The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-02-22

story, there was complete Silence in
the courtroom, the full ghastliness OF
the crime having sunk deep into the
breasts of every one.
The Confession of McCutcheon. Lead
er of the Gang.
The noted leader of the white CAPS,
James McCutcheon, was discovered in
Arkansas by his partner in a patent
medicine firm. At the instance of the
partner he was arrested and carried
back to Atlanta, where he was lodged
in jail to await trial for his awful
crime.
Driven by the most relentless re-
morse and regret for the crime in
which he had participated, Nc
Cuctheon had become reckless and in
different as to his future, aud the con-
fession he has made was entirely vol
untary and of his own accord.
He first told of his escape to Arkan-
sas after the cOmmissi ion of the crime
and how he had passed the time in
that State in constant dread of being
recapturcd aud brought to his native
State to answer for the foul deed He
said that the idea OF being hunted and
reminded OF what he had done filled
his conscience with the deepest re.
morse and that life in his condition
was miserable. So powerful had been
his fears and dread of being captured.
he had become almost indifferent, aud
made little effort to conceal his idcnti.
ty.
He told of his connection with the
Murray County whitecappers and how
they whipped men for informing. and
said that he was present when they at
tempted to hang Henry Worley on the
7th Of April. He said that he was con-
nected with four raids of the ku-klux
and told the details Of those raids i'm a
most interesting manner. When he
reached the Worley murder point OF
his story McCutcheon said
They (thc kuklux) came to nv
house and told me to meet the boys at
jim McEntire's. | went and thcrc was
nine of us there-Harris Bramlctt.
James McEntiio, Frank Gilbert, John
henry Gober, Gance Morrison, Tobc
Smith, George Hartsel, James Par
sons and myself.
I'VE all started off towards ucary
Worley's house anG had gone about
three miles when it began to rain.
We stopped to wait un.il it held up
and Sance Morrison left us then. All
OF us went on to Worley's house and
stayed around it all night, eXUec: Ting
to shoot him when he came out the
next morning. We scattered on every
side Of the house, so that we would be
sure to see him, but when he came out
we were afraid to shoot him there and
let him go on to his field.
Some OF the men were sent down
the road leading from his house to
the field, but they would not shoot
him. We all then went out in the
woods short distance from where
Worlcy was ut work and talked about
how we would kill him.
Finally it was decided to detail
three men to go over where Worley
was and bring him out in the woods
where the other men were. Frank
Gilbert, Tobe Smith and myself were
detailed to go and bring him outside
where the others were waiting. We
were afraid Of Worley and thought he
was armed and decided to go over and
find out before we tried to bring him
outside. Tobc Smith, Frank Gilbert
and myself went over where WOrlev
was and talked to him about different
things.
After awhile we left him and went
back to where the crowd was. Then
lobe Smith, Frank Gilbert and myself
went back over in the field the second
time and when we got near where
Worley was plowing | levcled my gun
at him and told him to throw up his
hands. He made a movcme mt and Tobe
Smith shot him with IL pistol. AS he
fell back | shot him with my double
barreled shotgun aud Gilbert shot him
at the same time.
1--WE saw that we had killed him and
we ran out Of the iicld into the woods
and then went up on Fort mountain
and stayed until late in the evening.
We all separated then and went
home"
The prisoner told his story in an
earnest manner and its conclusion he
appeared to he greatly relieved. He
was told that by making confession he
placed himself in great danger of los
ing his life after the manner in which
the whitecappcrs attempted to take
Henry WOrley's by hanging, but it is
said that he declared tina; he was de-
termined to make clean breast of the
whole affair.
1t was learned that in McCutchcon's
confession he implicated number of
wellknOwn citizcns of Murray and other
north Georgia counties us being mem
bers OF the whiteccpperS' organization
and taking part in the raids in which
he was along, but their names could
not be learned.
-Spartanb burg. wins thrown into a
state Of excitement aver the ESCAPE;