Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-04

Kitchen told him how TO write Il. The
men swore that II he told what happened
they would XIII him. II Il took dozen
years to do II. Claude Kitchen took The
resignation and Captain Kitchen said:
IF you don't sign II we will kill you. IL
! though you'd tell. | would kill you In
self-defence." Witness swore he would
not tell. Cross.examination OF Steptoe
revealed the fact that two weeks ago
he came here to ask the Governor and
state Chairman Holton TO send troops
20 Halifax; that he did this after
meeting OF negroes. which had adopted
resolutions. He said tha; up to the time
when he and two other negro committee
men came here to ask for protection, 10
one had interfered with him, and dis
visit was two weeks before Claude Kiten-
en- said that IL there was trouble
the leaders would be held responsible.
He did not see Holton, he declared, but
did see Augustus NJ. Moore, who was in
charge OF Republican headquarters during
Chairman Holton's absence and also
talked with other Republicans.
He was asked IL he was paying the
lawyers for the prosecution. and replied
no. that he was not able TO pay them,
ana that Holton sad he TcUld provide
counsel lie came here the second time
Steptoe was asked If Claude Kitciel.
had not told him lasl Saturday morning
at Steptoe's school-house that negroes
had held secret meetings ard threatened
10 do injury to whire persons and their
property, and that ~ ,witness) said re
did not vote for the resolution.
steptoe then broke down in his eyi-
dence. He said his township had white
majority. He acknowledged that after
his first visit TO Raleigh Claude Kitchen
had charged him with coming here for
troops, and he had said he came 70 sac
his daughter He said Captain Kitchen
had made him write out his resignation.
and yet two days ago he said here tDat
Claude Kitchen made him write 1t.
SHE OTHER SIDE.
Captain Kitchen was put on the stand,
and swore he never saw Steptoe BEFORE
tonight so far as he knew, never spoke
tc him, and never was at his house In MS
lie.
Claude Kitchen said he saw Steptoe last
Saturday morning. He spoke TO MIN OK
the strained relations of the races i'll
Halifax, and Of the secret meetings OF
negroes, and said that Steptoe had at
tended these and done all he could 10
arouse the negroes against the whites.
He also said to Steptoe that ne knew
that he. Dave Smith, and Stuart Hardy,
had gone 70 Raleigh as committee 10
ask for troops for Halifax; that in the
secret meeting resolutions against whi-e
men and their property had been passed J,
that the white people wanted TO nave
peace between the races, and so nad dp-
pointed two men, one a preacher, to Keep
all whites twenty-five yards from the
polls while the negroes voted. Steptoe
admitted he said, that some very ram
pant resolutions had been passed against
white people and their property, but de-
clared that he voted against them. Step
toe witness testified, said that he did
not want 10 be poll-holder or a regis
trar. and intended TO resign. Kitchen
made no attempt TO force him TO resign.
He swore he was not at Steptoes house
Saturday night, nor did he know OF any
ones going there. He told Judge Mont
eomery he had not conducted himself so
as to prevent negroes from Votlng ara
had not determined to suppress the hes'o
vote. but had sought to prevent race
conflict. The other defendants all s"ore
they had never been to Steptoe's mousse
They were all in Scotland Neck saturday
night. -,
As soon as this evidence was in, Judgc
Montgomery said: 1.-The defendants are
discharged"
Steptoe's case had collapsed. The Re
publicans were thoroughly hacked. one
of their counsel said, as ne left me
ccurt-room that was q water maui.
Claude Kitchen denied absolutely tell
ING the correspondent OF the Washington
post that he had been - oteptoes house,
hut said he told him ne had been TO stop
toes school-house. the place to which he
went Saturday morning