The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-27

we did not communicate with MT
Horne for some hours. After hearing
tbot some negro had gone rapidly to-
wards IiIesville i sent Mr.. Horne the
foIlowing Telegram: Lookout for GIN
oercale negro with overalls on, left here
rhis morning. Rape, have MIN arrest
oh" Mr.. Horne received this telegram
in Liesyille at two twenty nine p. in.
John Evans is not coal black negro,
but about fills the description in this
telegram. Miss Matte did not use the
expression "gingercake colored' in my
presence that | remember, but |
thought it expressed what she meant
by mot plum black, and not yellow"
The color of a ''gingercake" as they are
cooked by many people i'll this county
and eaten with enjoyment, is about the
color of John Evans. The man
seen in Everett's store and
many other suspected characters
were pursued, we were not experts on
theexart shade of negro complexion,
then as we have since become.
Matte Coles description was not the
only reason for the arrest. Two of the
arrests the defendants counsel try to
make much out Of the arrests of Bald
Allen, a sixteen year old white boy, who
Mr.. D0ckery calls "a bad white man
came about in this way: There was
some talk whispered that Allen might
have committed the crime. as he was a
bad boy; a Mr.. Harper claimed to have
seen Allen running down the hill from
the scene of the crime while the girls
were screaming. The colored people
and some of their particular friends
seemed to be earnest in their opinion
that Allen had committed the crime
lpon hearing of this, in company with
Mr.. Leak, the president of the Pee
Dee factory. 1 went to see Matte Cole
about it: We asked her if it was possi-
Die for her to be mistaken about it's be-
,ng Il negro; she sand it was not: / asked
Ter if it could have been Bald Allen;
she said certainly not. that she knew
Bald Allen as we'll aus any body and
hat it was not him. she seemed to think
he idea absurd, but the talk about Bald
Allen continued among the col0red peo-
pie and Il few whites. | concluded that
rs we were arresting all others who
We're suspected we ought to take HIM
up too and satisfy those who charged
aim with it. At this time i feared Mat
tie Cole would not he able to identify
The man but / never doubted, nor did
any other man who heard her talk about
t, that If she did identify the criminal.
hat she would be truthful and correct
n at; she said all the while that she
would know him. that she could see
lin all the time in her mind, but
cared she was mistaken: so we did not
rust to this entierly but pursued other
heories at the same time we hoped
he might be able to identify the right
nan. In spite OF Matrices saying Allen
.yas not the man and b5ling somewhat
impressed myself with the suspicion
against Allen, we decided to have Aliens
sureties To surrender him on charge
# assault and battery for which he
vas under bond to appear at court; this
vas done and inc was taken to Raleigh
or safe keeping. The m0rning after his
arrest it was discovered that Mr.. Harper
was mad with Allen. and had been
thrashed by Mr. Cole. a short while
,efore, that he had tried TO indict Allen
/ few days before for some trivial Of
.enSe, that the course he Gained TO have
seen him running was directly opposite
20 the direction in which Miss Lille
ole swore her assailant ran and which
he tracks. clearly to be seen, showed
Ter assafilant did run. that Mr.. Harper.
i very old man with imperfect sight
claimed to have seen him, a distance
# about q hundred and fifty yards
Ibis, mind you, ut a time Mr.. Dockery
says was Just before day." when Miss
Matte Cole. according to Mr.. Dockery,
Unable to identify q man she was right
lat. this SHOWS rire inconsistency of
Evans friends who believe Allen to
nave committed the crime: and by the
testimony of Mrs. Infer. "a lady of unmis-
akably good character, that she heard
he screaming of the girls and ran to
Mrs Aliens, Balls mother, to get some
one to run down to the screaming girls
and find out what that trouble was,
hat Mrs. Allen said that Ball was not
up and was so sleepyheaded that she
lid not know whether they could get
aim awake or not. that while they were
1alking, she saw Ball, through the Win
low of the room in which he slept, up
and putting on his shoes, that Eassers
very soon informed them what was the
matter and. Ball was not sent to the
girls, his another said that after Mrs.
infer left, Ball ate his breakfast and
went down townEIlAOINTAOIN E9E
went from home down town, and the
way Mr.. Harper claimed to have seen
him coming from, or near the way,
in consequence of this testimony. Miss
Matte Coles reiteration, that she knew
It was not Bald Allen who made the as
satllt. the officer who carried Ball to
Raleigh was wired TO bring him back.
The Cole girls all knew this boy well,
and ina opinion. if he had attempted
TO assault Miss Lille, they would have
jumped on him and given him a good
thrashing AS to the other arrest, that
of John Forepaugh, known as the Banjo
ECKER, ii came about in this way: On
the day of the crime we learned that he
had been loafing around wood shop
near Mr.. Coles residence. and had been
seen in town the night before the crime
and could not be found that day; it
was rtrmored that he left here ON an
early train that morning. had never
seen him UP to that time and did not
know the exact shade of his color, but
Thought it we'll to lave him apprehended.
WAS the attorney for the town and
went to the mayor and discussed his ar
rest with him. The mayor directed nj.
to send kilograms in his name to neigh
boring towns to arrest John Forepaugh,
| did SO, with such description as the
man around whose shop he had been
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