Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-02-22
THE CASE OF F. R. HEWITT
A CIRCUMaTANrIAL ACCOUNT
OF HIS ARREST.
He Was Handcu6ed to AN Officer
just Before Train Time And
Given No Opportunity To Make
a showing of His Innocence,

just Before Train Time An,
Given NO Opportunity To Max,
a Showing of His Innocence,
The case of Frank R. Hewitt frequent
ly alluded to in THE CITIZEN recently, i
in some respects, as THE CITIZEN learn
from Mr.. Hewitt himself, not so hagran
as was at first understood, while i,
Others it is more so.
| 1t is not fact that Mr.. Hewitt wa.
arrested at night and hurried over til,
State line into Georgia. Mr.. Hewitt
last November, was quietly attending tc
his business at his store in Hewitt, or
the line Of the Western North Carolina
railway. About IL o'clock on the day
of the arrest two men entered the store
and asked MIR. Hewitt to step from be-
hind the counter as they had some bust
ness with him. Supposing that the
strangers wished to talk real estate or
something OF like nature, Mr.. Hewitt
came around the counter and pleasantly
accosted the men as to the matter they
wished information on. In answer one
OF them told Mr.. Hewitt that he must
consider himself under arrest, and at the
same instant, and with the air of having
done dangerous ieat with unexpected
ease, snapped hand-cuf on one wrist.
MIR. Hewitt was naturally thunder.
struck and asked what the arrest meant.
The officer said Mr.. Hewitt was
wanted i'll Georgia on a charge Of crimi.
nal libel.
At this point it is necessary to pick up
a few back stitches. Some time previous
Mr.. Hewitt had had correspondence
with an Atlanta trm, one of whom was
W. S. Saul. 1t writing the president of
the firm, suggesting that one Of them
visit Hewitt to conclude the business
which they were negotiating, Mr.. Hew
lit asked that Mr.. Saul be not sent, and
gave as his reasons his estimate of the
character of that gentleman--an csti-
mate, which, whether accurate or not,
was hardly flattering to Mr.. Saul's pride.
That letter found its way into MIR.
Saul's hands, and Mr.. Hewitt had later.
in travelling OH the cars. seen it in Mr..
Sauls possession, the latter marking GER
tain phrases in it that evidently met his
disapprobation, and doing this in the
known presence OF Mr.. Hewitt, evidently
to let him know that he had the letter.
Consequently when the Georgia officer
SAID criminal libel. Mr.. Hewitt at once
remembered seeing him with Mr.. Saul
that morning, and it flashed over him
that the letter lie had written and Mr..
Saul were back of the arrest, and he said
so to the officer. Mr.. Hewitt then
asked to see the officers authority
for making the arrest, and the now
tar-iamed requisition papers were shown
him.
Mr.. Hewitt's acquaintance with such
documents was limited, but this one
seemed to him in regular form, and he |
well, guess shall have
to 60 with you."
The arrest had been made within an |
hour and three-quarters of train time,
and with very little preparation Mr..
Hewitt was hurried off up the track to
the station, handcufed, to the bailiff
rom Georgia like the desperate which
The latter averred he had been told Mr..
Hewitt was.
1t was the avowed purpose of the
Georgia officer to lake a carriage in
waiting at Murphy and rush Mr.. Hew-
tt over the State line that night; but on
he way to Murphy, on the train, so
many friends of Mr.. Hewitt expressed
heir astonishment and sympathy at
he situation he found himself in that
he officer, Mr.. Hewitt says, became
that the prisoner was not the
bad man. he had been represented to
'e. He therefore offered, on Mr.. Hew.
it's promise to make no effort to
scape, to unhandcuff him and STAY all
light comfortably at Murphy where the
rain stopped. As Mr.. Hewitt saw no
present way out Of his difficulty legally,
md not being OF the criminal class that
ut and run at the first opportunity
fter arrest, he consented to this, and
he handcuff was unlocked.
At Murphy Mr.. Hewitt was given
odgings with the Sheriff at the latter's
uggcstion that he was anxious to make
i'm comfortable and the next day the
Georgia bailiff and Mr.. Hewitt went on ,
o Atlanta. Previous to starting, how. !
yer, Mr.. Hewitt conferred with several
iurphy friends with the result that ,
ONE of the largest wholesale houses in
ltlanta were ready with all needed assist
nee when he arrived there.
Mr. Hewitt has been criticised for not
laking legal effort to remain in North
,arolina despite Governor Carr's requi. t
ition. If he had been going through ,
.sheyile he would undoubtedly have re. +,
cived assistance; but no court was in
'ssion at Murphy; nor was there any
ldge there. Moreover, the requisition t
apers appearing to be in due form it did t
ccur to Mr.. Hewitt that he had any t
hoice at the time to do otherwise than @
o to Georgia. y
Arriving in Atlanta. Mr.. Hewitt was /
let by one of the firm of Jackson &
attorneys, to whom he had \
The Georgia bailift who
lade the arrest stated that his orders
ad been to hurry Mr.. Hewitt off to
Ill, but he had become convinced that
is prisoner was at least a gentleman,
nd MIR. Hewitt spent that night in
otel unguarded and unmolested, simply II
wing his word, as a man OF honor, that +
9 would make no attempt to escape. The
ext day bail waseasily secured through a
tlanta merchants and Mr.. Hewitt a
,me back to North Carolina. v
What followed has already been told c.
length in THE CITIZEN. 1t has been $
marked that Mr.. Hewitt should have
zen released in Atlanta because of his
rrest being illegal; and, on the advice
his attorneys, Mr.. Hewitt prepared a
set up, and in fact did set up, that dc. t,
nee; also plea Of justification of the =
bel. When it was found by the Georgia q q
N