The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-29
IT IS A BLOODY RECITAL
Some Followed by Hangings---0thers
Acquitt d.
WHISKtY CAUSED MOST OF THE GRIMES
Nearly all The 0htrs We're Caused by Jealousy,
Unworthy Love, or Liz. Wrong
Influences That DtbAse
Manhond
Manhood.

To the Editor: The recent killing in
Raleigh recalls some other tragedies that
have occurred in Wake county.
one of the crimes of an awful nature
which is fresh in the minds of the PEG
pie was the inhuman murder of his
wife and child by a white man named
Scott Partin He cut his wife and young
baby up with butcher knife and threw
them into a COW mire He then fled to
parts unknown and has never been cap
tured. This crime became fresh in the
minds of the people few years ago
when an Irishman was arrested in Selma
and confined in the Jail here several
weeks, the people being almost positive
he was the murderer. 1t was only
through correspondence with persons in
ireland that he was able to prove his
innocence.
This mans name was Robert Lesson
Porter and he remained in Raleigh sew
eral months after he was released from
Jail, when transportation was sent for
him to return to his native land where
re had inherited a large estate.
The murder of Joseph Frazier, at Mil
burnie, which is in the recollections of
many was another atrocious crime COM
mitted near Raleigh Joseph Frazier
and Frank Broadfoot had been together
in a saloon near the Mouse bridge and
became involved in a dispute. Frazier
left Broadfoot to avoid fight and
started on the way home when he was
overtaken by Broadfoot in the dark and
stabbed to death. Broadfoot then
came at once to Raleigh where he
closeted himself in room in the Var
boro Hotel Here he remained twenty
four hours with his attorneys when he
was advised to leave for parts unknown.
This he did and from that day until this
Broadfoot has never been seen or
heard of
Then the crime of the deaf mute
Walter Bingham, was committed His
sweetheart was q deaf and dumb pupil
in the institution of this city. He came
here and took the young lady out driving
one afternoon They drove to Durham,
where they We're seen and then back to
near Cary, where her dead body was
found. Her body was not found for
five days. Larger rewards We're offered
for his capture than any ever before
known in this State. but he made good
his escape. Several reports We're afloat,
but none substantiated and it was re-
ported that he was confined in an asylum
and one report said that he had commit
ted suicide But no report or rumor was
ever confirmed
The crime of Gooch and Smith was
committed in the bar-room of Cheatham
Bros. on Wilmington street. They went
into the saloon and dispute arose over
an account which they owed the pro-
prietors. Angry words followed and
then a fight in which they literally
carved John Cheatham to death and
came very near killing his brother,
James. They were tried in the Wake
county court and condemned to be hung
and the construction of the scaffold COM
menced in the hearing of the convicted
men, Governor A. NJ. Scales was then
in the executive office and he commuted
their sentence to life Imprisonment in
the penitentiary Gooch made his escape
after a confinement of nine years and
fled to Texas and in a few years news
reached this city that he had been shot
to death on a Texas ranch. Smith served
about twelve years of his sentence and
was pardoned out three years ago en- &C
count of his being in the last stages of
consumption He has since died in this
city
In 1884 Henry Jones shot and instantly
killed deputy sheriff named Blake. who
was bringing him to Jail Blake had him
under arrest and he asked him to let him
go in his house and get some clothing.
This Blake did he standing on the out
side Jones, instead of getting his clothes
got a shot gun and coming to the window
emptied the entire load into Blake's body,
killing him instantly. He Immediately
fled to Nashville. Tenn, after stealing
a horse, where he was captured. brought
back to Raleigh. tried, convicted and
hung in the Jail yard of this city,
What may be classed as one of the most
inhuman crimes ever committed was that
of George Mills, a white man. He be-
trayed his own neice, then waylaid her
one dark night. dragged her TO an uncc-
cupied log hut and there he took an old
gun rack and with brute strength crush
ed her head to a jelly. He was tri6-
convicted and hung in this city. The
question arose as to his sanity and the
Governor appointed a commission of in
sanity experts to examine him. and he
was pronounced sane. The father of the
young girl, Anna Wimberly, was also
tried for being implicated in this crime,
but was acquitted. Many believe that
he was responsible for the betrayal of his
own daughter and to hide the crime he
induced George Mills to carry out his
purpose.
A crime in which many believed justice
failed TO meet its demands was the muir
der of Henry Watkins of Wake Forest
township. by Joel Williams. Williams be-
came Jealous of a man named PEBBLES
on account of his infatuation for his
sweetheart. Williams burning with his
rage OF jealousy hid himself in the woods
one night with the intention of killing
PEBBLES when Watkins happened TO come
along at the time PEBBLES was expected.
and he fired upon him, killing him in
stantly. He was arrested soon after