The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-25

!
cially among, the farmers and in the rural
districts. 1t is a paper which has the
reputation Of usually being careful pru-
dent and accurate. and not prone to
hasty or rash judgment Yet 50 general
had become the prejudice against me
/ that on Tuesday after the homicide that
paper published an editorial in which
am charged with numbering Mr.. Skinner,
ond am practically charged with assassi-
mating him from behind when the fact
was that / shot him in the side after he
/ mad Knocked me almost down and while
he was in the act Of drawing his pistol.
/ While | regard this publication as very
4 unjust and injurious to me. I do not be
lieVe that the editor of the Progressive
Farmer intended to do me an injustice;
! and ! cite this as showing to what an
/ extent public sentiment has been aroused
against me.
/ When the attention OF the editor Of the
! Progressive Farmer was called to this
editorial, he, in a subsequent. issue of his
paper. modified it to some extent: but
doubtless the readers OF that paper we're
largely influenced by the editorial
which they read in the copy Of his pa
per reaching them first after the bomi-
eide and which they read when most in
terested in the case. A copy Of this issue
of The Progressive Farmer is hereto at
tached and marked Exhibit f." and
made part of this affidavit
Not only was popular sentiment STIR
red UP against me by newspaper publ
cations, but verbal reports have been
| circulated assiduously to my injury.
The fact that l am a lawyer has been
used against me-
1t has been charged and repeated by
men of prominence that / was a rich
man, said to be worth large sums Of
money; some saying that I was worth
$250,000. This statement is entirely with
cut foundation. 1 never have been
worth more than about s25 900. and am
not worth now anything like that sum.
1t has been charged that I would use
money and buy out of Jail"
1t has been charged that the Sheriff
and officers of the law We're showing me
great favors. That they had allowed me
to have telephone and electric lights put
in my cell to put carpets on the floor. to
move my office desk into the cell. and
that l was there attending to my ordi-
nary business. All of which was false
and unjust, alike to me and to the
| Sheriff of Wake county
1t was further said that Deputy
Sheriff c. A. Separk drove me out into
the country on Sunday, March Sth, and
that he carried me UP town that day to
dinner. This charge is entirely without
foundation ! have not been out of jail
since / was incarcerated therein on the
night Of February 2ist, and I have been
| treated. so far as l know, as any other
prisoner would be treated, and / have
been confined in the ordinary cells where
prisoners are usually kept So far as
have been able to ascertain prisoners
| in Wake Jail have always been treated
with kindness and humanity. Such
| treatment has been accorded to me, but
no special privileges have been.
1t has been charged that I retained at
least some of my lawyers before the
homicide. l hear it has been charged that
I retained Col. Argo and Mr.. Pou be-
fore the difficulty. This statement is
absolutely false. / had not had any con-
versation with Col. Argo in several
months, and he was called by telephone,
at request, after Mr. Separk arrested
me and carried ne for a short time to my
office.
l had had no conversation with Mr.
Pou since December of last year until
after the difficulty occurred. In Deem
Der he and I had a short conversation
about some property in Robson county
where he was representing one interest
and / had charge of another, and the
properties had been put in the hands OF
receivers by an order of Judge Purnedd
of the United States Court After that
conversation in December l had had no
conversation with Mr. Pou until after the
difficulty, and I am informed that he
went to my office after the shooting at
the request or suggestion OF Mr.. J. E.
Pogue. I never intimated to any Of my
counsel that I would need their services
in such a case until after it occurred.
never, before it occurred, thought of
such thing.
/ am informed and believe that there
has been a deliberate purpose on the
part of some of those sympathizing with
the prosecution to stir up Indignation
against me in order that I might not
have a fair trial.
l am informed that at least one man
has been employed by the private prose-
CulOES III lIlS case 10 make something OF
canvass of the South western portion
of Wake county, 0stensbly looking up
witnesses, but that this man devotcs
great deal of his time to creating a
public sentiment against me. The man
refer to is Mr.. George McCullers. I am
informed that he has been in Swift
Creek. Panther Branch, Barton's Creek,
and Middle Creek townships of Wake
county. and perhaps in others, engaged
in this business
/ quote the following letter received
by one of my counsel from prominent
and influential citizen of Clayton, N.
c.. which is a village a short distance
beyond the line of Wake county, but at
which a great many Wake county people
trade. This is the quotation: when
the unfortunate affair occurred opinion
was divided, but it seems now that SEN
timent is being created against Mr..
Haywood
AS often as any person was heard to
say anything in my behalf, he was made
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