Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-09-17
AN INTERESTING STORY,
n. II. WILLIS NAV INDEED BIZ
INNOCENT.

Case and Say That Willis Did
Not Make a Confession az the
Rutherford superior Court Clerk
Alleged.
Is R. P. Willis now doing life term in
the North Carolina peniteniary innocent
of the crime of robbery with which he is
charged?
Readers OF THE CITIZEN remember that
on Yesterday this paper published an
ANONYMOUS letter, dated kansas City,
Mo-, Aug. q" in which the writer con.
fesses that he committed the crime for
which X. P. Willis is now suffering in the
state penitentiary.
Following the confession" was a
letter from he clerk of the superior court
of Rutherford county, to whom THE
CITIZEN had written for information on
the matter. In this letter the clerk stated
that man named Willis had been sent
to the penitentiary. but that he had made
full confession to the sheriff before he
was taken to Raleigh to be put to hard
labor.
II that statement is absolutely correct,
then the confession" of THE CITIZEN S
Unknown correspondent tails fiat.
But if it is mistake
Mr.. Joseph T. Bostic, Of this city, told
The CITIZEN this morning what he
knows about the case which has lust
sprung up.
At the time of the trial OF Willis and
Haliord ia Rutherford county court,
three wears ago. Mr.. BoStic lived in Shell
by but had gone up to Rutherfordton to
attend court. Tins case had attracted a
great deal OF attention, and Mr.. Bostic
sat through the trial, which lasted two
Gays; heard all the evidence, and remem-
hers the incidents of the trial distinctly
K. p. Willis and a man named Hal
ford were arrested for entering {,
house near Buffalo church, and rob-
bling the family OF about ST 200.
Haltord was a nephew OF an Elliott FAM
lily, composed ottwo mel and three sis
tiers, none OF whom were under 60 years
OF age, Haltord knew that they pos
sessed a considerable sum of money, and
concocted scheme to get hold of it.
Here is where Willis comes into the
story. He was a newsboy on the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad.
He met HaIford at Morrlstown. They
came over the Western North Carolina
railroad to Black Mountain, where they
got off, and walked to Buffalo church.
While sitting at the church another
man, supposed to be the writer OF the
anonymous letter, came up and began
talking to Willis and Haltord. In a few
minutes the pair left, going to the home
OF the Elliotts, leaving Willis sitting on
the church steps.
According to the evidence at the trial
the Unknown and Haliord went to the
house. Halford stood at the door, with
two pistols drawn. while his companion
went in and arousng the inmates com.
PEELED them to give up their money
While this was going on, Haliord made
some remark in his natural voice and
was recognized by the old peo'
pie. This gave the officers a
a clue and Haltord was arrested. He
implicated Willis, and they were tried be-
fore Judge Graves. ]. M. Gudger, Of
Marshall, appeared for Willis, and Mr.
Bostic says, made powerful appeal in
defence OF his client, but tono avail. The
men were sentenced to be hanged, but q
short time before the day set for the exc
cution their sentences were commuted by
the governor to Imprisonment for life, =
Mr.. Bostic says the story told by the
Unknown tallies with the story told by
Willis at the trial. He thinks, however
that the clerk of the superior court i.
mistaken in the statement that Will:
made a confession. Mr. Bostic saw vii
lis when he lett for the penitentiary, anc
he still protested his innocence. But, il
the face of the circumstantial evidence
and of the fact that the third man couls
never be heard of in anv manner, Willis
story was discredited.
| Now, then. Is Willis innocent of tn,
crime for which he came so near being
executed?
Who is the Unknown, panied to see al
innocent man suffer, but unwilling to re
veal his identity or his place Of residence
Cannot Halfoid, who played promi
nent part in the case, tell the truth AM
clear up the mystery?