The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-18
THE DEVIL BROKE
LOOSE UP THERE
Two Men Enacted the
Role of Mr.. Hyde.
SHOT NEGRO TO DEATH
Then Stabbed White Man and Left
Him For Dead, BrutaIIy Beat
Another Negro, and Shot
Two Women and Negro
Boy.

Especial to News and Observer.)
Asheville, n. c., April 17.-Ashe-
Vile witnessed a touch Of lawlessness
late Saturday night and early Sunday
morning that resulted in the killing
of a negro named Butler Maxwell on
Mountain street, the serious and per-
haps fatal wounding of w. M. Atkins,
a white man, on Southside avenue. the
attack and serious injury of another
negro on Valley street and the shoot
ing OF two women and q negro boy
on Greasy Corner
Three of the crimes, including the
unprovoked killing of Maxwell. are
believed to have been committed by
two white men, nOn-residentS of Ashe-
vile, who followed by dog, went
looking for trouble and who after
finding it succeeded in evadiug the po-
lice and making their escape.
The killing of Maxwell was the
last of the desperate acts of the men
and occurred shortly before one
o'clock Sunday morning. Upon being
notified of this last occurrence ana
feeling sure that the same men were
responsible for MaxWelPs death who
stabbed Atkins and assaulted the ne
gro on Valley street, the police force
went to work on meagrc clues while
Sheriff Reed and his deputies went
hunting for the murderers.
After working on the cases for sew
eral hours clues were obtained that
led the officers to suspicion Mac
Brooks and Walter Barber, two white
men of the Avery's Creek section Of
the county, who were in toxin Satur-
day.
Brooks was arrested yesterday
afternoon and Barber today. The
inquest over Maxwell's body is
being conducted this evening. There
are a large number of witnesses and
the inquest will not likely be con
cluded before tomorrow. One inter-
esting circumstance connected with
placing the crime was the recognition
of Brooks by the dog that was With
the two men who did the killing.
The coroner's jury held both men.
The Stabbing of Atkins.
AS TO the stabbing of Atkins his
wife and a colored servant of the
household tell the following story:
Mr.. Atkins and q younger brother
who had just recently come to Ashe-
vile fr9m Knoxville were walking up
SoutEsidc avenue near the grocery
stora Of Joseph Foster, when they
were accosted by one of the two men
who requested a match to light Il
cigarette. Atkins. the womcn say,
replied that he had no match, but Of
fered the man his own lighted cigar
cite. Procuring a light, the man care
lessly threw Mr.. Atkins cigarette
away. Atkins brother, surprised at
what he considered an act of discour-
tesy, asked the men if they knew his
brother, wondering, it is supposed, If
they were we'll enough acqua: :ntcd to
take such liberties in a joking man
ner. For answer the heavier OF the
two men then drew back a big knife,
the women say, and plunged 1T 1Tst
into Atkins side with an oath, de-
claring that he cared not picayune
(words to that effecO for either. lie
followed up this attack with the sec
ond knife thrust, this piercing the
mans left lung.
Meanwhile the second of the two
men, who so far had not been ag
;gressive, picked up a heavy stone and
hurled it at Mt. Atkins head The
two men then fled and escaped.
The Murder of Maxwell.
The killing of Maxwell, the negro,
on Mountain street, appears to nave
been committed under the following
circumstances:
The two men met Maxwell on
Mountain street in front of the house
occupied by Mary l.. Smith, shortly
after midnight. They were accom-
panied by a dog, which it is said.
snapped at the colored man as if it
would bite him.
stop that, you hound, or I'll kill
you," Maxwell is reported as saying;
to which one of the white men re-
Piled: you'll do nothing of the
kind" A few more words passed,
when, one of the unknown men drew
his gun and fired at Maxwell point
blank
Without saying word. but spas
medically clutching at his breast with
his hands, the wounded man took
step backwards and fell.
His a.ssailants then took to flight
and made good their escape.
A Negro BrutalIy Beaten.
A third crime charged to these men
is the brutal beating of a colored en-
ploye of the Southern Express Com
pany on Valley street shortly after
midnight. He was so severely injured
that he was unable to give clear
account of the affair to the police Off
GERS who investigated the affair, and
did not even report his own name.
1t seems that the men for some un-
known reason, jumped on the man
as he was walking along the street
and beat him on the head with a bot
tie until he was practically insensible.
His cries brought crowd from the
neighboring houses and the police Off
GERS were called. but before they could
come up with the men the trouble on
Mountain street i'm which q negro was
killed occurred and their attention