The citizen., 1906-08-31

home" as they called their cabins
Their masters house was always
called the 'big house or great
house."
Many persons notice d II e
strange manner of Nat, but mere
ly laughed aud said, "he was a
religious fanatic" and let him go
his way, little thinking that it
would end in death and de>truc
ton. 1t was the intention of
Turner and his associates to have
commenced the work Of death on
the 9th of July, and many were
the plans formed and rejected,
and affecting the mind of Turner
to such degree that he fell
sick", and time passed without
their coming to any definite de
termination to commence, still
forming new schemes, and reject
ing them, when the "Sigun again
appeared to them, and they deter
mined to wait no longer, but to
strike for their freedom.
THE WORK OF DEATH COM
MENCED.
Since the cOmmenc men t o (
1880, Nat Turner had been living
with Joseph Travis, who was a
kind master and placed the great
est confidence in him and Nat had
no cause of complaint against his
master. On Saturday evening, the
Goth of August, 1881, it was agreed
between Henry, Hark and Nat, TO
prepare dinner the next day for
the men who were expected TO
join the conspiracy, and there
agree upon definite plan of
action. On the following morn
ing Sunday the negro Henry
brought a pig, and Hark, some
brandy, and being joined by four
Others-Sam, Nelson, Will and
Jack, they prepared dinner in
the woods, when about three
o'clock in the evening Turner him
self joined them, and there in the
silence of the woods, the murder
GUS tiends plotted their deviIiSh
designs of rapine and murder in
the vain hope of obtaining their
freedom by force of arms. 1t was
agreed that they should com,
meme work at home Mr.. Travis
that night, and that until they
had gathered sufficient force of
men and arms, neither age nor
sex were to be spared.
After remaining in the woods
until about nine O'Clock at night,
they approached the home of Mr..
Travis. Breaking IN the door,
the tiends murdered the whole
family, five i'll number. There
was a little infant sleeping in the
cradle which they at first over
| looked, and had gone some dis
tance from the house, when two
of the murderers returned and
killed it. Here they obtained
four guns, several old muSketS.
with a pound or two of powder.
After numbering the family, the
party proceeded to the barn, and
there paraded for some time,
Turner taking them through all
the military maneuvers that he
knew.
They then proceeded to the res
idence of Mr.. Salathiel Francis,
about six hundred yards distant,
W here they Immediately murdered
MIR. Francis by striking him in
the head with an ak. He was
the only white person in the fam
lily From here they proceeded
to Mrs. ReeSe's, maintaining the
most perfect silence on the way.
Entering the house they mur
deIed Mrs. Reese and her son.
From Mrs. ReeS's they went to
Mrs. Turner's, mile distant.
which they reached about sun
rise, Monday morning. Three of
the negroes proceeded to the still,
where finding there Mr. Pee
bleS, they shot him, and then APP
preached the house. The family
now discovered them and shut
the door. The negroes burst
the door open and entered, killing
Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Newcome.
a general destruction of prop
erty and search for ammunition
and money always succeeded the
murders, and the negro male
slaves made to accompany them.
BY this time their company
amounted to fifteen, nine of whom
were mount nied,v %hn STATED for
! ma hat. The stranger medtative
VI scratched one leg with the toe of Il
N boot on the other, gazed at his watc
O then meandered up to the main sire
4 Of the town. He was on his way
h Schwenksville. al
-, ssNMaA had an hour
zSS@ wait for the troll
pa car. The tired N;
nt looked across t
la ~ - - street to theinvitil
bl MT looking steps of t
hi ~Y Penn Trust col
M saNNSS&H many huildino ou