The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-02-21

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Atlanta Constitution.
Newton. ~. a.. February s.
cA~c ocgrr-d hcrc this ~esrk that
shows how dangrrous u h. la nssit-rs
OF lie aud death. Ia iAks anything
TOR granted instead of r.rovinx GA
cIusivcly all the fkct. n-s-~.ry ts
make out charge of murder.
A man by the namc or Simon
IiAw-er. sboui eighty years Old aud
Who lived by Alm-rlfa . frw milc.
irom thl- town. wac found dssd In
his dwelling hou-e. An .rsmlns-
tion of the body di--lo~-i o -rvers
cut on the head and II va. sc~pi~d
by everybody ths, the old man had
died OF th. wound.
4 negro by the name of Lempel
Travis live. within Q quarter ofs
milo of Haw-cr. and ffs-h trHck.
which proved to bc tho-e OF rnvis.
were found going aud returning
from tho house OF Haw-rr. A trail
Of some psr-on coming from under
the houre wss also found. Travis
the previous afternoon. but would
make no further explanation. He
strenuously denied that he had
harmed the old inan. and insisted
. hse kn AaA
Travis wss searched and . few gold
coins were found on his pc~on for
which he pre-is,ently refused 90 sc-
count. Ii wa- also shown that on
ly few days before Hsw-er had
sold In this town various articles OF
produce and chickens, turkeys, egys
and other things and had changed
mis- money NJ the bank into god o.
- as his usual custom. On these
facts the coroner's jury returned .
verdict against TAvis, although IL
was proven that the house had not
been entered, unless with . fAlss
key, that nothing had been stolen,
that there was no signs Of struggle,
and there was no motive for the
murder other than robbery, bccsuse
Travis and Hawser were the best Of
friends. The money and watch OF
Hawser were In the clothes he had
on when he was found dead. All
his private papers-deeds, mort
gages, notes and other Iaprr, were
all intact, and appeared not TO have
been disturbed. No weapon by
which the blow could have been In
fiicted could be found. Travis was
arrested and put In jail. lie stoutly
maintained his innocence and de-
clared that HAwser died . natunl
death. The coroner did not have .
post-mortem examinations made be-
cause the attending county physician
said that IL was not necessary and
that the wound on the head bad
caused death. Tuvis insisted %
every one TO whom he talked that
There should be postmortem ex-
aminatiou and that this would prove
that Hawser died natursl death.
Travis was not able 10 employ .
lawyer and therefore had no one to
look after his interest. Tsvis Also
would not tell where he gut the gold
coins and this added 10 the belief
that he had murdered HAwser. Tbs
trial came on and on the facts -
herein stated Tnvis WA found
guilty Of murder In the first degree.
After the trial the judge suggested
10 the prosecuting attorney that In
order to be perfectly certain - tc
the cause Of death and not make the
horrible mistake Of hanging an In.
nocent man, that the body be ex'
humed and post-mortem made
This was done and 10 the great sur
: prise Of everybody IL was found
; that the wound on the head was en-
| tirely superficial and did not csus'
the fracture Of the outer skull bone
Inside the skull was found . can
cerou. growth on the brain which
). had undoubtedly caused the deatf
. of the old man. The verdict wa,
then set aside and Travis was dis
lcharged and he then made this state
ment:
Il He had gone 10 the house Of Haw
4 ser TO get pay for . number OF quail
: he had sold Hawser. Hawser paid
:, him In gold and made . memoran
q da Of the payment On . piece OF -
= per and put the same In his .asid'
: coat pocket. While sitting tber
!, with the old man-this being tn
evening before Hawser was foont
dead-Hswser fell TO the 6oor an'
died " hile Travis was there. In fall
ing the head struck the floor YER
hard which made the wound on tn
head. Travis knew that Hawte
Y was dead and he was afraid that b
: would be charged with murdehna
the Old man II 10 was known fhs
p he wss there when he disd, no maj
: t-r what explanation he might Civ
D. Of the cause Of his Death. Tberefos
he Locked the door and put the Re
in the old mans pants pockrt, an
. then took up plank which faFme
" Q part OF the floor and which had %
r. been nailed down TO the sleeper
IL and got under the house and maj
ht aged 70 get the plank baek into 4
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