The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-11-09
STOKES COUNTY JURTES.
EDITOR PEPPER GIVES THEM A
GENTEEL LECTURE
The Verdict of the Stevenson Murder
Case Furnishes Him With
a Subject.

/
! 1t appears that the citizens OF
Stokes county were greatly disap,
| pointed at the verdict returned by
the jury ia the Sandy Stevenson muir
| der case.
Che Danbury Reporter comes out
editorialiy and condemns the action
of not only this but ether juries
which have passed upon muir
! der cases in Stokes. Editor Pepper
says:
F.! Never has such disappointed
crowd been seen in these parts as
crowded into the court house when it
was said that the, jury in the case
| State vs.. Andy Stevenson had agreed:
all, or nearly all, going in to hear
what the Judge said when he senten-
ced Sandy. But imagine their disap-
| pointment when the spokesman for
! that jury said not guilty. Quite q
little scene followed when the moth
! err threw her arms around him and be-
! gan ito scream. Judge Winston or
! dered the sheriff to take them out.
| Then turning to the jury His
| Honor administered to them tie
! most severe reprimanding that we
| have ever listened to. He commenced
tlemen, | am Surprised; l am amazed.
| You have not returned your verdict
| agreeable to the evidence in this case
| and if it was in my power | would
I punish the last one of you. He COLI
! tinued to lecture then some two min
utes Or more in about the same strain
| before he told them they were dis
| charged.
eve did not hear all the evidence
r.,
man on that jury did not make up his
| mind agreeable to his convictions, but
we do say that if, as well founded ru-
NOR has it, that several men on that
! jury had said before the trial that the
| priSOder was guilty and ought to be
| hanged, then they had no business in
that jury demonstrating the ques-
| tim put to them on their oath, have
you formed and expressed the Opin-
ion that the prisoner at the bar is
guilty? = :"
just here this thing called perjury
is getting to be too common in Stokes.
as well as III other counties in the
State, and if the executors of our laws,
aided by good people, do not put a
check to it none of us will be safe.
-Four or six cold bloOded, premedita-
ted murdererS have been turned loose
on the people of this county within
the last Ten or fifteen years, OWING
altogether, or in part, to false swear
ing. This last one was the most dia-
boIical murder ever heard of or read
about in civilized country. Che poor
degraded woman was not only murd er-
ed but tortured as the savage would
torture his victim.
"a little scrape like the one Sandy
got out of did not make much OF
an impression on him for good, as we
we are told that the next day Sunday
after his release here he was going
thrOughrhiS neigh borhOOd with a bottle
OF brandy in his pocket ana firing his
pistol. 1t is said that the women in
that section are afraid to stay at nome
and afraid to go from home.
1t is said that Sandy has gone to the
far west. Some think this report was
put out to deceive some Of his neigh
bOrS who might be disposed to swing
him from a limb. The last we heard
from him he was in Winston.
''If he did not kill Polly Watson, now
that he is free to 90 where he pleases,
he should stay at home and hunt down
| the wretch who came so near having
| him hung"
. Stevenson has not gone to the "far
west" as reported. He is still in Win
| ton and is dong the commendable
| thing of trying to get au education.
He is attending the West Winston
graded school.