The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-01

WAS questioned whether he saw an.
other colored boy there, and said he dia
NOT Will Richardson, and VIII Ilii-
man also slept there: VIII 1sclarl-
son.s absence was accounted for
Nv Mr.. Haler. with whom he went TO
the Gin house. about five O'Clock.
If Mr.. Watkins saw Fletcher. Amos
and the man he did not recognize at the
livery stable. it causes no conflict 10 sup
pose that man to have been VIII III
man: all of the five except Ill flcnard-
son claim To have been in the room Wheh
Mr. Watkins went there. If Mr.. Wac
Lins is to be believed one Of them was
gone. Who was it. John Evans or
Will Tillman? Mr.. Watkins testimony
did not disclose, but the testimony of the
unfortunate Cole girl did; but suppose
Mr. Watkins did see John Evans up
ond uniting on his shoes at the livery
st,bla at exactly q o'clock by Tom or
stable at exactly q o'clock by town or
abroad time. fifteen minutes faster than
factory time. it would have been easy
for Evans to have been at the scene OF
the crime by five minute Of Il O'Clock by
Factory time. this would have gwen HIM
100 minutes to AVE gone Il distance OF
by. close estimate. of four hundred yards.
do not believe Mr.. Watkins saw
John Evans at the Livery Stable. |
think it must have been Will Iillman.
but if he did see Evans | think 1t clear
that by accounting for the difference De
tween Factory and Town or Railroad
time Evans could nave committed the
crime. There was evidence tending to
prove Mr.. Watkins mistaken as to the
time he went to the stable. and showing
that he went earlier than he thought.
But as l view his testimony it is utterly
destructive to John EvanS's alibi.
Mr.. Dockery's fourth ground for be-
lieving Evans innocence. The unreal
condolences Of John Evans, Il country
negro and Il stranger in Rockingham.
committing such Il crime at that place
and at that time of the morning. Mr..
james Dockery, 4 first cousin Of Mr..
Dockery's, was placed on the stand by
the defendant to prove Evans's char
| acter for II short period. Mr.. Dockery
said Evans worked with him two or
three years ago. and drove his wagon to
Town almost every Saturday while he
| was in his employment. Mr.. DOckery
| manages a farm about five miles from
town. Henry McItae, Il colored man.
testified rs to Evans having worked with
him Il week or SO III last September;
| Henry's farm is about five miles from
w II. Doliii Al ilitF IL ~ H.
ing been here more than two or three
t times, and on cross examination. | be-
! Iieye. did admit having been here as
much as once Il year for i few years,
but just in passing through most Of the
! time; Il brother of the OWncr of the
livery stable at which he slept, has 4
sister cooking at Mr.. NJ. Il. HinSon'S.
| Mr.. Hinson's kitchen is right across the
field from where the crime was com
mitted. | do not think more than Il hun
dred yards from it. John Evans denied
all knowledge of where his sister was
cooking. but admitted knowing that she
lived in town somewhere, but did not
know where. His sister was offered by
him as 4 witness; she admitted having
| commenced cooking at Mr.. Hinsons
about the first Of last year: she said she
saw Holm in July or August. but did not
tell him where she was cooking. Even
ii Evans did not know when he reached
town the night before the crime. where
HIS sister lived, is it not reasonable and
natural. being Il stranger and knowing
he had a sister living in town to have
enquired for her. Where would he have
been more certain to have learned her
Whereabouts. if he had enquired than
from the eryants and employees of the
brother of the gentleman for whom she
cOohtu. IL Is lIOl ullItdSOIldD lc ~ sup
pose that he did enquire and learned
whore she lived, it is reasonable and
natural that having learned he would
have gone to where his sister was. Doth
to see her and get something to eat. He
was certainly walked up in time that
morning. first by Mr.. Halus. at about ,
O'Clock, then according to his contention
by Mr.. Ingram. at about $50 o'clock.
then by Mr.. Watkins at 6 o'clock, by
town time.
| believe that he left this room il. the
livery stable. and that either on his way
to Mr.. HinSon's to see his sister. or hay
ing gone there and been given something
to eat, on his way back he saw these
unprotected girls and made the assault
upon Miss Lille. l do not think it was
planned or premiditated, but decided
upOn III q luStful impulse.
You ask me in your favor what you
ought to do about it. Until the commits
sion Of this crime | entertained doubts
whether it was necessary for human
society to take the life of criminals for
its protection; in my limited practice at
the bar, | have declined on two occa-
sions to prosecute in capital cases where
| was offered reasonable pay, because
of my doubt Of the necessity for the
death penalty, but when l saw unfor-
tunate Miss Lille Cole only q few
minutes after this brutal assault, with
great prints Of the brutes nails going
deep into her delicate. and as l believe,
pure neck, with 4 rising back of her ear.
produced by the intense choking; and
having already viewed the scene Of the
. struggle between the frail girl and her
!. lustful and brutal assailant. and thought
of her shame and misery through life. |
!, felt that it was necessary for the Coy
, nj to take the life of such brutes
as her assailant. for he proper prOtec-
:. ton of the mothers, sisters and dauch-
ters of the State.
t 1t is unpleasant to make an arru-
ment and an appeal to the States
, Throne of mercy against his unfor-
tunate man. but the representations
| made TO your eXccllency by Eyans's
| counsel. made it the duty Of some At
| torney FOR the State to fearleSsly present
=. the States view of the case to Won. |