The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-05-26


interest can be aroused in the retelling.
1t is to Edward Eppes, son of the murdered man.
and great great grandson of Thomas Jefferson, that
one must turn to get new view of this case, and the
story of this young mans devotion to the task of
convcting those guilty and protecting those nno
cent of the murder of his father, would rank with
the best told tales of romantic adventure, II it
not stranger because true.
Up to the time of his fathers murder Edward
Eppes was true type of the average young man
OF good birth and careful training raised in the
country. He was magnificent specimen of young
manhood standing Q feet, with breadth of
shoulders and limb development that enabled him to
carry his height well. lie was strong in body, clean
and vigorous in mind, and with II spirit that knew
not fear guile.
Sprung from line of cultured people for gencr
ations back, he well educated and highly refined
His life had been spent in the open, and M he had
never known enemy he had never, up to the time
of his fathers murder, owned pistol. When he
discovered his fathers murdered body in the buggy
standing before his gate and realized the RESPONSE
bility upon him, he was equipped by nature for his
selfappointed task of finding out his fathers MUIR
derers
After the trial and conviction of Edwards Cald
well and Larkins, he had no doubt of the guilt of
Edwards, but ~ Caldwell ana Iarkins were con.
victed solely upon the testimony of Edwards, and
Edwards shortly after his conviction exonemted
Caldwell and Larkins, he was not certain of the
guilt OF these two men, even though the Circuit
Court had rendered its verdict Of guilty, which was
counseed his friends to let the law take its course
when lynchng threatened.
Young Eppes considered that his life was in dan.
ger when he started on his search for evidence to
convict his fathers murderers, he prepared him.
self for defense. He purchased Winchester rifle
provided himself with two pistols of large caliber
and one of smaller caliber for target practice and
spent his days and nights securing the country
around Tallahassee for evidence, meanwhile perfect.
ing himself in the use of firearms. He had an eec-
trio searchlight by his side in the buggy when he
went out at night, and he trained his eye and his
to follow instantly the direction of the light and
to send shot to the spot which the light shone.
He trained his horse to stop at any suspicious sound
and to stand still under fire. His activity was pro.
dlgious, and his energy knew tagging. Day and
night he prosecuted his search for evidence. Bit by
bit, piece by piece, he has built fabric around
Caldwell and Larkins that seems TO have no weak
places. He interviewed hundreds of negroes. He
went freely among them without the slightest symp.
tom OF fear, and this is the story which he tells:
A short time before the murder of my father he
had some work done by George Caldwell who claimed
balance of 20 cents unjustly and which my father
refused to pay. There is lodge of negro Odd Eel
lows with headquarters near Centervile, short dis
lance from Tallahassee, to which Larkins, Caldwell
and Edwards belonged The membership of this
lodge was large, and the meetings usually held
at or just before daybreak. This gave rise to the
story about the Before Day Clubs" which came out
just after my fathers killing. do not believe there
was dlstihct organization known as The Before
Day Club" which plotted murder, but / have dis.
covered that the supposed grievances Of the members
of the Odd Fellows Lodge discussed at the meet
ings of the lodge. Caldwell was known to have com.
planned about the 20 cents which he claimed my
father owed him.
The day of the murder, which was Saturday,
Caldwell in Tallahassee. As was his Gus.
tom, my father drove to Tallahassee in his buggy
that day. He left Tallahassee little later than the
time he usually started home but long before dark
He in the line of vehicles that stretched along
the street in Tallahassee leading to the Thomasville
road and as he passed the house Of Mr.. John Winth
rop, Caldwell sitting the curb in front Of Mr.
Winthrop's house. With him were two women, and
when my father passed the three got up and followed
along the road on foot.
As they came to fork in the road just outside
Of town the two women who were with Caldwell got
into wagon driven by another negro. Caldwell
continued his journey on foot until overtaken by
Jennie Carney, who was driving in the direction