The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-07-02
FOULLY ASSASSINATED.
A Former Vance County Man 1urder-
ed in nemDiliS

News Of the tragic death Of Mr..
William Avis Sneed, native of this
county, in Memphis, Tenn, where he
lived caused shock to his relatives
and those who knew the man. He was
stabbed to death on the night of June
18th, during the counting of the votes
cast in a primary election that day
in which Mr.. Sneed had taken an &C
tive but unoffensive and good uatured
part. The murderer and his accessory
in the preparation Of the deed were
promptly arrested and confessed the
crime. From the Memphis Herald,
which Mr.. w. D. Burwel has kindly
shown US. we take the following:
While the vote was being counted in
the Criminal Courtroom one OF the inter-
ested spectators was Mr.. William Avis
Sneed, gentleman of high character
and influential connections, a man of
family, good citizen, a man Of peace.
While he was an ardent Carnes support
er, he was in the best of humor, and to
the McCarver men who were present he
talked freely and pleasantly, joking and
laughing as each box would come in and
the fortunes of either contestant go up
or down. The hall was crowded and very
warm, and Chairman Woodson, of the
Executive Committee, gave Mr.. Sneed
his chair while he went down to get a
drink of water. When he returned Mr..
Sneed remarked that he believed he would
go down and get drink also, and Mr..
Woodson told him that if he could find
the dark he would find ice water. Mr..
off nd ROTH story
has been told in the public prints, and
the narrowing details need not be re-
peated. He was stabbed to death by
Will Haight, and assaulted by Ed Jen-
nings.
The Commercial-Appeal gives the
following account:
Jennings was at the Eighth Ward
polling place prior to 8 o'clock and was
very drunk. Upon McCallum and Sneed
entering the polling place he was ex-
tremely insulting, denounced them as
A. p. A. 8 and came very near precipitat-
ing a difficulty, but other parties. inter
fered. 1t is not known positively that he
and Haight were together there.
Jennings became SO drunk by o'clock
that he went home, to the place OF W. ID.
Ryan, corner Poplar and Front streets,
and slept until late in the afternoon. He
was next seen in front CT the courthouse
in company with" Skinnie' Haight. FL
nally he saw Sneed near by and at once
announced his intention OF going to
"punch' him, going over to where Sneed
was standing.
He talked with Sneed a few moments
and then struck him in the face. Sneed
raised his stick to strike his assailant,
when Jennings Immediately seized it and
a struggle for its possession ensued. 1t
was at this juncture that "Skinnie'
Haight rushed forward and pulling his
miserable knife from his pocket drove it
into the heart of his victim. Instantly
the grasp of Sneed asloosened, his arms
fell to his side, and Jennings, having the
stick, struck him a terrible blow on the
head
Then the murderers turned and skulked
away. Sneed staggered into the corr-
dor of the courthouse, leaned for a mo-
ment against column, then staggering
toward the stairway, barely reached the
ascent when he weakened, fell to the floor
and almost instantly expired.
Mr.. Sneed was we'll known in this
community. He was brother OF Mrs.
w. D. Burwell, Of Henderson, and of
Mr.. K. G. Sneed, of Vance county. He
had been a resident of Memphis long
while and was one of its most highly
respected, influential and well-to-do-
citizens.
Last summer one of our grand children
was sick with a severe bowel trouble. Our
doctors remedies had failed, then we tried
Chamberlain's Collie, Cholera and Diarrh9a
Remedy, which gave very speedy relief.
We regard it as the best medicine ever put