Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-07
SEEKING A PARDON.
Waighstill A. Anderson, Brother.
in-Law Of Senator Pritchard.
Romantic Story ola Crime for which Par
ties arc Said to BIO Asking Executive
Clemency Murder Committed in 1884.
News and Obseryer.)

application for pardon that is not only
OF great interest throughout the State.
but it is also national in character. be-
cause of the man for whom the pardon
Is asked. his relatives, and friends.
writes Mr. j. c. l.. Harris in a late is
sue of the New York Times. The name
OF the applicant is Waightstill Avery
Anderson. He and United States Sen
ator Jeter c. Pritchard arc brothers.in
law. The present Wife of Senator Prit-
chard and the wife of Anderson are
sisters. and are the daughters of. ex-
superior Court Judge Jacob w. Bow
man OF Mitchell county. Another ac-
TOR in the affair is Edward Ray The
Facts of this celebrated case are these:
STORY OF THE CRIME.
There was u dispute between RAY and
man named Bailey over the tide to
Il very valuable mica mine in Mitchell
county. Bailey and his friends had
possession. This was early In the spring
OIL 1891. While Bailey and his laborers
were ut work i'll the mine Ray attempt
Ell TO run them out of the mine by
building a fire at one of the shafts. ex-
pectinS that smoke thus drawn into the
mine would force Bailey to leave. The
smoke was. however, carried off by one
| OF the nues that went up through the
mine.
Finding that the smoking process
would not give him possession. Ray
went to Bakersville to see Anderson
anu 10 get him to come to his assist
ance. Ray and Anderson were broth
ers- in-law. Anderson was at this time
about 20 years old. and had n son and
two daughters. He was Il deputy col
rector OF internal revenue. and pos
scssed many enemies because he was
active in running down the "moonshi-
ners.' who were then extremely numcr-
GUS in the mountains.
When Ray and Anderson got to the
mine a fight cnsued between Ray and
II man by the name of Miller. who
was one of the henchmen of Bailey.
Ray was knocked down one OF the
shafts into the mine and the fight was
| continued there. Ray Killed Miller and
another OF Bailey's men. Edward
Horton, who was also one of Bailey's
men, attacked Anderson on the top OF
the mine. and after q desperate en-
counter, Horton was killed.
Ray and Anderson then fled and re-
manned away until the excitement sub
sided. when, believing that they could
prove that they acted in self defense,
they returned and gave themselves up,
and were put in Jail.
TRIED AND SENTENCED.
a bill of indictment for murder was
found i'll Mitchell county, where Ray
and Anderson had many friends. and
on application of the prosecuting Mt
trial TO Caldwell county. This county,
at that time, was very largely Demo-
| cratic. and there was great hostility to
rRay and Anderson. because they were
| Republicans, and Anderson was then
and had been for some time a revenue
| officer.
If the trial had been removed TO any
county contiguous To Mitchell other
than Caldwell. both defendants would
probably have been acquitted The
/ nnin Fl
noir, county seat of Caldwell county,
denounced Ray and Anderson rs muir
dcrers, and urged that they be taken
| out and lynchcd.
Ray was tried first. lie was found
| guilty OF manslauShter and was SEN
| fenced to twenty years in the penltcn-
| tiary. Anderson was then tried and
was found guilty of murder, and sem
| fenced To be hanged. An appeal was
then taken To the Supreme Court, and
the Judgment OF the lower court was
affirmed.
After the trials Ray and Anderson
| We're taken 20 AShcviiIc and put in iail
there. knowing that they could not
secure commutation from the Govern
or. the friends of the two men In
| Mitchell Madison. and other contig-
| uous counties. to the number of 500, or
| san2cd themselves into band and
| carefully laid their plans to rescue
! thcsn friends had tll4e-assistnnce of
powerful mon in the town OF Asheville
| Ray and Anderson We're apprised OF
! what their friends We're doing on the
| outside.
The night was finally appointed for
the attempt, and 1t seemed that the ell
ements were in favor OF its success. a
binding rainstorm broke over the
| town and the darkness was very dense.
FREED nv EnDrI,
Silently and by several different
routes the 500 sturdy mountaineers.
armed with pistols. knives and Win
chester rifles. gathered around the jail,
which was in the heart of the town. y
| Gordon was drawn around the square
to prevent assistance being rendered To
the jailor. The jailor was called to the
door to receive supposed prisoner.
who was standing there with arms tied.
Unsuspectingly the jailor opened the
door. In Il second he was seized and
told that il he made any outcry he
would be killed. He was gagged and
tied and locked In a cell The keys
were obtained and in five minutes Ray
and Anderson We're breathing free air
OF heaven and the cavalcade was NOV
ing out of town without having en-
countcred any resistance
A large reward was offered for the
recapture of the two men, but without
result.
MARRIAGE OF PRITCHARD.
The present wife OF Senator Pritch-
ard was at the time OF the killing in
the mica mine. the wife of Ray. After
the latter was rescued and fled the
State his wife heard from him. and she
went to him and remained some time.
She finally came back to North Caro-
lima and never returned to her hus-
band. giving as reason therefor that he
had been cruel to her and had made
her life with him miserable. After
few years Jeter G. Pritchard. young
attorney as he was then, brought suit