The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-16
TO RE-SENTENCE
MURDERER HITE.
The Final Action Of the Supreme
Court Has Been Certified,
TELLS AN IMPROBABLE STORY.
ThcCondcmncd Man GiycI An Account
fthc Shooting Utterly at Variance
With the Evidence Adduccd
at the Trial.

BOYDTON. VA. Dec la-Spoclal-The
fnal action OF the Supreme Court OF APP
poals affirming the decision OF the county
Court OF Mccklcnhurg in the case or
George W. Hitc. convicted OF the murder
OF William Bowers. has been certified 10
tho County Court of Mecklenburg and
yudrc Homes Will roscntcnce the prisoner
Monday.
visited the condemned man in his
cell ON Yesterday he was lying I'm his
bed. and So laid during my stay. He met
mo in a friendly manner lie looked
somewhat better than ne did when last
saw him. After The usual salutati0n, /
asked him. in view Of the terrible fate
that awaited him, how he felt I'm regard
g. his spiritual condition. 10 which DE
replied that hc hoped he was q converted
snan: that Dc trusted ia Christ and with
Him. in his lonely hours hc held constant
communion. he complained OF not sleep
ing we'll go night. should have more
f8lth in Hito's professions OF repentance
if be had not told me such am improbable
story of the tragedy of which he was
the chief actor.
PERSUADED TO TALK.
I told him ] was q newspaper man,
and n hc wished 20 say anything 90 the
public I would give him the opportunity
OF doing so. He replied that be did not
have anything in particular TO say. lie
then commenced 20 complain OF the mani
ner Of bis trial. and said Doe did not have
but half "a trial / asked him TO explain
what Dee meant by hall "a trial. Wen, De
eaid. only eleven men tried me. zone or
the twelve jurors was under twenty-one
years Of agc) ile went ON to say iuriner
that another reason was that neither he
nor his wife testified. which ne Regarded
as important to his case. ] told him that
he certainly had The privilege OF doing
so. II he had desired 90, uut that ms
counsel thought 10 best that ne should
not testify
Yes. Doe said. he knew that but he
thought IL was mistake ] asked him
81 ne objected 90 giving me statement
OF how the difficulty between him ana
Bowers. the murdered man. occurred.
He said he did not. and Immediately pro-
ceoded 10 do so. glad as ] thought, of the
opportunity 10 tell his side.
AN IMPROBABLE STORY.
He began boy saying that his wife and
himself went 90 William Bowers and IN
uuirod for Norborn Bowers, and that VIII
fans wife answered the call. and SAID
she knew nothing Of Norborn. THAT IL
was not her duty 90 keep him. that this
irrifated him. and Dee made reply
which brought William Bowers 10 the
scene. after which Dee and his wife leit
the yard. going into the INNlt i'dh'
Bowers followed him with "a tobacco knife
some eight or ton inches long, and made
an effort 10 cut him. and that he warded
of the thrust Of the knife with his gun,
and that "a second effort was made by
Powers 90 cut him. and that he then
drew down his gun 20 HIS side, and by
come means. he said ne could not tell
how. the hammer was caught. and the
gun went of. firing the load into Bower
tpdy
This statement IS so at variance with
an the evidence given at the trial before
tie court. that had IIite testified his
evidence would have made no
Impression upon either the court or jury.
and could not possibly have helped his
case and his counsel. realizing this,
would not permit him nor his wife 10 go
upon the witness stand.
Tho resident ministers have visited the
condemned man often. and offered him
spiritual comfort. lie appears now 10
mo.e fully comprehend his true situation.
as heretofore he has chung 10 the hope
thaNhe might escape the gallows. bat now
he eems interested I'm conversing with
his spiritual advisers in regard to- his
souls salvation lie told a visitor q few
DAYS since that his main reason for
droading the gallows was that already
one man Osaac Paylor) had been hung
on the gallows. which now stands in the
Jail enclosure and that that hanging had
been made as much "a frOic of as q rab-
bit killing.