The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-25
WHITE CAPS CONVICTED
Il HIGHLY SENSATIONAL TURN IN
THE CARROLL CASES.
The Full Story of the Crimes for Which
Those Men Stand Contradiction Wit
nesses Were TerrOrized, Etc.

Carrollton, Ga, April 17-(Special.)--
The white caps cases being tried in Car
roll superior court had quite a sudden ter
mination late this evening.
Dick Byrd was put on trial this morning.
The state weaved a web around poor DICK
who is young man, and showed
his guilt beyond doubt, and not only his
guilt, but the guilt of Il number OF those
indicted by the grand jury.
Lum Britt swore positively to Byrd and
others; and Wiley Duke, Fred Duke and
Willie Chambers, who were jointly III
dicted for the riot, were put on the stand
and gave the whole thing away. The evil
dence was so overwhelming that the law
yers for the defense had all the prisoners
brought in court and submitted the case
TO the jury without argument.
The jury retired and in ten minutes
brought i'll a verdict OF guilty III the case
of Jesse Brooks, ST., who Is Il man 1if-
ty-two years old and Il deacon in the Bap-
list church.
Jesse Brooks, Jr., Willis G. Brooks. Bob
Ayers, John j. Pollard, Thomas Roach.
John Plemmons. Richard Byrd, Green Sim
kins and John Dukes. The bills against
Wiley Dukes, Fred and Will Chambers
we're nolle pressed. The last three were
boys who turned states evidence. Sentence
has not been passed on the cases yet, but
will probably be passed some time this
week. This makes eleven convictions to
date and others will follow. There are
ten more true bills against all parties.
History OF the Gaze.
Your readers remember that on the night
of the 22d of March, an outrage was COM
mitted on the person Of Mrs. ;. }. Bow
en- and Sam Bowen, Lum Britt,
w. j. Britt, who is now eigh-
ty years old. Frank Eason, and three
of his children. Mrs. Mary g.. Nnlte, and
two of her children were whipped by Il
crowd of men. some of whom We're masked
and others had backing on their faces
They were whipped by strong men, while
others held pistols i'll their faces with Or
ders not to move or speak or they would be
killed. Some of the whipped parties were
carried to the woods and their arms drawn
around trees and then whipped until they
could not walk.
1t is thought that the whipping grew out
of a lawsuit between j. II. l.. Benford and
Mrs. Mary Il. White, but some say. the
ness. 1t seems that j. Ii. l.. Benford
loaned John White. the husband of Mrs.
Mary T.. White. 500, and he gave q deed
to fifty acres of land to Benford to make
him secure. When the money became due
old man White had removed to Haralson
county. but his wife still lives on the land,
and she refused to give ii up. Armed with
what was thought to be legal papers, Henry
Benford Price Bcnford, Il baililf and others
threw Mrs. White out of her house, and an
attempt was made to burn the house.
Henry Benford is indicted for this crime.
Many lawsuits, both civil and criminal. were
the result, till at length Mrs White was
thrown out of possession of the house. and
Henry Benford. Mr.. j. II. l.. Bcnford's
son, moved into il. Mrs. White sued out
Il writ Of possession for the land, and it
was this case that was to have been tried
Of str of no Iuy thn
whipping.
While the whipping was going on orders
We're given to all that if they appeared at
the courtground next day they would be
visited the night succeeding and would be
killed. Mrs. White was made to promise
that she would leave the state at once or
she wcuid have been killed on the spot.
The white caps of the New Mexico district
will not down. Fire was set to Sam Bow
ems houSe Saturday night in several places.
and ii was burned up. Bowen was one of
the parties whipped on the 23d Of March,
and is an Important witness in the cases
now on trial in Carroll superior court.
Everything Bowen owned in the world was
burned up in his humble cottage.
Ofhcers are on track of the parties who
burned Bowen's house.
Gentry 20 Guilty
CarrolIton, Ga, April 21.-(Special }
Guilty of horse stealing is what twelve
intelligent men of Carroll county say of
George Gentry. A verdice was made at
precisely 10 o'clock this morning and the
jury was out only ten minutes.
The story of his career is familiar to
the readers of The Constitution. The
crime for which George was teday con
victed was committed in March, 1892.
The fine horse of j. A. Rhudy was taken
from his stable and George Gentry was ar
rested with the horse in his possession.
Right after this Carrollton had an incen-
diary fire. which has been laid to the
Gentry gang.
Rube Burrows nor John A Murrell new
er made such a reputation for outlawry
as these boys have in the same length of
time 1t has been said they belonged to a
regular band Of horse thieves who operated
in north and west Georgia, north Alabama
and southern Tennessee, and that this band
stole no less than one hundred horses in the
short space of eighteen months. 1t has
been said that there is Il certain place in
deep wood near Buchanan that was a
rendezvous for the gang and thatmany signs
were seen, where hundreds Of horses were
tethcred to the bushes in this lonely spot.
George Gentry will be sentenced to the
changing by Judge Harris this week.
A NEGRO FIEND.