The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-02-25
months, all at hard labor. Bass has


at the time Of ahe homicide, the
nain object Of this prosecution was
To up hold the law aud break up
the la . lessness then existing; that
he had never believed defendants
intended To commit crime; that
when proposition Of defendants 10
submit TO manslaughter was made,
as states attorney, he felt ii his
duty to accept. AS counsel for
C unity and town, Spruill AID Uzzell
agreed with the solicitor.
While it is generally believed
that defendants got off light, il Is
also believed, everything consider
ed, that this was the best way to
settle the case.
/ do not know how to express
my establishment at this statement
by Solicitor Daniels where he says
abe never believed defendants in.
tended to commit crime." They
may not have intended to commit
murder, but what dtd they intend
to do when they broke into Percy
Jones' room in the dead of night?
After breaking in they may have
committed the murder to prev ent
discovery. But why did they go
to his room and break In when they
knew the penalty was dea' b? They
knew as every man does that they
are responsible for the consequence
of every illegal act, then there is
absolutely no excuse for that. Then
what did they aim to do when they
went on the witness stand and
swore they knew nothing of the
crime which they now admit they
committed. The first was burglary
and the last was perjury, pure and
simple, to say nothing of the crime
of murder, and yet the State attor-
ney says he does not think tn. Sc
men aimed to commit crime.
would not have been surprised had
the Solicitor said lis the light of the
last trial and the mistrial that re-
suited, that he could not trust a
a jury in Wilson county and on
that accepted the plea he did. But
ih that event it was his duty to
have demanded a removal of the
case to some other county so as to
have defended the public against the
lawless element that committed this
crime,
These are white men, 1 presume
all Democrats, and in all probability
red shirters, each one of whom had
been guilty Of three distinct offences,
two Of which were capital offenses
and the other was prtjury. These
men were tried last year for this
crime and as I remember it every
one of them went. on the witness
stand and sWore they were not
guilty and did not know who were;
yet now they come into court and
admit they are guilty, which means
they committed perjury before;
bat thau f,,St committed hr,rnlar,s
the penalty of which is death. and
then they proceeded TO shoot him
to death, the penalty of which is
also death. and yet these self.confess-
I'd pejurers, burglars and murder
rs are sentenced by the court to
months for some for some, for
ome and 10 i'll the penitentiary
nd some say with the expectation !;
nat the Cover or will finally pardon |
hem. In the Winston Journal of
Feb. 18th 1 saw this item:
Last Friday night John Hairston.
olored, stole eight fine hens from
he Rev. Thomas Howard Pagram.
I this city; was caught in the act
selling them to Joe Brim, at the
larket; was tried yesterday after
oon, found guilty, bound over to
uperlor court and in default of
100 bond went to Jail.
This brings to mind that the Raw
n. Pagram will. be a candidate for
'unty treasurer at the next election. 1
e told the writer so himself. 80
IS straight tip. c
Mr. Pegram has the distinction to 1
we been a jealous, energetic e
eacher in the Methodist confer Il
&c tor years and to have been at q
times staunch Democrat. It q
SAID that just after the reconstruc. -
N period, when there was abso- r
[ely no hope Of success, he entered L
race tor representative to tn. :"
gislature from this county and Y
lde game and gallant fight. al
Ii Is also said of him that he d
&c suspended big revival meet +
ne was conducting and rode "
" miles to vote the Democratic ar
ket. an
there is but little question that In
negro will be convicted, as he eS
'uid be. and 1 will risk my repu- 10
ION as prophet that he will bel
en- longer term in the chain
g On the public roads than some
those murderers in Wilson. This
IS me to remark that it appears =
% this that it is much safer Tn
man, commit burglary and
Jury than to steal a chicken in n
tn Carolina. 1 remember that
biole tells me that when Christ
here On earth. in talking to his Ca
'lpies, ne said: 'sYe are Of more min
10 than many sparrOws." It has Al,
Aol ine courts OF North Sal