The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-10-07
FOR SAFE KEEPING.
WHiDDEN AND OSBORN BROUGHT FROM
FORT GAMES
AND PLACED IN THE TERRELL COUNTY
JAIL BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT
THEIR ALABAMA FRIENDS WOULD
nL.I L. 4 II .rIILAI

! AND PLACED IN THE TERRELL COUNTY
| JAIL BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT
THEIR ALABAMA FRIENDS WOULD
RELEASE THEN.
When the train from Montgomery
/ reached Dawson last Friday morning
/ there stepped from car two young men
/ heavily chained ard strongly guarded.
/ They were placed in a carriage and
/ driven to the Terrell county Jail, where
they will remain until the courts pass up
on a motion for a new trial for one of
( them and until the other one is put on
1 trial for his life on the first OF December
next.
The prisoners are John Whidden and
/ George Osborn, who, with Eli Napier
and Robert Norris, were engaged in the
difficulty which resulted in the killing of
j. NJ. Holmes in Clay county last spring.
After the difficulty Holmes and Os-
I born went to Fort Gaines and surrender
ed to the officers, Norris was captured
later, and Napier, who it is alledged fired
the fatal shot, made good his escape
AT the commitment trial Whidden and
Osborn were admitted to bail under a
1000 bond each, and Norris was re-
leased.
]
trial at Clay superior court last week
The prisoners were severed and Osborn
, was put on trial, convicted and sentenced
to lite Imprisonment A motion for a
I new trial was made, which will be heard
some time in the future, and the trial of
Whidden was set for December /.
After the conviction of Osborn the
friends of Whidden, who is a prominent
young farmer of Henry county, Alabama,
made some imprudent remarks, and for
fear that the prisoners would be released
by these friends if allowed to remain in
the Fort Gaines Jail, they We're brought
to Dawson for safe-keeping.
When visited by THE News at the Jail
the prisoners were quietly resting on a
mattress in their cell. When the report
er was announced they arose, came to the
door and shook hands with him. Os-
born, who is under sentence of life I'M
prisonment, Immediately returned to
the mattress and, stretching himself
upon it, remained in that position almost
the '. hole time during the interview. Os-
caSionaily he would get up and come to
the cell door, remaining only a second
/ before resuming his position on the mat
tress. He is a smooth-taced, INTELLIGENT
looking boy about nineteen years of
age, and was neatly dressed. His troub-
lie weighed heavily upon him, and he was
restless and Respondent. He only spoke
when asked a question.
.Mhidden is an intelligent and a rather
handsome looking young farmer twenty
three years OF age. He talked freely
and entcrtainingly, and his conversation
and general appearance denoted a
| young man who had been reared in easy
! circumstances and had had more than
! ordinary advantages.
| He tries to console Osborn, and ex-
! Onerates that unfortunate young man
| from having any part whatever in the
! difficulty that resulted in Holmes death.
| Osborn, he says, was a distance of fifty
yards from the difficulty holding his
! horse.
Whidden says that Holmes was
! killed 10y ball from the pistol of Mr.
/ Bill Alexander, friend of Holmes who
came up while he aud Holmes were en-
! gagged in a fight. He says that Holmes
had enticed some of his farm hands
away that We're in his debt When he
saw Holmes and told him that the ne
( groes were owing him, Holmes told him
that he could move them back. When
he came over TO Georgia to move the ne
I groes back to Alabama Holmes objected
to their going, and they became engaged
in tisticuif. Nv hen we fell to the
/ ground, ''continucdWh Alexander.
friend of Holmes drew his pistol and
commenced shooting at me- and / am
( satisfied that bullet from his pistol
| killed Holmes. When Alexander BEGAN
shooting my friends drew their pistols
and a general fusilade foliuwed,iu " hich