The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-04
LET NE KILL HIM, WAS HER
Beat the Negro on the Head and
Showed Pluck of HihShest Order.

Nashville. N. c.. July 27.-One of the
most heinous crimes ever attempted
in his county by any unhung culprit
was attempted mere yesterday morn
ing by q negro named John C~oppedge.
who entered the house of Mrs. Martha
Hedgepeth, a widow lady living on
BOddie street, with her twelve-year-
old daughter and an aged invalid
mother.
Just as the gray streaks of daylight
began to ilIumine the eastern horizon
Coppedge went to the hon of Mrs.
Hedgepeth. took off his shoes at the
corner of the house and crawled
through a small window, which had
been left with a small opening to ad-
NIT air to the bed-chamber. Once in
the room where were sleeping Mrs.
Hedgepeth and her little daughter on
one bed and Mrs. Hedgepeth's mother
on another. the negro eXtinguished the
light and was standing over the bed
of Mrs. H~edgepeth, who awoke and
finding the room wrapped in darkness,
called her mother, at the same time
reaching for a match which she had
laid in a chair alongside her pistol at
the head of her bed. When she
struck TIE match she beheld the from
of a hurley negro within a few inches
of her. Quickly clutching her pistol
she caught the negro in the coat COL
lar and rlacing the muzzzle of the
weapon against the back of his head.
attempted to shoot, but the gun fail
ed to fire. Again and again she pulled
the trigger but without avail
The pressure of the cold steel muz-
Zle of the pistol seemed to have un-
nerved the negro, and he made a
break for liberty through the front
door. Mrs. Hedgepeth still clinging to
his coat collar. while her dauphter ter
ribly frightened screamed for help
and her cries of 'murder!" help
soon had the neighborhood people
awake. The brave little woman still
clinging to the black culprit succeed
ed in tearing his coat off, at the same
time dealing him blow after blow on
the head and neck with the pistol. II
the ward the negrO reached down fol
his shoes or probably a stone, and
while in a STOPPING posture Mrs
Hedgepeth struck him with all he1
might or the back of the head with
the pistol, cutting a cash from which
the blood flowed. Coppedge ther
struck Mrs. Hedgepeth a blow on heI
nose, at the same time demanding hi:
Goa with the threat that IF you dom
give it to me l will kill you" Upon he
refusal to do so the negro again dealt
her another blow on the Mouth
Win DlOOO streaming from ner nose
and mouth she still chung to him unit,
she had o his s~uspenders and
stood with the fragments in her hand
as the black devil broke away and
made off for the country.
Some of the n%eighbors informed
Chief Collins that it was John Cop
pedge. Securing his horse Sheriff
Warren n Mr.. Collins drove in hast
to Coppedge's home. about one mile
from town. and while Collins guard.
ed the back door Warren demanded
admission at the front Coppedge
opened the door and was Immediately
brought back to town and carried tC
the home Of Mrs. Hedgepeth. The coat
and pieces of ~suspenders were identi-
fed as those of Coppedge. and on his
head and neck could be seen the
marks n fresh blood drawn by the
blows of Mrs. H~edgepeth.
The plucky little woman begged
Sheriff Warren TO let her kill the ne
gro. who vet protested his innocence
Excitement vas running high and
the prisoner was hurried to Jail anG
locked UP. There was strong talk OF
l~ynching. as the people were deeply
wrought up over the affair. Later in
the day Coppedge was carried to vii
o by Messrs. Warren and Collins for
safe keeping.
The pluck shown by Mrs. Hedgepetr
who is a frail little woman weighins
about 125 pounds. has Won the admir-
alton of all.-WilSOn Times.