The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-07-23

went on down the road and when they
were about 200 yards from Riblin's house
they were at the gate of the first neigh
Dor. There Eli saw Eta Riblin in the
yard and hollered to her that he had left
something in Eds pocket in the house
and for her to tell Ed 10 bring it TO him
Monday monday if he did not call for ii
that evening. He then overlook his
companions and they proceeded down
the big road on their way TO the base.
ball grounds. They met several people
who testified that there was nothing
suspicious in their actions. In one
place they were heard talking about cut
ting across an old field, but they were
only trying to find a shorter route TO the
baseball grounds. They stopped at the
house of an aunt of one Of the three
negroes all went in and as there was
several of their friends there they stayed
some little time talking and laughing.
These people said there was nothing at
all suspicious in their actions.
The three negroes left the house, ar
rived at the baseball ground, and later
began the match game About o'clock
the sheriff rode up and arrested Eli Ran
del, playing on second base. Eli made
no attempt to run and paid no attention
to the sheriff till he told him his business.
He said Immediately that he knew moth
ing at all about the murder of the child,
and came on to the house where the dead
child was in the custody of the sheriff,
where Eli told many times the above
story, which is his sworn testimony. The
two negroes who were with him corrob
Grated his story about the leaving Of the
pistol at Riblin's house They saw the
three children playing in the yard, but
heard no pistol shot, although they
stopped hundred yards from the house,
waiting in the road for Eli and talking
with friend they had met. They said
Eli acted as if nothing had happened and
in no way mentioned anything about the
affair. The coroner's jury at once agreed
that the child was killed by bullet from
the pistol in Ed Riblin's pants pocket
hanging on the wall Death was instan-
taneous, as the bullet severed the jugular
vein. They also agreed that the two
children, sisters Of the deceased, were too
small to have either taken the pistol from
the pocket or placed it back in the pocket
as it was found. According TO al eyi-
dence, the pistol was fired while in the
hands of either Eli Randel or Eta Riblin,
the grown sister of the deceased.
The testimony of Eli and his two COM
pa1ions, and the way Eli acted, go to
show that Ella Riblin, after returning to
the house, went to see what was in her
brothers pocket, followed by the chill
dren. On discovering the pistol, she
took it, and in handling it accidentally
shot her little brother. She stoutly denies
touchidg the pistol and says she is afraid
of one
The two children, on being asked by
Eli if they were not playing under tree
when he entered the house, responded
yes. Also on being asked If they were
not all playing under the tree when he
left, answered yes. This makes two
stories told by the children, though their
testimony is hardly valid, anyhow. The
circumstantial evidence against Eli has
been given above. There seemed TO be
the utmost good feeling between him and
Riblins family, and no possible motive
for his killing the child can be found,
though it is said that in a jesting way he
told the child week ago he was going
to kill it,
The jury has not yet been able TO agree
as to who did the shooting. The scene
of the affair is about two miles from SAL
isbury on the Stokes ferry road. about
quarter of a mile from Mullmore, the
county home of Rev L. w. Crawford.
Jack Riblin is a good steady farmer Of
excellent character. Eli SandelI has been
in several fighting scrapes and recently
in jail.
When Travelling,
Whether on pleasure bent, or business,