The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-23


wanted one more. Brantley would not
tell the other two nor the persons with
the money. The other two were good
men OF good standing and he did not
think they would get caught. He
thought Credle would sut them and
they wanted him
Here Creole told how Brantley asked
HIM II lie minded killing man. Gre
die told him he did net have desire
to kill any one. Brantley asked him If
he had anything to shoot with, and
Creole told him no. Brantley said 10
Creole, You need not kill any one, we
Will do the killing and you take the
money as we knock down" Brantley
asked Creole to go to his house in Au
rora that night, which was about three
miles away.
Flowers hired Brantley that day while
there to work in the woods with Creole,
and was to send to Aurora for him
every morning and send him back at
| night. Credle could not we'll walk SO
| far. as his leg had been broken that
fall or summer, but Flowers regarded
HIM as very good hand All this oc-
CURED Thursday week before the MUIR
der on Saturday night He went to
Brantley's that night and got supper
He had never been to Brantley's house
before. Brantley told him that the
other persons about whom he had
spoken would be there that night. AT
ter supper BrantIey told his wife that
Mrs. Gray, an old lady who lived up
stairs. wished to see her. Brantley's
wife took her knitting and went up
to see Mrs. Gray. Uriah Bell soon
come to Brantleys and asked Credle
If he had talked oyer that matter with
Brantley Uriah told him there were
three IN it and that no one would sus-
pect them. Brantley asked where the
other one was, and Uriah said he was
outside He went out and soon return
ed with his younger brother, Sheriff.
Bell. All of them advised Creole to
come IN. He was the man they need
ed, and they were men Of good stand
ing ana no one would suspect them.
Uriah asked him if he had a pistol.
Creole told him lie did not, and Uriah
told him he did not need any pistol.
eve three have pistols, and you can
take as we knock down."
They told him they had a paper they
wanted him to sign. The Bell boys
left and he remained all night and took
BrantIy to Flowers next morning to
work He went to Aurora Friday and
Saturday nights of that week. Friday
night the Bell boys came to Brantley's
again and asked him to come in with
them. They told him they had already
broken into some stores and had not
been caught, and he need not be
afraid
Then he described how they put him
through the initiation into the band
They administered an oath to him
that they were to stick together and be
like brothers. They were on then
knees he said when the oath was ad-
mlnistered. In minute detail he told
how they attempted to get a chance at
several persons on different nights, but
were foiled. He described mlnutely
the details of an attemp to rob Mr.. F
F. Cherry, a merchant in Aurora, and
stated how they all took their stands
at Cherry's store to get him when he
started home that night with his
money. They said he carried money
home with him. Later Cherry s. testi-
mony corroborated Credle's about this
matter, for he remembered how the
little gate behind his store was open
that night and his clerk told him when
he started home that some one had been
III tuo DdCK 1Ol. CIClllc IOlu iDOul
what the clerk said, and when Mr.
Cherry flashed light out they ran
He told how they made a trip one
night the first of the week of Bonner.
murder to Idalia village a mile away
and tried to rob Ben Thompson and
Peter Cuthrell. All these attempts
failed and then he came down to the
night Of November 23rd,. when they
killed Mr.. Bonner
i He said Brantly had purchased some
cloth and said he would get his wife t.
make them some masks, and that they
had their masks that night but did no
put them on.
HOW THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED.
! Uriah Bell said, I'VE can get Mr.
Bonner tonight" Uriah said to Brant
ley "Will, have you got your thlngs?'
} Brantley said yes, except his pistol
} He had loaned that to his brother jim
and he had loaned 1t to DIR. Tom Bon
ner and he could not get it that night
Uriah Bell gave his pistol to Brantle,
and said they would meet at Gaskins
| FOropt1ox, b,1 1-o,ot-, 1