The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-01

| her children had risen from the supper
| table, leaving her husband at the tabl,
| feeding the baby. She heard the grow
| of a dog in the yard, and went to 6
| crack in the end of the cabin in which
| they lived to see what had disturbed tho
| dog On putting her face to the cracl
she was fired on, the powder burning
| her eyes, and she staggered back, ex
claiming I'm kil.ed--God have mercy
on me- The door was then burst open
| and Govan Adair entered and fred or
her husband while he was seated at the
table, and again as he retreated to the
other end of the house. Govan Adair
and Martin Baynard then seized hel
husband and cut his throat. As Column
bus Adair came into the house he free
on David and Theodosia, two of hei
children, and then shot her son--W. III
Steadman. The two first-named chill
dren were killed instantly. w. Ii. Stead
man breathed twice, with gurgling
sound. and exclaiming, they have killed
me- While the shooting and cutting her
husbands throat was goSng on, she at
tempted to get under the bed. Govan
Adair and Martin Baynard dragged hen
out, and Govan Adair attempted to
shoot her, but his pistol did not fire.
He and Baynard then gave her seven
severe wounds, leaving her. as they sup
posed, dead; they then attempted to cut
her infants throat, set the bedding on
fire, and fled from the house. She lay
upon the floor until the flames began to
burn her hair, when finding her infant
still alive, she took it and placed it out
side the house and returned and dragged
IheodoSla out, whom she left just out
side the burning house dead, being UNI
able to carry her any further on account
of wound in her arm and shoulder.
She then made her escape to the house
of a Mrs. Williams about Il mile from
the scene of the quadruple murder
The next morning the house was found
in ashes and the remains of three hui
man bodies, corresponding in size to
Sias Weston and the three children
We're found ON the site of the burnt
house, and the child, Theodosia, was
found dead with a bullet hole through
her breast and her body burnt and "
ing where her mother said she left it the
night before when she escaped from the
flames. The murderers did not think for
a moment that they had left Mrs. Yves
ton alive, and when they were arrested
the next day and were told that it was
on her affidavit, Govan exclaimed ''NVhy,
amt she dead" This circumstance was
very strong against them on the trial.
The case was removed from Rutherford
county to Henderson county for trial,
because of the influence of the defend
ants in Rutherford county.
At this time. 1871, man by the name
OF Terrell w. Taylor was sheriff Of Hen
derson county. Fifteen years before this
he had been engaged to be married to
the woman who afterwards became the
wife Of Martin Baynard. 1t seems that
there was some disagreement between
Miss Sallie Morgan and Taylor and
the engagement was broken off and
both in after years married another
party. Taylor and Mrs. Baynard had
not seen each other for years. The
black-haired, rosy-cheeked and black
eyed maiden had grown to be beautiful
mature woman, and when she first came
to the jail in Hendersonvile to see her
husband and Taylor saw his first love,
it made his heart leap and brought
vividly back to him those days when he
sat with his arm around her, with his
lips to hers-the world well forgot in the
experience of loves young dream In their
conversations there were references to
by-gone days and what might have been
and there were moist eyes and the silent
clasping of hands In due time the trial
came on and the three defendants were
convicted of murder and an appeal was
taken to the Supreme court In regular
nd hc Il &c AZ.
Judgment and the three defendants were
sentenced TO be hanged Governor
Tod X. Caldwell was appealed to
for communication of sentence which
he promptly refused to grant The
feeling ran high against the defendants
and the populace clamored for their
blood. The fear of rescue from jail
was so great that Sheriff Taylor re-
manned there all the time after the day
for the execution was fixed. Now came
the time that tried the soul of Taylor.
Mrs. Baynard was well nigh crazy at
the impending death of her husband
Baynard, while rough and uncouth, was
the father of her several children and
he had been kind and loving and true
to her, and by force of these things her
had entwined themselves
around her husband, and the thought OF
his being put to death and by the lover
of her youth, was worse than death it
self to her. She made appeal after APP
peal to Taylor to help her in some way
to save her husband from felon's death.
but there was no way except by the be-
travail of the law and the commission of
a high crime. Mrs. Baynard finally de-
clared to Taylor that if ner husband
was hanged that she would remain in
during the execution and
commit suicide on the body of her hus-
band and that Taylor would be RESPONSE |
bio for her death and the making of her
children orphans. Never was man so
sorely tried. Between his sworn duty
teAhis county and State and the woman
he had loved with the fires of early man
hood his trial was that of IA martyr
He had never failed heretofore i'll the
honest and fearless discharge of his |
duty. He possessed the confidence and |
esteem of the people of his county more
than any other man. He wanted now
to do his duty, but he was not made |
of clay different from most other men,
He had loved this woman who virtually |
demanded of her not only the life of her |
husband but her own life aS we'll Fay-