The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-01

entertain the hNt<l bsst"f t5sat I9ncoek
= guilty. OF s.~iuct.o u AMI a very ~
*%f"ui" portion II tie community lrl.ey,
De- = guilty Of rape
Ills d.uial WAS not Intended ~ No.
>uadc n" perplc - New bern but was
sn''udf~i Tor those away from hcrr who
ar" not acquainted with thr facts NJ.
Aot"oti. the mother Of the young la.iv
s a weak minded wnmau.w ho~, 1a,shanl
- IN q" insane asylum. AMI sh..
without protection. She stated h. her
attorneys that every vorl In tn. conn.
oia.nt WIS truc aad that 81. wa- only
tstcrrrd from Iro~ecuru~ he nefinn
through fear II violence fr,.n Han.
rock.
Hancock stool IN the rrla,.oh 81 par.
ent - Miss Abbott AMI for 4 long iime
hcfor" u, says she went "a hi. hol.e
"a liz" b" had her cmplaycl a. ! ,lerk
II his office ana she Was under IL II.
1uencr.
L was talked here quietly ror q Long
me before Z became public AMI ihr
'itizen~ II \cwhcru were not surprised
when the scandal hecanl. public prop.
,rty. Afte- Hancock b~Cam" president
Of III" atlantic ami North Carolina
'ta.lroAdlt Was easy for him tn AXE Miss
Abhott T. lich.uond. Washington. New
York and elS"a here as b. hal passc~
yer the road. l. Il nor i sad con.
dlt.on of things when the president
4 4 railroad appointed by IT, Governor
hall u~e hS Office 10 assist tn the So
tuctioa of Young girls ami in this IN
stance . member Of his own family.
Hancock complains that his political
'nc1n.CS instituted this prosecution AMI
hat they are thrcatcu.n. IL have Mrs.
Ahbott removed aS next friend and some
ne else appointed. He i not borne oui
n the statement by the facts. Mrs.
Nbbott stated T., her attorneys she de-
,lrcd t. prosecute the action and was
pnly deferred from doing 50 hy fear II
Hancock ana through the natural
lmldlty Of Il woman who has never
1een in the court house.
II Hancock is innocent "a he SAYS
why did he bring - much pressure ~
| Sear on Mrs. Abbott 10 induce her 10
withdraw the snit and why does he
| ,omplain that the court may possibly
l 'ppo-nt another next friend To prosecute
he acton Tbs is the plea usually
inown as TIE baby act"
Inc court has the right 10 remove
me next friend and appoint another to
prosecute f." notion in furtherance OF
ustIc" anu II Hancock is innocent. rs he
says. he need not fear a trial. His CT
I orts to stop the case and prevent il com
ng 10 trial have removed any doubt
which might have existed heretofore as
Q his guilt. He says he cannot com
'rehrnd her motive in making the charge.
Tor can we except such motive as any
Young girl might have had whose life
rad been blighted anil who had been
orcCd 10 continue acts OF dishonor until
II desperation she would stand il no
longer. and proclaimed TO the world
me Of the saddest pictures in life and on
which calls down upon the head OF her
4 SpGucpT the cpnIpnDati tim, .F all -.
nous men and women. He attempts to
give an account of his tltp TO New York
With Miss Abbott, but the story he
ellis Is 80 far short of Il full explanation
chat it might well be objected to ON
he ground that it constitutes no de-
Tense IN that it does not cover the
whole time he was there and is uneat-
lSfactory from any standpoint.
no fair minded person would believe
after reading his statement that he had
1isprov"d the Charge He had. doubt
fss, many opportunities which do not
appear III the ftlmSy statement ne makes
and which seems like the drowning man
catching at the straw.
After reading his statement carefully
1t appears to fe nothing more than d de-
NAL on the part of Hancock of the scri-
Gus charges made against him by his
niece. and his denial is COUPLED with
tA' ~ tIisit III uAIN INfOTItfl 10 ltStbf'-
rte measures 10 prevent Il full invcwli-
Cation Of the charges which any honest
and innocent man should desire. He
says he has suffered greatly under this
horrible accusation and his only SUP
port was in the Consciousness of his in
noccncr and the hope that his friends
i would not believe him guilty Of such
baseness. II he had lone nothing mor,.
than by the assistance Of his two negro
commlttcemcn who are his tools to
turn out Miss Abbott's sister from her
position as teacher III the public schools
he would have been guilty Of baseness
such as would have brought the CON
domination Of this community upon him.
but when this was dOnc,as is believed
hcr",lccausn her sister. his victim. refused
longer 10 submit to his i%ncestuots en-
braces, hl5 infamy and hascncss are
such as should make him fricndless a
mong Il sclf-resI"cting people who be-
licvc in protecting virtue and furnishing
criminal immortality.
Not half of this sad story has vet
been told, and had it stayed in court,
one of the most degraded acts that man
could commit would hayc been given
out to the world n all It's details, and
civilization would have blush,d with
shame. and the Christian world would
cry out Lord what are we coming to-"
Can Governor Russell sit in the Ex-
ecutivc mansion, and let the rights Of "A
~law-abiding, moral people Of this con-
munity be 50 grossly insulted: He can
not. He must do something. Now that
the case has been taken from court, by
means which wc pictured III the begin
ming he tthe Governor il is 10 whom
the people of this dear old mmo
wealth are looking to protect virtue and
society generally.