The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-04-23
CROCKETT ExONERATED.
Conduct OF the Officer In the Recent
Tragedy Enquised Into.

Town Commissioners was held last
Thursday night to investigate the
Robertson-Bruce tragedy and enquire
into the conduct of Policeman Crock
EFT III the matter. Several persons
who were witnesses to the affair tes-
titled. the evidence being taken down
by Clerk Powell
Harry Edwards, being sworn, said: 4
did not see anything of the fight. Saw
Mr.. Crockett trying to get James Bruce
to move OFF the reserved seats OF the
white people. Bruce refused to go unless
he got his money for the seat back. Mr..
Crockett went to the show woman and
she gave him the dime and Bruce left the
tent; going outside There were no color
ed people on these seats but Bruce. There
Were reserved seats on the other side for
colcred people
Emanuel Lehman made a similar
statement corroborating Edwards.
Lee Moss, being duly sworn. said:
When | walked up Coming out Of the
tent Bruce and Policeman Crockett were
talking. Bruce wanted to know OF
Crockett if there was any difference be-
tween g negro and d niger
Crockett said there was none that he
knew of, whereUpon Bruce said you are
d + s. of b and reached
for his pistol. Crockett said to Robert
son, Take charge of this man, am on
duty and can't have any fuss with him.
about the same time Crockett struck
him with his billy. Bruce shot twice and
then all three began to shoot, and |
ram
kearney Inscoe, being duly sworn, said
Il saw just about the same as told by
Lee Moss. also heard Policeman Crock
EFT tell Bruce to 60 away and Bruce said
he would not go, that he Urockett could
leave il he wished to, but he would swim
in h before he would go anywhere
At this point Bruce asked the question of
Mr.. Crockett about the difference between
a d niger and a negro, and Mr.
Crockett answered that there was none
that he knew of. and the result was as it
has been told by Mr.. Moss"
d. I. Pruitt swore to about the
same as Moss and InscOre
Chief of Police J. H. Malone, being duly
sworn, said that he had to remove Bruce
from the reserved seats of the white peo-
pie last fall at the Gentry show Mayor
Sotiu W dts pIeSeut anu
saw Mr.. Malone remove Bruce from the
reserved seat side of the white people last
fall
W. L. Scoggins said he saw Bruce
about 20 or 30 minutes before the shoot
ing going up the street towards the hard
ware store where he worked.
J. l.. Currin, being duly sworn, said:
II did not stay to the concert that night.
tC,I loft Io box I
about Is feet from the front door of the
tent with his face towards the door |
wondered at the time why he was not in
the show q knew nothing OF his being
elected from the seats of the white people
them as | knew he had the money to go
in with If he wanted to, and that as a
rule boys about his age like to see a
show. The next | heard of it was the
shooting. | ran out of my house and
met Robertson and Crockett, both said
they had been shot. | put Robertson on
my bed and he said Bruce had attacked
Crockett and demanded why he was put
out OF the reserved seats. And in the
argument he called Crockett d.
s. of a b. Crockett asked me to
take charge of him as he was on duty
and could not have any fuss. | tried to
do SO, Bruce repeated it, and about this
time Crockett hit him and Bruce began
to shoot Robertson said he knew Bruce
shot him. That neither Crockett nor
himself cursed Bruce
The Mayor here asked if there was any
other one present who had seen the diff
Guilty for him to come forward and tell
all he knew about it, as the Commission
ers desired a full investigation of the
matter. No one came.
Bruce's statement, as taken down by
j. II. Bridgers, by request OF a member
OF his family, was here read as follows:
BRUCE's STATEMENT.
'When | went in the show the agent
asked ii | wanted reserved seat ticket
| sat on the reserved seat 10 minutes.
some white people came over. | said |
will move if | get my dime back. One of
the show women gave my money back
and | moved. came out. Nanny Leh-
man says | will kick him out. | came
down town. | met boy, do not know
him. | went back to show ground. |
told Ernest Somerville | wanted to tell
Mr.. Crockett how it was. Mr.. Crockett
came out. | told him did not intend to
90 on the white peoples side. MIR. Crock
EFT says did you come out here to get al
ter me about that? / told him no, sir, |
only wanted to tell him | did not intend
to go on the white peoples side.
''Mr. Crockett called me Il niger. |
asked him if he knew the difference be-
tween negro and a niger; he said there
wasn't any, d-n it. | said there was,
and he hit me with billy. pulled out
my pistol. He shot at me and | shot at
him. Then somebody pulled me, and he
ran after me and shot me again, and Pc
liceman Robertson shot me also. | ran
near Mr. Cheek fence and | shot the bal
ance of the balls out of my pistol, three
of them. Then Crockett shot me in the
cheek; then Robertson and Crockett
walked off toward Mr.. Currin's.
walked as far as the Oxford station, then
some boys picked me up and brought me
to this room.
(Signed) GAMES R. BRUCE
TAKEN down by me and signed in my
presence at 11.2O p. m.
J. H. BRIDGERS.
April 9th, 1903.
After hearing statements made the
motion prevailed that the Board ac
cept the evidence and exOne:ate
Policeman Crockett from blame il
| the matter. Monroe Harris, one O
the two negro members of the Board
| voted no.
| ANY CHURCH or parsonage or institu
ton supported by voluntary contribu
ton will be given a liberal quantity o
the Longman & Martinez Pure Paints
whenever they paint.
NOTE: Have done SO for twentysevel
years Sales: tens of millions OF gallons
painted nearly two million houses undo
| guarantee to repaint if not satisfactory
The paint wears for periods up to elgh
teen years. Linseed Oil must be added t.
the paint done in two minutes.) Actua
| cost then about 81 D a gallon. Sam