The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-17


should they so desire. The began pray
ing. but their prayer was, Men, spare
us!" Wall Sharpe said with an oath,
don't pray to us. Pray to God He
alone can save you" Some of the men
still burning with rage began to ridicuIe
and mock them Wall Shape said: Men.
we have given them time to repent, and
you shall not bother them"
Col Sharpe then commanded every one
to be quiet All was still. He then
turned to me and asked me to pray for
them. / replied, Colonel, I cannot, FOL
never had such feelings as now nave"
feared to approach the throne of grace
just then lest l might come into His
presence without sincere desires. Rev.
Isaac Oxford, captain of the Caldwell
company, said to me. Hold my gun and
l will pray for them" I took his gun
and he thanked God that none of US were
killed and that justice had overtaken
them at last, and this was about the
burden of his prayer, which was nothing
more than Thanksgiving.
We then moved on to the place of
execution and bound them to the stakes
But before they We're executed, l said,
Colonel feel desire to pray for them
now" He said he would be glad for me
to do so. l tried to pray for their for
giveness and salvation with all the earn
estness Of my soul. In a moment the
command was given to fire, and they
were in eternity 1t may be interesting
Ia
In our Alexander company was young
man whose name was Fony Roseman,
who could shoot a rifle with great ac-
curacy. He was devoted friend of
James Linney, who was Killed there the
Sunday before. He had learned from one
of the robbers that Will Beck was the
one who killed Linney. They had dug a
hole into which they had thrown Linney's
body and covered it up. Taking up his
body ii was seen that the Minnie ball
had entered just above his right eye
Roseman asked Col Sharpe to make him
one Of the detail to shoot Beck. This re-
quest was granted. He said, Now,
am going to hit him just above the eye
in the same spot where he hit my friend
Linney" He did just what he said he
would do as though he had gone and
placed It there with his fingers. The
question then came up as to what we
should do with the house. Without
much discussion it was decided that it
should be burnt down. There were sew
eral barrels of unshelled corn in the up
per story of the building which was all
thrown out through a window, and soon
the house was all in blaze When the
Aames reached the basement the firing
of loaded guns was like heavy
sl<irmish. How many guns and how
much ammunition they had stored away
we We're not able to tell.
Wade was seen by some one in that
vicinity not many days afterwards He
said he lay all day under the bank of
the river. and some time in the night
he came out and walked around and saw
what had been done and then went away
He said he should leave that part of the
country very soon. He has never been
heard of since. On our way back to Al
exander county we met Col Cowan, of
Iredell county with twelve or fifteen men
coming to our assistance. We also met
some of the citizens of Wilkes county
coming with wagon loads of provisions
for us. When they heard what had been
done their joy must have been as great
as that which thrilled the hearts OF our
forefathers when they received news of
the victory of Yorktown.
The next morning before starting to my
school | saw coming down the road from
the direction of Fort Handy twelve men
on horseback. They had on blue uni
forms, which all the robbers wore. NV
only thought was that they were some
of the recruits who We're expected at
Fort Handy and that-they were after
taking vengeance on all who had taken
part in the work done the day before.
AS they approached the gate i was board
ing in the home of Ellis Haynes ESQ.,
went into my room which was on the
first floor and locked myself in and look
ed to- the condition of several guns and
pistols which l kept loaded all the time,
determined to sell my life as dear as pos
sible They dismounted and came in and
asked if they could get breakfast and
their horses fed. Mr.. Haynes told them
they could They took seats on the
front porch and entered in lively con
versation with Mr.. Haynes. OF course I
was listening From all / could hear
began to think that perhaps they were
not the men ! had taken them to be. u
walked out into their midst. They asked
me IL / knew anything of a band OF rob
bers near Holman's Ford, in Wilkes
county / told them / did They said
also that they had heard that the fort
had been taken and the band dislodged
and wished to know if it were true. II
4a11 than, ~ was frYfn Tthav wishad ~