The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-28
THE MANS AWFUL CRIME
The Evidence Reviewed by One Of the
Prosecuting Attorneys.
Mr.. JONES TAKES Mr.. HARRIS TO TASK
He Objects to the Deliberate Slayer Of Three
Men Being Made Hero in Order That
He May be Pardoned While He is
aFugitive From Justice.
a Fugitive From Justice.

| 25th instant, you copy a letter of Mr.. D.
C. i. Harris to the New York Times
| concerning the application for pardon OF
Waightstill A. Anderson, now pending be-
| fore Governor Russell. AS one of the law
yers who prosecuted Anderson, ] had de-
| termined to keep silent with reference to
| the application, even if the Governor
should see proper to take the eXtraordi-
nary course oI parGoning a condemned
murderer while he is concealing himself
| to evade the sentence of the law. | should
have kept silent out of sympathy for the
long suffering wife, and innocent children,
as we'll as out of charity for the man
himself, had not Mr.. Harris gone out of
his way in his melodramatic article to
cast aspersions upon pretty much every
| body in any way connected with the pros
ecution of this man. In his eagerness
| to make Q hero of Anderson. he reflects
not only upon the jury who convicted
him, the witnesses in the trial, as we'll
as the whole body of the people of Cald-
we'll county, but he even drags out of
their bloody shrouds the victims of this
blackening their character. in order that
| their slayer may go unpublished of JUS
tice.
Three men toilng for their daily wages
were assaulted and killed by Edward Ray
and Waightstll Anderson. while peaceably
and lawfully working for the owner of
the mine where the killing occurred.
They claimed no interest in the mine.
They had no grievance.
They sought no quarrel.
They were insulted, brow -breaten,
threatened, smoked in the shaft like rab-
bits in a hollow, and finally killed. Miller
was killed. Burleson was killed Horton
was killed. and these victims are con-
temptuously held up to the finger Of
scorn by Mr.. Harris as 'henchmen of
Bailev.'' 80
The article continues: Edward Horton,
who was also one of Bailey's men, attack
ed Anderson on the top of the mine and
after a desperate encounter Horton was
killed"
With the exception of the statement that
Horton was employed by Bailey, and that
he was killed. there is not one word of
truth =. y.
Horton never attacked Anderson on top
Of the mine. or anywhere else. There
was no desperate encounter or any en-
counter of any kind.
The evidence, undisputed, save by An
lerson himself. was that Anderson said
to Horton: 81 will give you five min
utes to leave here" and Horton answer
ed: 81 will; I will will" and while
ne was leaving Anderson shot him in
bon of cid
through the head. The evidence seemed
10 point to the fact that Anderson actual
y fired the shot into Horizons side while
he lay on the ground dead. Remember,
also, that Horton was entirely unarmed.
Mr.. Harris continues:
II bill of indictment for murder was
found in Mitchell county, where Ray and
Anderson had many friends, and on APP
,lication of the prosecuting attorne4, the
ause was removed for trial to Caldwell
county. This county, at that time, was
very largely Democratic, and there was
great hostility to Ray and Anderson, be-
ause they were Republicans, and Ander-
son was then and had been for some time
| revenue officer. The Lenor Topic,
weekly paper, published at Lenoir, county
seat of Caldwell county, denounced Ray
md Anderson as murderers. and urged
hat they be taken out and lynched If
he trial had been removed to any county
contiguous to Mitchell other than Cald-
veil, both defendants would probably have
)een acquitted
There IS no more fact in this state
uent than there probably is in the ro-
mantle presentation of Anderson as Presi
lent McKinley's guardian angel. Ray and
anderson as well as "Bailey's" dead
'henchmen," were absolutely unknown to
he body of the people of Caldwell One,
ossibly two. of the men killed were Re-
'ublicans, while at least three fourths
II the States witnesses were of the same
official faith as the accused. Anderson,
perhaps, never did a DAYS work as a
'evenue officer in his life. in Caldwell
county. The Lenoir Topic never urged,
iuggested or intimated that the prisoners
re taken out and lyncRed. 1t may. or
nay not be true that Caldwell was the
My county adjacent to Mitchell where a
onviction could have been had, but
o not believe an accuittal could have
cen obtained in any county in North
'arolina.
Be that as It may, they were tried in
SOuHlN HOlcu administering Justice
all alike, and by as intelligent. honest
nd God-fearing a jury as was ever i'm
aneled. 1t is a reckless Islander upon
hem to intimate, as The Times CORE
pondent does, that they were influenced
% disregard their oaths by political pre-
'udice.
Further along Anderson is alluded to
the victim OF partisan rancor and
erhaps perjured testimony"
Let us all pray to be forgiven, for most
US who know something of the circum-
tances of poor Ed. Horizons untimely
cath, never regarded his murderer as a
ero and martyr
The life and adventures of Anderson
rom the day of his escape, seems to be
open book to great many people, and
can but think that if but half the effort
ad been made for his pardon, he would
ong since have paid the penalty of his
crime, or else have been a free man by