Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-01-24

Z
agreed. After awhile l agreed
to come into the club. Sherril
Bell came and Brantley and Bel
said they had been into Alex
Hudnell's and W. A. Tompson':
stores Sheriff. Bell saw Thomp
son get $50, but said they only
got 81. They went in a side
window at Hudnell's. Uriah Bel
had the paper pledge l was tc
take. All of them got on THEN
knees and the pledge was read tc
me. We shook hands. The ob,
legations were to secrecy anc
heath if either divulged anything
they did. Uriah Bell said I have
been captain SO far and they con
tinued him as captain. View
all to obey the captain. Il was
then late but We went out to see
what we could do, We went tC
Cherry's, he keeps open late and
takes his money home III a bag.
We arranged our position at his
back door. He wa, to be knock
ed down and robbed. The clerk
came to the back door and said,
The gate is open, some one is
out here. Cherry came with a
light and we ran. Uriah BELL
had gone for a club at the time
and Cherry went home. Uriah
wanted to know why we ran, and
they said Cherry spoke of his
rifle.
1--WE then went and were to
try Billy Hudnell and to rob the
Hudnell store and make him
open his safe. Bell said owe are
too bold, we need masks. "Brsnt>
ley said he would have his wife
make them out of black cloth.
Hudnell's store was closed Suns
day morning. Brantley and I
took walk over the bridge. We
talked over what they had done.
Brantley said: eve made a water
haul; next time we will do better;
you need not get scared On the
night before Uriah Bell said this.
We came back, and Brantley
went to church with his wife.
Monday morning we went to
Flowers to work. l brought
Brantley home Wednesday. He
said, Boys, we will meet at the
Bells, come there tonight We
went to try to get B. F. Mayo.
Brantley's wife gave us masks OF
black cloth. We took our places
and Uriah was to give the signal.
Some one came with Mayo and
we did not get him. Bell said,
we will go to Idalia and get
Peter Cuthrell We arranged and
went in a road~cart. Urial was
to give the signals. We were in
a fence corner and saw some one
coming. and thought it some one
else and went off in the field. He
passed and we did not get him.
We were to go and get B. H.
Thompson, if he was alone. We
went and his clerk was i'll, SO we
left. Sheriff. was to stay and get
Will Baynor. We made a water
haul again We went home and
to bed.
"NeXt morning | went back
to Flowers. l came back to Au-
rora Saturday night and took
supper with Brantley. The Bells
came and Mrs. Brantley gave us
our masks and again we went to
the stables, our meeting place.
Bell said, We can get Bonner to-
night. All was arranged.
Brantley, Sherrill Bell and l
were to go in front of Bonners
house and get in the fence cor
ner and Uriah Bell was to watch
Bonncr and give the signal by a
whistle if it was the right man.
Bell gave Brantley his pistol as
he had loaned his to his brother.
Brantley had brass knucks and he
gave me the pistol. We went
and took our positions. Some
one was coming, and Uriah Bell
gave the whistle signal. Brant>
ley led meeting Bonner, Sheriff.
followed and | behind. Brantley
knocked him down with his
brass knucks and we threw him
over the fence. He struggled a
little. We broke some rails
Bonner caught On his feet but
Sheriff. got over, threw him
down and said, please help me
to keep him from hollowing.'
Bonner begged and said, For
Gods sake don't kill me. I will
you everything I have put
my hand On his head. Brantley
told me to shoot him. l would
not and he took the pistol from
my hand and shot him in the
forehead. l ran and so did Brant-
ley. When we had gotten about
twenty-five or fifty yards away
another pistol fired. We went
through the field and across wire
and other fences to Brantley's
Uriah Bell ran as soon as Bon
ner was knocked down. Don't