The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-08
VISIT TO BAKERSVILLR
MURDERER SyIPEs SMILED WHEY
TOLD HE HAD BEEN LyNcHED.
A Cincinnati Reporter Makes Hazardous
Trip Through Wild Country to
Ascertain the Facts.

CINCINNATI. Jan. IA special from
Ashev.lle. N. c.. to the Post says:
calvin Snipes, the murderer. smiled
when he learned through your corres-
pondent. the first outsider to reach iso-
lated Bakersville. how much excitement
his alleged lynching had created all over
this country and Europe. Nothing wha.-
ever had been heard in Bakersville OF the
reported trouble until your correspondent
rode thirty-five miles through the widest
state of affairs.
'"fhe region is almost impenetrable
from the railroad station, on account Of
the two weeks OF severest winter weather
known here I'm years. The mountain
roads are full of dfiftei snow, and much
of the newspaper mans trip was made
in the night time through a fierce bliz-
zard. Snow fell so thick as absolutely to
blind a person. and the I.1er had really
to rely on the instinct OF the horse to
keep him from losing himself Toe river,
up in the mountain, was frozen over
strong enough 10 bear up a four-horse
team, and hauling was being done over it.
The thermometer was 9t zero.
1.-The citizens OF Bakersville and Mitchell
county are highly indignant at the lying
reports sent out by the man who started
the story, and could, they get their hands
on him it would probably so hard with
-him. The section has never oeen more
quiet than during the past week. when
the trouble Is said TO have taken place.
"Snipes will stand trial In May, and
some think he may be acquitted OF the
crime charged against him.
osborne. who was killed I'm August is
said not TO have friends enough TO get up
a lynching party.
TON and WIN Whitson, two other
prisoners, who were said TO have been
lynched at the same time with Snipes,
are not In Bakersyile Jail at all. They
are In Jail In Asheville. instead. ard are
to be hanged February 2ith for the murder
OF Kit Burge. In Mitchell courty."
Author of the Canard.
JOHNSON CITY. TENN, Jan. THE
many untrue and libelous statements
printed during the present week In regard
TO bloody riot. which. & Is alleged,
had occurred in Bakersvllle, Mitchell
county, ~ c., on January 81. have caused
much indignation among the peaceful
citizens OF this fiourishing little city.
When a United Press reporter arrived
here late this afternoon business men
generally deprecated the extensive cir
culation which had been given 10 the
fabrication, and declared It's utter falslty.
j. W. Hyams, who is generally held re-
sponsible for the fabrication and publica-
tion of the hlghly-colored and sensational
statements which have been sent out from
Johnson City, is not a relative OF Joe
Mulhatton, but a son OF w. =. Hyams,
clerk of the Mitchell County Superior
Court. He is about twenty-five years old,
born and raised In Bakersyile. and his
journalistic career has been limited TO
hts present meteoric experience. He came
TO this city one week ago yes
terday and endeavored 10 secure
employment on the Daily Comet.
where his brother Is a comnosltor. hut
without success The preponderance Of
opinion favors the theory that the story
was originated solely as speculation,
and was worked In colusion with a repre-
sentative AT Marion. n. C.. from which
point stories of the most astonishing and
CORY character were sent 20 various met
ropolitan journals. Hyams gives as his
authority for his productions two persons
whom nobody else knows or has heard
Of The Whitson boys, who, according 10
Hyams, were lynched with Calvin Snipes.
are in Asheville Jail. Every name In
Hyams' list OF killed and wounded Is
fictitious.