The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-28

aibi put him, to Mr.. Hinson's house,
where his sister cooks. is by way OF
this very path, on which the crime was
committed. And this path IS usual
route for people coming from the dlrec-
tion of the livery stable to the part OF
tbe town where Mr. Hinson lives. MT:
Hinson's house is within one hundred
wards of the scene of the outrage.
So here we have Evans within ooO
wards of where the cine was committed
nv his own admission, and by the eVl-
dence of his two elegant allbl witnesses.
We also have him coming to the town
as often as once a week for four or hVe
months. as recent as two years ago.
We also have him in this town once
within the last twelve months, accord
ing TO his own admission. His sister,
who was examined on the trial says she
has been cooking for Hinson since last
January, and that she saw her brother
John (the defendant the second Sun
dav in last August at a big meeting.
Now let us see how this bears on the
case. Here is a man near enough to
tho scene of n crime to have had the OPP
portunity to be there at the time the
crime is committed. Here he has rea-
son to be on that very path because II
is about early breakfast time, and his
sister is looking for a man who lives
in the part of town that the nearest
route to get to is by this very path.
Here he has been to the town often
enough to know every nook ana Granny
of it. and necessarily he is not ignorant
of this part of the town. Next, wlthlr
half an hour after the crime was COM
mitted, we find him at the rear end or
q store. which is situated on the very
street, opposite the place where me
crime was perpetrated; and the next
thing we hear of him he is in store,
dressed just exactly as Miss Matte
Cole saws the man was dressed who
assaulted her sister, and with DIRT on
his knees, and whose suspicious looks
attracted the attention of the by
ISLANDERS.
So there is a strong case against MN
of circumstantial evidence, outside or
the direct evidence in the case.
But in addition TO this circumstantlal
evidence. we have the positive, point
blank. and unequivocal evidence of
good girl. who with the fear of Cod
before her eyes. and fully realizing the
obligations of an oath, and with full
knowledge that her evidence means
death to human being. if we only had
n Governor in Raleigh who would let
Justice be done, and not peryert II un-
der the pardoning power. She says tnat
John Evans is the man who raped her
sister: that She saw him just before ne
did it; that she was near enough ID
him at the time she looked at hlm TO
have touched him; that she has no KIND
of doubt about it; that she always
claimed that she could tell the man II
she saw him again: that as soon as she
did see him she knew he WAS the man;
and that she now says he is the man.
Most of the rape cases occur When
there is no one present except the OUT
RACED victim, and the brutal hend VINO
commits the crime. 1t is a sad day IN
North Carolina, to let it go abroad that
RE word Of a good, honest white girl,
of intelligence and character, IS to De
thrust aside by the Governor or unls
great State. on the word of man who
is swearing to save his neck, backed up
by two of his sorry, lying negro pals.
If this is the way the course OF pubhc
iusfice is to be interefered with, under
The guise of the pardoning power, then
goodbye to any more trials for rape IN
this State. All good people here joined
together in the effort TO have tins case
dealt with by the courts. They now
are inclined to regret their conserva-
tism. They did not think when they
were trying to enforce the law, that
they were giving to the Governor an
opportunity to pervert it, and to grant
IMMUNITY to negro brutes who outrage
white women. If this is the way justice
is to be ravisned, then the time has
come for the people to adopt the plat
form of the Georgia candidate for Con-
gress. and take the law into their own
hands and vindicate their outraged wo-
men by their own sense of justice.
w. n. EVERITT,
Mayor of Rockingham.