The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-07
HE FREELY CONFESSES IT
Tells All the Details of it That He
Remembers.
THINKS He MUST HAVE BEEN CRAZeY
SAYS He Liked Ella Jones and Didn't Want to
Do Her Any Harm But Something Seem
TO Drive Him on 10 Kill Her
That Night.

Tom Jones was yesterday informed
by his attorney. Mr. b. c. Beckwith,
that all hope for him was gone; that
his case had been taken to the Su-
preme court but without avail and
that an appeal had then been made
to the Governor, but in vain.
and so Tom" Mr.. Beckwith CON
Guided. there is nothing left for you
but to make your preparation for
death. You are to hang on August
31st.
TO this the negro listened in silence,
then answered, Yes sir
The expression on his face changed
in no way whatever. In fact it was
face without expression, and one
could easily imagine that the look on
it would have been the same had the
tidings been of just the opposite char
acter.
An expression half-pleased and en-
tirely inoffensive.
Though told that he might now
talk about his crime TO anyone he de-
sired. that it could do him no harm,
the negro declined to discuss it.
He said he thought as little about
it as possible.
''Are you ready to die?'
''Well of course one sometimes has
doubts. | think I've been forgiven of
NV sins and will be saved.
Asked if any preachers of his own
race has visited him in jail, he said
they had not.
Since the Negroes incarceration in
jail he has allowed his finger nails
to grow until his hands look like
claws of some wild animal. While he
was hearing the news of the failure Of
all efforts in his behalf he stood roll
ing between his fingers a piece of
string. now and then looking meekly
up into the faces of those about him.
At the conclusion of the interview
he thanked Mr.. Bccllwith for what he
had done and shook hands with him
through the bars.
The condemned man has in p" $ ccE
a little trunk full of old clothes ara
S1.25 in money. He seems more in
terested in this than in anything else.
With him in the cell is also Tom
Smith. the negro convicted OF the
murder of young Cawthorne n'ar
Selma during Christmas 1898. Tie
date for Smiths execution has not
yet been set by the Governor.
Later Tom Jones confessed to a News
and Observer reporter that he did the
killing. Asked to give the details of the
tragedy and the motives that impelled
him to commit the crime, he replied;
Il can hardly tell you. 1t all seems
like an awful dream to me. | don't know
why | did it. 1 get wrong in my head
sometime, and | think | must have been
so then.
Il went to Elias house soon after dark.
| don't think ! intended to kill her then.
She and the children had already gone to
bed She got up and opened the door,
then got back in bed. l sat down by the
fire. and we talked awhile-all in good
humor-"
Then the negro stopped in his story and
asked:
"You want me to tell the truth don't
you?"
1 assured him 1 did. and he pro-
ceeded
After a while she went to sleep
think she was asleep. Then as best
can remember l got up and took the axe,
which was sitting by the door and struck
her with it on the head. She cried out
and her oldest child woke up. | then
struck her. too"
"Why did you strike hero
Il don't know, just because she was
there. l reckon. l reckon l would have
struck anybody then"
Were you mad?"
NO But l just couldn't help it. Seem
ed TO me ! was bound to do it. Then
set fire to the bed and left
Then the little girl Laura told the
truth in court about how it all occurred? =
eyes, a far as l recollect. 1t don't
come to me plain
= ''Do you feel that the Lord has for
given you for this crime?''
Yes Didn't seem to me it was any
sin. some how
Have any preachers been here to see
you?"
Mr. Branson comes every Sunday, but
no colored preachers ever come"
Il suppose you know you've got to die
for this?''
That's what Mr.. Beckwith told me
this morning"
Have you got a good mind-good
sense"
81 reckon so, but sometimes l get
wrong in my head"
Tom Smith, the Johnston county negro
in the cell with Tom Jones, says he
(Jones) is an exceedingly quiet negro
seemingly always in deep study and
seldom ever saying anything unless he is
first spoken to.
Smith has hopes of his life. He has
read the decision of the Supreme Court
in the newspapers and he is hoping for d
Communication of sentence.
Unless food is digested quickly it will
ferment and irritate the stomach. After