The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-05-07
n, N. c., THURSDAY, MAY Z, 1891.
DAVIS MUST HANG.

DAVIS MUST HANG.
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE
COUNTRY DISMISSES HIS PLEA.
A History of the Murder For Which
He is to Pay the Penalty of His
Life.
Week before last We published the fact
that the Supreme Court of the United
States refused to interfere in the case OF
j. W. Davis, the young North Carolinian,
who is under sentence Of death in Texas,
for murder. From the Fort Worth Gazette
of April 14th, 1891, We take the following
particulars Of the murder for which he is
to be hung, as published in that paper at
the time of the tragedy, July 6, 1885,
The most woeful occurrence ever chron-
icled in Fort Worth is that which took
place at $40 yesterday afternoon in
which B. c. Evans lost his life, and a
whole city plunged in grief. The blow
stuns, it paralyzes, men stand aghast
with horror, grief and rage, while the
poor, heart-broken widow weeps and
the fatherless children gather about
the sacred dust of the once loving parent.
Better had Fort Worth been laid in
ashes than that B. C. Evans should have
been robbed OF life in the way he was, for
Fort Worth would have risen from her
ashes more beautiful than ever, but the
taking Off of the good man, the loyal cit
izen, the fond husband and father, the
great merchant and the promoter of
public affairs, cannot be undone
At $40 yesterday evening, j. W.Davis
shot and killed b. C. Evans. Hundreds
who were within few blocks of the B.
c. Evans Company's establishment es on
Main street heard the sharp ring of
pistol fired five times with remarkable
regularity land from the intervals between
the shots, with apparent great deGbera-
ton. Men standing block away could
see the smoke from the pistol curling out
through the entrance to the carpet de-
partment OF the house and carried away
by the gulf breeze, At the first shot
hundreds started to the place, and when
the last shot had been fired and Davis
was putting the pistol in the inside
breast-pocket OF his coat scores of men
were at the store. Marshal Farmer was
there, and at once took the pistol from
Davis and took him in custody. Charles
ran to Mr.. Evans, who lay on the floor
OF the little office in the carpet room, his
head and shoulders projecting under the
Physicians were summoned at once, but
nothing could be done and in ten min
utes the soul of B. c. Evans was with the
Creator. A scene OF. wild confusion was
both in the house and on the
streets. AS if on the wings of theelectric
current the news had flown down the
streets, "B. c. Evans is Dead"
''B. c. Evans has been mnrdered!"
flew from lip to lip and passed from house
to house. Men pale and excited came
running from every direction, the laborer,
the mechanic, the banker, the lawyer, the
merchant, the clerk, pressed forward to
the point where the mortal remains OF B.
G. Evans lay. The clerks in the house
came from every point and floor, and
from every counter, and gathered about
the remains. The doors were closed
hastily to keep out the crowd and hide
from those without the dead and the
weeping employees. Yes, many wept, as
there was cause, for the best friend many
a man and woman in that house had
would never again speak a kind word Or
lend a helping hand.
Breaking the news to the widow was q
heart-rending task. Two lady relatives
went at once to the family residence on
Lamar street and told the wife with
choking sobs that Mr.. Evans was badly
hurt. Then Mr.. Whit Dryden, brother
of Mrs. Evans, came and told her that
the hurt was severe that the doctors
had little hope; that DR.. BurIs said there
was no hope. And then came friends
bearing the corpse of him who had been
so much to her, and who but a few hours
before had kissed her and his children
goodbye, stopping at the threshold to
take little Ethel, his two-and- -a-half-years
old baby girl in his arms and embraced
her for the last time on earth. They
bore the form into the parlor and laid it
gently down, and even then the widow
could not believe him dead and the ago
nized children called for him and to him.
In another home friends came and told
q stately old lady of sixty-fve that her
son was in jail and why he had been placed
there. That boy was her all, he was her
son and she wept for him. He had sup
ported her and been kind in her old age
and she grieved she would have given
her own life to have undone that days
work, but too late, and the inexorable
laws of time and God went on with their
work.
AS far as careful and rigid investigation
could arrive at the facts, they are these:
Six years ago J. W. Davis entered the
employ of b. c. Evans. Previous to that
time he had been with the st. Louis Dry
Goods company. He was trusted en-
ploye of Mr. Evans, who had been very
kind and lenient to him On many occa-
sions. When sick the employer had gone
to see him and saw that he wanted for
nothing. Davis was addicted to drinking,
and Mr.. Evans had repeatedly spoken to
him about the evil effects of the habit
and its damage to his business prospects.
Davis was in the clothing department,
and some time ago, his drinking con-
tinuing, Mr.. Evans placed James johnson
in charge of the department making him
in rank to Davis and at the
same time reducing his salary. Yester
day morning Davis came to the store
and it is said had been drinking. Mr.,
Evans had o conversation with him in
the morning and told Davis he could
stand his bringing no longer: he must
stop drinking or quit his employ; he must
begin new Monday or get another place.
About noon Davis went to A. j. Ander-
sons and bought u 4I-caliber pistol,
saying he wanted it to kill dogs. He
returned to the store and it is evidence
that he abused Mr.. Evans to the other
clerks and made threats against his life.
About 3:15 the conduct of Davis and the
made, induced Robert Sandidge,
one OF the clerks, to go to Mr.. Hollings-
worth the treasurer of the company, and