanding its imperfectlons, it
may in the order of Providence prove
a benefit to some who may be saved
from like errors by its warnings, l will
endeavor to bring forth short histo-
ry of my life, if On the few lays that
now remain to me, I may be able 10
consu inmate the work before me.
Ny father was of Irish descent, born
of wealthy parents, twenty one miles
from Marion Court House, S. c.. on
the road leading to Georgetown. at a
place known as the Red House, in
Briton's Neck. My grandfather, who
was a lice planter, died about three
weeks before the birth of my father,
and my father was left motherless at
the age of five days. He was taken
and raised by Uncle John Baker, who
turned over t. him his fathers estate
at the age of nineteen years. At the
age of twenty my father married Mary
S. Davis. I am their oldest child,
having been born in the year 1848.
1 have one sister, seven years younger
than myself.
SIsrecei7ed moderate education, not
that my father was not able to have
given me a collegiate education, but [
had to stop schnnl tn z" to the army in
1861. at the time when all men from
sixteen to sixty were called into ser
vice. J. was mustered in under Col.
Cash, at Florence. and was turned
over t. C,l Dukin and received arms
at Atlanta, Ga.
l was in the army hut short time,
having been discharged. after al ex-
animation by Drs. Culpepper and
Doggett, as unfit for service on &C
count of protracted sickness.
After the war I resumed my studies
at school, but did not go long before l
met young lady, Miss Eliza Potter,
for whom I formed q very strong at
and we were married in De-
cember, 1866. We have had eight
children borr to us, seven of whom
are living. ---
+ | was licensed to preach at Suule
Chapel, S. G, by w. G. Powell(P. E }
Meth"dist Episcopal Church. South.
i'm Il e year 1870 after which 1 IN
tinued to labor by aiding the preacher
in, c!,arge,and the local brett rem with
in the bonds Of the work, until the
fall of 1880, when was appointed by
the Rev DR.. lRnsser Jto take charge Of
the Conwaybnro circuit, but did no.
do $ ,becadse OF a supply having been
sent toithem after conference. But in
view of this appointment, l disposed
of my farm in Marion and bought a
farm in Like Swamp, in Hurry Co.,
to which ] mo we'd in 1880.
Owihg obads crnps, was unable
to pay for this farm, aud lost it. 1
then rented farm within half mile
of my father, who had also moved t."
Horny c unity. While living here /
made my eldest daughter submit to
me by threats Of killing her il she did
not, and when she was about seventeen
years Of aye she gave birth to child
This child was supposed to have been
Dorn dead, hut thA, WINS not 30. Il was
a elldexeloped child, but in order to
cover, ). an fars As vPossible, the shame
and disgrace that l knew would rest
upon us, l took it. without saying to
anytime what was going to dc, and
placed lin bag in which put two
heavy bfiSks, and carried it just at
dawn of day TO the lake, about a quar-
ter of . mile from the house, where l
got intosmy beat and padded out in
to the. middle of the lake, and let the
-haGsand-its contents sink 70 the bot
tpm of the deep.
y No one, of course, knew that this
Ching had really happened to my fam-
3y, but hey believed it 20 strongly
that they spoke If taking ac%ion in
the matter, and To avoid any further
trouble from that sourc~, ! moved, in
the winter Of 1884, to Marion Court
House, 8. e., where Iworked in .
coach shop and afterwards at the
cabinet buaineo.
/ afterwards moved to Darlington,
E G., to put my children in the cotton
factory, and subsequently taught
school sfos some months in Williams
.BufxI @pshty While reading here
was licensed to preach by the Free
Will n nfist rknrrk = A,re thn.a vho