The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-08-08
SMYRNA'S TROUBLE.
A Negro Assaults a White
Woman.
IT CREATES GREAT EXCITEMENT
Indignant Citizens in their Hunt for
Him Have to Fight Some ARM
ed Negroes.

Smyrna. In this county, was in fever
OF excitement last week. 1t was the re
suit OF criminal assault made upon Mr..
Joe Robinson's wife by negro named
Jesse Hardemar, on Tuesday evening of
last week. Mr.. Robinson and Hardeman
are tenants on Mr.. Polly Baswelrs farm.
Hardeman went to Mr.. Rob;uson's house
to carry in some wood. having left Mr..
Robinson in the field with other hands,
who in quitting the days work were in
dulging in eating some watermelons.
The negro Hardeman in finding Mrs.
Robinson alone with her young baby seiz>
ed hold of her. She struggled and got
away from the negro and grabbed her
husbands pistol, and scared him off by
pointing it at him. She didn't know how
to shoot the pistol, and the negro iattempt>
ed the second time to assault her. She
used the pistol to scare him again and
closed the doors and called for her hus.
bano. The negro got Mr.. Baswers COW
and was driving her on up the road, when
the husband came to the house and was IN
formed OF the matter. He took his pistol
and started in pursuit. Hardeman saw
him coming and broke for the woods and
made his escape.
The neighbots turned out to hunt for the
fugitive with their guns and pistols, that
night On the public highway, near Mr..
Kings house, they met four negro men,
two IN a cart and two on mules. The me-
sroes were armed with guns and SO were
the whites. The negroes were John Har>
deman, the father OF the fugitive, Tom
Hardeman, q brother, Berry Pedgett and
Berry Smith. 1t is said the negroes were
bent on preventing the lynching Of Jesse
Hardeman, and they were returning from
Bolton, having heard that he had been
hung to the river bridge.
When tAe whites met the negroes they
demanded them to give all account OF
themselves and to surrender their guns.
Words passed, and John Hardeman, coli
ored, jumped out of his cart and fred at
Charley Dowda, filling his left hand with
shot Then fusilade began and the ne.
groes fed. The result was, John Harde-
man was shot with bullet in the leg, Tom
received bullet in his leg Berry Padgett
was shot In the back Of his head and
shoulders with bird shot, and Berry Smith
has never been seen since 1t is not known
whether he was killed or wounded. Two
mules were badly shot, one died
Mr.. Charlie Dowda had sixty>fve shot
picked out of his hand.
On Saturday the three negroes lad the ir
preliminary trial before Judge J. Y.
Alexander at THE Marietta court house,
Padgett was represented by Hon. A. s.
Clay and waived t-ial and gave bond for
his appearance before Cobb Superior
Court. John and Tom Hardeman were
represented by Hon. John E. Motley.
Col. c. d. Phillips and L. ?. Green, Esq
represented TIE State.
John Hardeman at the trial made the
following statement:
he and Tom Hardeman, Berry Pad
gett and Berry Smith had heard that
Jesse Hardeman had been lynched and
were on their way to Collins bridge, over
the Chattahoochee, at Bolton, to see If he
had been hung there as reported. They
get nearly to the bridge, and becoming
satisfied that the report was not true, they
turned back to 90 home. They met three
men, one of whom was Virgil Fleming
He pointed pistol in Berry Padgett's face
and another of the three pointed O pistol
at John. Padgett and John were in the
cart tog ether They told Padgett to drive
on up the road and give an account of
themselves. The negroes did so and met
large crowd of white men. Tom Harde~
man and Berry Smith were riding mules.
Norris Pace walked up and saidt tom,
give up your gun" Tom gave up his gun
and.they then said, Throw up your hands, y
and as they did so the white men began
shooting. John jumped out of the cart,
fred and ran and received bullet shot
through his left leg.
Berry Padgett testified: when we gat
in the crowd ttey asked US to stop and we
stopped They then asked US our busi>
ness, and where we were going, and SO
forth, and some young man with a pistol
in his hand came up and continued to
talk with John Hardeman. About this
time John jumped out ofJthe cart and IS
be did so struck my mule with his gun and
he ran twenty or thirty yards while ] was
trying to check him. About that time
somebody poured a load OF shot into my
neck. hea6 and shoulders. thought it a