The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-04

together, and Judge Montgomery said:
Here. gentlemen. you are under the
charge of this officer
That's alright said. Mr.. w. A.
Dunn, one of the attorneys for the de-
PENDANTS, Wen all report at the proper
time"
(which one of the defendants said
that?' demanded the Judge.
Il did SIR replied Mr.. Dunn.
well, such remarks are Improper.
This case will be tried like any other
1T hasn't started out like it, sug-
gested Mr.. Dunn. "Your officer there
referring to the Sheriff. seems rather Of
fcious.''
With this the examination of witnesses
began. The complainant Steptoe was
the first witness put on the stand Here
lis his story, a lie out of the whole cloth
and one for which he ought to be indjct
ed and punished:
Il was appointed and acted as regis
trar of Roseneath precinct, Halifax
county, for the election this year. | was
ut the place of registration on Saturday.
October 18th, when the board of cleo
ton met.
After we met Mr.. Claude Kitchin
said they were organizing the election
boards all over the State. and for us to
do the same. Dr. Savage said as the
books had been in charge of Mr.. Ivey he
thought some honor ought to be confer
red on Mr.. John Quincy. Il member of
the board, and he moved he be elected
chairman. DR.. Savage was not a mem
Der of the board"
Mr.. Busbee objected to this evidence
as irrelevant to the case.
The vote was tie the negro was
allowed to continue by the court. and
Mr.. Claude Kitchin asked Mr.. Ivey did
he want to be chairman. Mr.. Ivey
said: i do Mr.. Kitchin replied: You
shall not and I'll see to it.
Later in the day Mr. Claude Kitchin
took me out doors and said club of
165 men had sent him to see me. He
said they had sent for me and l wouldn't
come, and that what he wanted to tell
me was that if there was any trouble
on election day. any houses burned. he
would hold the leaders responsible and
| was one of the leaders.
AFTER / had gone to bed on last Sat
urday night, some one called Ben Step
toe This was somewhere between 10
and IL o'clock. l answered a little. but
they didn't hear NE. My wife asked:
Who lis that wants to see Steptoe!'
They replied, No one to hurt him. She
told EN- l was not there. They asked
where | was, and she replied that she
didn't know. They said l was there
and told her to open the door, She re-
fused to do it, and they said they would
break it open. She told 'em if they did
she'd kill one of them as certain as God
is iii heaven. They insisted and she
asked permission TO put on her dress
They told her to do SO.
i had got serious by that time and 1
made 'rangements and went under the
house. | had been up in the loft before
that. and / looked down and saw such
crowd of men | crept back down and
took up n plank and got under the
house.
''They asked my wife: What are
You doing" She replied I'm trying
to kindle up a light but she was trying
to shut me up, under the house
They told her they would give her
another minute to open the door, and if
she didn't do it, they would break it
open with piece of scantling. They
did break it open. was under the
house.
When they came in with the gun.
she said, You're going to shoot me-
They struck Il light and said, No, we
don't know but what you might shoot
u.s.. Then they went up stairs, couldn't
find me and came down. Some one sug-
gested that | was up the chimney Then
another said | was under the house
She was standing on the plank over
me. They pushed her aside pulled upl
the plank. held Il torch of light under
there and those at the rear end of the
house saw me. They told me to come
ont and | did So
AS soon as | got ont the first man |
saw was Captain Kitchin Then there |
were Mr.. Claude Kitchin. Mr.. Eugene
Whitehead, Mr.. John Fenner. DR.. Liv-
ermon. Mr.. John Gray and others | |
didn't know.
The light was sufficient for me to
recognize them. They told me outside.
We are not disguised AS soon as l |
saw Captain Kitchin l caught hold of
his jacket for help. l was satisfied they
were going to kill me, and | thought I'd
his pocket % .'i Mr. u Eugene Whiteheaa M eai'i hah
others had guns. but l can't say for Ger
tain who they were
LAS soon as they got hold Of me my
wife ran out on the porch and made one
loud equall. DR.. LivermOn seized her by
the neck and told her. God d-n you, if |
You don't hush that hollerin' I'll kill
you"