The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-03
THE HOPE MILLS CASE.
Statement by Father of Snead Re-
gardinq this Serious Affair.

Editor of the News and Observer In
your issue of the 18th inst. from Fayette-
vile your correspondent did not give you
the particular cause of the trouble be-
tween Howard against my son E. W.
Snead and myself AS long as the matter
has been made public and as the charge
against my son is a very grave one, and
as l have a large number of relatives and
friends in Johnston county who would
like to know some of the particulars OF
this case Admits ad fnem.
In the first place should l err in my
statement l ask a generous public to sus-
pend Judgment until the error can be
corrected. In order to give the public a
correct statement as near as / can, it
will be necessary for me to explain the
topography Of this section of Cumberland
county. About two miles below Hope
Mills little Rockfsh and big Rockfish
nearly form a confluence, here the Muir
ply bridge crosses both streams, the
streams diverge for about half a mile
and form a confuence-thus this space
between the two creeks is called an is
land. On Sunday evening Dec. 6, three
boys: CASTOR Eulon, Thomas Hornaday
and Lock MCNEIL were on the island
gathering winter berry called sparkle
berries they saw man and woman
sitting on the ground-they went up tc
the bridge where Francis Berchmon, Jr..
Ad Mcneil and E. w. Snead were and
told them that they saw a man and a
woman on the island and that the man
had his arm around her. To crafty their
curiosity (and l am sorry they VENT
they concluded to go and see who they
were. They saw the same thing that the
three boys said they saw. John Horna-
day saw the same thing, and later John
Berchmon, j. ]. Hair and wellington
Hodges saw about the same thing. All
these parties say they have spoken about
what they saw and will make the same
statement that my son made, and upon
inquiry who the man and woman was, It
was reported that it was J. d. Pearce AMI
Miss of Hope Mills. The gossip
about this matter had about died out
when on Monday morning, Dec. IA, Clar-
ence Howard who works in the big mills
at Hope Mills (and so does my son work
in the same MILD sent my son E. w.
Snead a message by Mr.. Tim Bdlland to
go to the office. He went Immediately.
and found j. D. Pearce and Clarence
Howard in the room. Pearce had paper
for him to sign stating that he (Sneadl
had told lie on him and the young lady
and that he wanted him (Snead) to sign
lie bill. This my son says he refused
to do and demanded that the other par
ties he sent for to corroborate his state
ment; this Pearce refused to do and said
that the matter had to be settled then,
+Lo+ a h.
bill that he would kill him Howard
locked the door and Pearce drew his pistol
and told my son if he did not sign the
bill that he would kill him. My son signed
the lie bill at the point of the pistol.
AS soon as l learned the course that
Pearce and Howard had pursued / pro-
oeeded at once to get all the testimony
we needed and went to Fayetteville. EN-
ployed counsel took out States warrant
before D. w. Mclean, J. P, against
Pearce and Howard. The case was set
for Dec. 18th at IL m. When the case was
called Pearce and Howard by their at
torney submitted and were bound over
to the Superior Court. About the time
that the case was closed passed out Of
the court rooom and 1 remarked to How
ard that the next time he drew a pistol
not TO draw 1t on my son, but to draw
it on me. young man standing close by
Howard went for his pistol in his side
pocket as If he intended to shoot
Nothing prevented the young man from
shooting me. l did not say word to
the young man, in fact, 1 did not know
it was j. D. Pearce. A state warrant
was Immediately issued for Pearce before
d. W. Mclean, j. P. He submitted AMI
was bound over to the Superior Court.
| The question might be asked why
Pearce did not demand that the other
witnesses sign a lie bill. Howard, the
lady and my son had position in the
same mill. All the witnesses live at. or
near the big mill on big Rockfsh about
one mile from where my son had a pc
sition. Pearce lives at Hope Mills.
| l am satisfied and confident that nv son
will be the victor in this case.
| 1 take this occasion to thank those
/ friends who have so manfully stood nv lis