Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-12-22

a bad fix. DIR. Egerton wanted the drug
store opened but Mr.. Ewart told witness
it coulG not be done unless Lees bond
was given up.
]. B. ArIege testified: "On the morn
ing DR.. EGerton was arrested Lee came
to store and said: 'Arlegc, give me half
a pint of rye whiskey, they've locked me
out up there and L haven't any money
He got the liquor and went out. In a
little while Lee came back and asked for
change of a five dollar gold piece. !
chang d it and he asked for Il drink of
wine and he got it. Lee said he was in
too much trouble to talk about; that DR.
Egerton had offered him thousand dol
lars to burn the store, but he had got
tired waiting on him and had given the
thing away"
Sheriff ]. @. Grant stated that he was
in JacksUn'S store and saw Lee buy whis-
key and wine. He said the inc should
be charged to the company and bottle
OF wine was wrapped IN paper and given
him. When he got outside he tore off
the wrapper, threw it away, unCOrkrd
the bottle and took n o.rink. The shcr fl
told of the warrant being nut in his
hands wit n the notice that it should not
be Immediately served He went in the
front OF he bank and DIR. Cole opened he
door OF a back room aud told witness TO
wait five minutes, and if Egerton came
out first he should arrest him, but if
Cole and Others came out first then sher-
Id was to go in the room. Witness knew
something was going on suspicious. as
he saw Capt. Toms one night i'll Smiths
office with his hunting clothes and
saw DR.. Cole the street at night at
unusual hours. Thought strange they
diun't let him know what was going on
as he was an officer. Mr.. Smith after
ward explained to him that they hadn't
consulted him because they thought his
presence on the street at unusual hours
of night would arouse suspicion. Il
think" added witness, they could have
let me in earlier and out later. II | had
known what was going in that back
room OF the bank | would certainly have
gone in"
George Chestnut, a ColOred bOv, s
years old, testified that he worked in the
drug store, and one day DR. Lee took
him in the back yard and told him that
he and DR.. Egerton were going to burn
the store and that if they got Chestnut
iu court about it Chestnut should swear
that be had heard the conversation and
it would be all right; that the boy should
ell his mo ther about it. He had told his
m other and Sandy Manders.
Sandy NJ anders: George Chestnut told
me that Lee wanted him to go to he
court house II trial came up and stick
to him. The boy said he hadn't heird
DR.. ESerton say any thing about burn
ing and wasn't going to tell a lie tor Lee.
The boy was badly frightened on the
stand, cried and said if the fire had oc-
cured he would be "a dead nigger to-
day"
j. ]. Rick man, the insurance agent, said
DR.. Cole was mistaken in construiug his
language about DR.. EgertOu wanting
the policy held till his partner arrived.
DR.. Egerton did not ask tor any conceal
ment of the non-renewal. The insurance
OF al parties in the block had run out.
DIR. Cole himself said witness need not
saw anything about it as he was looking
up other business.
Mrs. !. l.. EGertons statement, taken
at her house, was cOrroburativc OF her
husband and added strength to the evi
dence that went to excupate him from
the charge made against him. She not
only corroberated him in all that be
himself said but gave many additional
cIrcumst anCeS tending strongly to show
the truth OF his statement aud to IS alb
lish his innocence. Mrs. Egerton's talk
was exceedingly Intelligent aud her tcsti-
| mony seemed to impress the court more
perhaps than that of any other witness
| in the case, it bore t he stamp OF truth on
its face.