The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-20
HIS STORY Ct THE CRIME
TOLD TO THE MURDERED MANS
BROTHER.
loyNER fX0NERAIEs CEoAUS LANGLEY
largely Was Y, sterday Taken Back to Green
vile. joyner Now Engaged in Writ
icg out his Confession for
me Court.
he curt.

Elijah Joyner says that he. anu 1t
alone. killed Robert Turnage ana rooD''
his store at Dongol;l. Pitt county. sHh't
,brae montbs ago. and then burned the
b,,ilding to hide his crime.
~ did it solely to gel money, he aed-
cd For God knows l. had nothing
ag'in' Mr.. Bob
This confession was made yesterday
morning in the county Jail to Mr.. ". -
,rurnage. brother of the murdered man
and MIR. Theodore l.. Turnage. his tlici'
and owner of the store that was roobed
and burned.
II went to the store at night, JOY
ner fold them. holding his head doWn
and only CHANGING up now ana tneh rs
no related his horrible story. You Know
/ worked there feeding horses and wait
ING an Mr.. Bob. Well. | went thc''
late that night and called him up to
get the keys. He got up and let me N,
He was Just lighting the lamp and stand
in" with his back to me when Knocked
him down with stick and cut his
throat.
Il didn't do it to hurt him. | did it -
ret money, | heard there was S2.WU
in the safe. but didn't get but 81. That
| cot out of money drawer near a
spool cotton case. | tried to open the
other money drawer, but couldn't. also
tried to get into the safe, where il was
said there was the $1,000, but | failed.
/ had made key that ! thought would
open the safe.
fai. Inv mo |
wanted money. | had planned this rob
berry for sometime. and to cover At up or
prevent suspicion | had borrowed money
from Jim Scarboro. negro who keeps
store at Farmyille. | told him about
my key and my plan to rob the store.
He wanted his money back and | under
took the robbery
Asked why, in his former confessions
he had implicated SO many others, JOY
ner replied that he did it to save him
self; that he knew ii he told the truth
he would be lynched at once, ! BY inlpll-
eating Others. he would .~casyse Acolrtlictflig
statements, create doubt as to the guilt
of some and thereby prevent the lynch
ing of any.
The negro went into no further details
in his confession. He is, however, writ
ing it out in FULL 1t will be addressed to
the court.
1t is believed by the Turnages that
Joyner is telling the truth. There afe
others, however, who doubt this. They
say the work would hardly have been
PLANNED and undertaken by one man;
that there We're others helping Joyner
and now. abandoning all hope himself
he makes this confession to save his ac-
completes.
TO this theory, though, Mr.. Turnage
gives no credence, except as to Jim Scal.
boro. He remembers now changing !
$40 bill for Joyner just before the muir
der He also recalls that later ScarborC
sent Joyner s. by registered letter. This
coupled with the fact that Joyner yes
terllay nervously inquired if Scarbort
had not betrayed him makes it look rath
er bad for Scarboro and he will be ar
rested, if indeed he has not already been
Joyner says Scarboro knew of the key
and his plan to rob the safe and loaned
him money to aid in carrying out the do
sign. 1t is just possible, also, that Scar