The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-30
John Evans Believed to Be
the Guilty Man.
He is NOW IN JAIL HERE
BROUGHT TO PREVENT HIS BE-
ING LYNCHED.
IDENTIFIED BY MISS COLES SISTER


the Terrible Crime was
Committed.
There is now in Jail here young
negro. from Arson county, named John
Evans.
There is reason to believe that he IS
+he person who last Saturday assaulted
Miss Nora Cole, at Rockingham, with
intent to commit rape.
He was arrested Friday evening at
his home on the plantation Of Mr.. Lee
T. Little. near Lilesville, and brought
here yesterday morning 10 prevent ishen~
ing at Rockingham.
frbe arrest was made by Mr.. L. A.
Horne. of Lilesville and Evans was tax
on to that village and kept Friday might.
Early Yesterday morning he was put ON
the Seaboard passenger train and taken
To Rockingham When the tran reach
cd there Miss Coles sister, accompanied
nv Mayor Everett, was at the depot.
Evans was taken off Immediately the
train stopped and carried into the ticket
office. where the young lady sat. AS
soon as he entered she said he was the
man-that she was certain of It,
Mr.. C. C. Taylor also identified Evans
"a the man he saw in Rockingham the
morning the crime was committed. ne
says he saw dirt ON Evans hat and
knees and called his attention to It, Mr..
A. ~. Mcdonald also noticed 1t, but he
did not see Evans yesterday
There was no demonstration Whle
this was going on, as few people were
at the depot and none of them, except
the authorities and Miss Cole, had been
apprised of the arrest of Evans. As soon
as Miss Cole identified him Mayor
Everett ordered that he be put back on
the train and brought to Raleigh for
safe keeping. This was done by CHIEF
of Police e. J. Mcdonald, of Rocking
ham, and e. III. Hatcher, OF Lllesville.
They arrived here with their prisoner at
11:3O. and took him at once to Wake
county Jail, where he is now confined IN
q cell by himself.
Evans is a small black, bullet-headed
negro-in appearance just sucn a person
as one would naturally expect to COM
nit such a nameless crime. His lips are
thick. his nose fat, his eye mean ana
eyasiye. skin dark and rough. tie says
he Ia twenty four years old, and That MS
parents are dead.
If he is to be believed he has lived for
the last four years on the plantation Oh
Mr.. Lee Little, about 10 miles from
Rockingham. Recently however, he has
been at Laurinburg picking cotton Here
"a mis- story as told to me by him IN the
Hall yesterday afternoon:
~ was last week at Laurinburg PICK
ing cotton. I picked for Mr.. Dug.
stewart until Wednesday night, when
he finished. Then l went to Mr.. Y. y.
Fairley's and picked for him till FRIDAY
evening, when / got on the tram ana
went to Rockingham. / got to ROCKING
ham early in the night before Coley
bar closed. [He contradicted hlmseir
several times as to the time and nnahy
said it was o'clock.] ! went into MS
bar and left my cotton sack, IN whlcn
I had the cap I've now got on ana some
other things. Then l went out TO the
s;yerv stable yard to see if there was
a wagon there going out TOWARD my
home. There was one wagon in the lo',
INT Il didn't go out that way, so l went
back into the livery stable ana spent Tue
night with the boys"
"What boys" / asked.
Some boys that / knew
ssWhat were their names!
After considerable hesitation he SAID
no didn't know but one of them. rms
was. he thought Sharper POwelPs SON
Amos Powell-who stays at the stable.
He was not sure as to boys name being
Amos. He said he didn't know the other
two boys.
"When did you leave the livery sta
bleT'
II left it Saturday morning about
ann nm The Powell boy saw me when
7 left. / went straight over to Coieys
har again. but / didn't drink anything.
There I met some boys from Ledbet-
tor,a n,antation-one of them is named
Henry Dockery. I didn't know the
others. / stayed in the bar TIL IL
o'clock. Mr. Coley and his man Wood
ard. who stays there, saw me. Wnen
7 left I went up the river road walking
and got home about sun down.
rLater Evans contradicted this state
ment and said he went up town early
in the morning, with Henry Dockery
II stayed at home until yesterday
Thursday evening when Mr.. Horne
the big merchant at Lilesvllle, came
and sent out for me to come to
bouse I went and he asked me If
was in Rockingham Saturday. When
told him yes he said for me to con-
slider myself under arrest, and TOOK me
in his buggy to Liesville."
did you know why he arrested you
He told me on the way. I didn't know
till then anything about what had peeh
done at Rockingham"
"Do you mean to say that you were
in Rockingham till IL o'clock that day
and did't hear of the assault on Miss
C0lew
when me and Henry Dockery went
an town about sun-up from the livery
stable that morning we saw them have
a white man arrested-a fellow with
black mustache-and they told us he
was arrested for that"
did anybody say anything to you
about having dirt on your knees and
hAt~