The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1891-12-04


other counties in town at the
time IS no more point to be con-
slcered than that there might still
be lurking in that county STRANGE
negroes, and some who have escap-
ed from Jail, and who have been
tried once for murder very much
similar to that of Senator Stephens.
Was He Chicken Thief?
The Sentinel of May 9th, reply
ing to the Standards explanation
of why Stevens was called the
"chicken thief" says:
For awhile the Governors de-
parted friend had been in the habit
of 'impressing" his neighbors'
chickens, by opening the door of
the corn-crib on his lot, and when
the chickens went in, would shut
the door ON them, killing only two
at a time, except when he had COM
pany, and then take three. Steph-
ems cook, a hired woman, fearing
that she might be suspected, told the
merchants wife Of what was going
on. She urged her husband, time
and agaln,to have Stephens arrested
TOR these thefts, but be answered
that he disliked to fall out with one
living so near him for the sake of a
few chickens. One day Stephens en-
trapped and killed two favorite pull
lets in the usual way. The lady then
told her husband that if he did not
have Stephens arrested she would.
A Accordingly he took out a warrant,
had Stephens arrested and brought
immediately before a magistrate, in
the meantime notifying the cook
not to pick the chickens. Stephens,
OF course, denied stealing the fowls,
when the gentleman proposed that,
w1tn the officers, they should visit
his premises. This Stephens re-
fused to do, and he was bound over
to court. There was no conscrip-
ton about the matter, as stated,
and no ''prejudiced jury" to decide
against him, for the case never
went before a jury at all. Ste
phens pleaded guilty, submitted,
agreed to pay the costs and SEN
tence was not prayed against him.
The Sentinel's Account.
The Sentinel, edited by Josiah
Turner, Jr., said on Tuesday, May
oath:
The Standard of this morning an
nounces upon the authority Of a tel
egFam from Greensboro, that j. w.
Stevens, State Senator from Cas-
we'll county, was, on last Saturday
night, taken by band of masked
persons from his house and shot, his
body being pierced by forty balls,
and then hung up in the court house
at Yanceyville. The
story appears to us incredible. We
are strongly inclined to be-
lieve that it has no more
foundation, probably, than the
hanging and shooting in effigy
of Mr.. Stephens, who has made him
self exceedingly odious to the people
OF Caswell, and which has doubtless
been increased by the recent in
stances of burning and crime in that
county. His past course has iden-
titled himself, no doubt, with the
outrages of the members of the
Union League, and hence it is not
to be wondered at that he should be
the object of much hatred and i'll
feeling. IT, however.
Mr.. Stephens has been thus
brutally shot and hung as
we do not hesitate
to denounce it as most wicked
and diobolical act. Offensive as
MIR. stephens has made himself to
the people of Caswell, we can con-
ceive of no outrage on his part,
which could palliate, much less JUS
tify, so diabolical a deed as is alleg-
ed to have been committed on him.
We can we'll conceive that the NEST
bitter feelings must be engendered
III community, when, almost every
week, the property Of the most esti-
matable citizens of the county is
consumed by the incendiary torch,