The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-18
WHITE CAPS CONVICTED.
THE DEFENSE IN CARROLL COUNTY
COLLAPSES.

COLLAESES.
Sam Bowen's House Fired by Friends
of the Prisoners Saturday Night and
Burned With It's Contents-sentence
to Be Passed This Week on the Men
Convicted.
CARRoLLToN, GA, April 1.-THE white
caps Of New Mexico district, this county,
will not down Fire was set to Sam Bow
EMS house Saturday night in several places
and it was burned. Bowen was one OF the
parties whipped March % and IS an impor-
tant witness in the cases now on trial IN
Carroll superior court. Everything Bowen
owned in the world was burned in his hum
bic cottage.
Dick Byrd, another Of the accused white
cap crowd, was put on trial this morning
and bis trial will last for several
davs It is said that several of
the white cap prisoners sent for
the states attorneys Saturday night
and told them the whole affair. They con-
fessed that they were present at the whip
ping and that the right crowd had been ar
rested aud jailed. Dick Byrd, who is on
trial. is the man who made an affidavit that
he was at the whipping, and that Henry
Benford did not commit on outrage on the
person Of Mrs. L. J. Bowen. Dick Byrd
and Wiley Duke we're carried before the
grand jury and gave the whole thing away,
but when put on the stand in court they
would not swear.
Col. J. J. CASTOR, foreman of the grand
jury, was put on the stand in open court
and be swore that Dick Byrd swore before
the grand jury that he was present at the
whipping,
Officers are on the track of the parties
who burned Bowens house.
THE DEFENsE COLLAPsEs.
The whitecap cases had sudden termi-
nation late tonight. Tns state wove a web
around Byrd. who is "a young man who
showed his guilt beyond doubt aud not
only his guilt but the guilt of a number of
those indicted by the grand jury. Lum
Britt swore positively as to the part taken
by Byrd and Others aud Wiley Duke, Fred
Duke and Willie Chambers, who were
jointly indicted for riot, were put on the
stand and gave the whole thing
away. The evidence was so over
whelming that the lawyers for the defense
had all the prisoners Drought,in court and
submitted their cases to the jury without
argument. The jury retired and in ton
minutes brought in a verdict Of guilty as to
Jesse q. BROOKS, who is a man 81 years old
and a deacon in the Baptist church; Jesse
Brooks, Jr., Willis Q. Brooks. Bob Ayres
John j. Pollard, Thomas Roach, John
Piemmons. Richard Byrd, Green Simkins.
John Dukes.
The bills against Wiley Dukes, Fred
Dukes and WIll Chambers we're no pressed.
The last three were boys, who turned states
evidence. Sentence has not been passed,
but will probably be some time this week.
This makes eleven convictions to
date and others will follow. There are ten
more true bills against all the parties.
THE LAST OUTRAGE.
Readers Of the MORNING NEWS will re-
member that on the night of March % an
outrage was committed on the person of
Mrs. l.. J. Bowen. and Sam Bowen, Lum
Britt and W. j. Britt, who is now 80 years
old Frank Eason and three of his children
Mrs. Mary Z. White aud two of her emil
dreu were whipped by a crowd of men,
some of whom were masked and others had
backing on their faces. The above we're
whipped by strong men while others
held pistols in their faces with
orders not TO move or speak
or they would be killed. Some OF the par
ties whipped we're carried to the woods and
their arms drawn around trees. after which
they were whipped till they could not walk.
II Is thought this whipping grew out of the
lawsuit between }. II. L. Benford and
Mrs Mary e. White, but some say the
whipping was on account Of revenue busl-
ness. 1t seems that j. II. L. Bedford loaned
John White, husband of Mrs Mary T.
White, 500, and he gave a deed TO fifty
acres Of land TO MIR. Beaford to make him
secure.
ROW OVER THE LAND.
When the money became due old man
White had moved to HARRISON county, but
his wife still lived on the land and she re-
fused to give it up. Armed with what was
thought to be legal papers Henry Benford
Price Benford, bailiff. and others threw
Mrs. White out of the house and an attempt
was made to burn the house. Henry Ben.
ford is indicted for this crime Many law
suits, both civil and criminal, was the re-
suit, till at length Mrs. White was thrown
out of possession Of the house and Henry
Benford, J. II. L. Benford's son, moved
into it. Mrs. White sued out a
writ of possession for tue land
and it was this case that
was TO have been tried at New Mexico dis
trict the day after the whipping. While
the whipping was going on all were told
that if they appeared at the court ground
the next day they would be visited the next
night and nearly killed. Mrs. White was
made TO promise that she would leave toe
state at once, or she would be killed or
shot.