The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-06-29

had evaded arrest for nearly twelve
months.
DeGraff was lying on q cot in the
. cell with Andy Stevenson. The re-
porter was accompanied by several
gentlemen, a majority Of whom the
j prisoner knew and spoke to.
After few preliminary remarks, in
which he stated that his health was
| fairly good. etc, THE SENTINEL man
proceeded to question DGGTaf about
his arrest, where he had lived since
| the murder, etc Tie prisonerat first
fatty refused TO deal out the lnfofma-
| tion sought. Il Will tell you nothing
to put in the papers," said the pris
oner THAT is right, tell him moth
ing said Andy Stevenson, WHO was
sitting near BY and taking in all that
was said.
After the reporter assured the pris-
Uuer that tile paper would print his
story as related, and would send him
COPY containing the interview, lie
| raISld up on his cot and consented to
tell all about his trip, etc
The murder, said DeGrraff, Il
think, was committed about the 2Sth
Of June" Here lie was mistaken as
it was Gone on July 20th.) Il stayed
around town about month after the
crime wds committed. l left town
alone and walked from here to Chest
nut Yard, Va. On the way ! wadcd
Sycamore ford in SurTy county. Pu-
laski City, Va, was the next place
went After working there for about,
one month / went to New Mexico. On
the trip [ rode 800 miles by beating
the railroad company. After staying
there two weeks / again beat the rail
road and returned to Pulaski. After
staying there d few days | walked
across the mountains to two miles
west Of Mt. Airy. where l found en-
plOymcnt at q SaW-milI owned by
4. 1okely. | was fireman for the
engine. | have been working there
for several months, the exact time /
cannot tell now. | boarded with j.
II. Walker, a brother of the painter,
j. A. Walker, who died in Winston
last year. | knew what was going on
at Winston by reading the Republican,
taken by J. II. Malone, who lives near
where | boarded.
4 left Mt. Airy Wednesday morn |
ing and walked all the way to Wins
ton, arriving at Harrison Pitts at )
o'clock yesterday afternoon"
Did you go under an assumed name
while away" asked the reporter.
Yes. replied the prisoner; Il went
by the name Of II. d. Hendricks. but
! have the same watch | left here
with. You can see my initials. 'P.
-, on the back Of it."
Don't you think it would have
been better had you surrendered your
self to the officers after the murder
was c0mmittcd?" queTried the man Of
news.
NO" responded DeGraff quickly
Il had done nothing to be arrested for:
| am as clear OF that murder as you.
~ To- e. lAs. ft,rr hot
public sentiment appeared to be
against me and | was led to uelieyc
that | would not receive fair trial
in other words could not get justice
at that time. / decided some time |
ago TO come back home and see my |
people from the simple fact that | |
had done nothing to stay away for"
Ibid you see any of the officers who |
were after you before You left?"
Yes, | saw them several times" !
said the prisoner to the SENTINEL |
man. Il saw Sheriff league once or |
twice, hut every time he was with a |
crowd of men. | sent him word once |
or twice that if he WOdld come after |
me by himself | would go with him. |
This he did not do. | saw several of |
the officers, and my reason for shun-
ming them was that | had learned |
they proposed to take me dead or |
on me, but ] walked away unmOleSted. |
/ was in piece of woods one time
when they came after me. The Off
GERS were near by, and | took refuge |
behind a pile Of wood. They passed |
on and | got up and went in another
do you have any idea as to who
killed Ellen Smith?" asked the re
porter
L II bo,o NOT ,t,.,c Jr,,r,l- a+ +bo
time, and can prove that | am not |
guilty.
tDo you know anything about the
Smith-GOinS murder that was COM
mitt6d near Belo's pond q few years
ago."
Il know nothing about that re.
piled DcGraff. 81 have heard it stated
that | knew and could tell all about
those murders, but it is falSehood."
In speaking of his arrest DeGraff |
complimented the sheriff and Police
man Adams. He said that they were
gentlemen and treated him as such.
''They were as kind to me as a father
could be- said the prisCner.
DeGraI looks as if he had been en-
joying good health since he left Win
ston. He is wearing a very nice
grayish colored' suit.
When the SENTINEL representative |
started to leave the Jail he got up and
caught hold of the iron bars and |
jumped up, thereby initiating, he said, |
an old lion in his cage
As the crowd went to leave the pris-
oner called upon Mr.. j. p. Stanton to
send him up two bottles of beer. Mr. |
Stanton said that he would
DeGraff appears to be very anxious |
about his trial. He says that he wants |
to be tried as soon as possible and |
have it over with.
''Of course they may find me guilty !
and put rope around my neck and I
hang me, but all that will not make !
me guilty in the sight of God,'' said !
the prisoner.