The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-05-24

SNu'SN ny woman, one Fran
CTS or Frankly Silver, of Burke County.
who killed and burned her husband.
Charles Silver. The crime was done
one night about seventy years ago In a
lonely mountain cabin on Toe River In
the presence of two-year-old child.
while the victim lay asleep by his own
reside. The murderess was tried.
convicted and hung, being one of the
hrst women executed on the gallows
in this country.
Mr.. Alfred Silver, half-brother Of
the murdered man, is living to-day on
Curtis Creek. four miles northwest OF
the town of Old Fort, Mcdowell Coun-
ty. He will be eighty-seven years old
the 10Th of November, IL the Great
Master allows him to live to see his
next birthday. l went out ~ see Mr..
silver one morning last week. He is
the finest type of the best class of
mountaineer that l ever saw. being
large, Strong-featured and manly. His
face looks like the pictures of old pa-
riarchs as they appear in the histories.
L found him willing and able to talk
about the murder, the trial and the
hanging. He remembers the details of,
the case as well as if the crime had
been perpetrated last month. At the
time of the deed lie was just at the
tender age when a bright mind takes
and retains most.
In giving the story of the affair |
shall let lin tell it in his own vigorous.
forceful way:
Charles Silver, killed and DESTROYED
by his wife, Frankly Silver, about the
year 1882, was my half-brother. He
was strong, healthy, good looking and
agreeable. He had lots of friends.
Everybody liked him. He was n IA
vorite at all the parties, for he could
make merry by talking, laughing and
playing musical instruments. He had
been married long enough to have one
heir. n girl. He lived in cabin across
a ridge, quarter of a mile from my
fathers home on Toe River.
Charles was pretty much of q hunt
er, and it was Christmas. Just his time
Tor hunting. The ground was covered
with snow and the river frozen hard.
His wife, cOntending that he would be
OIL soon on hunt, urged him to cut
enough wood TO do all the week. He
fell in with his axe and cut up a whole
hickory tree, and shocked it so that il
would keep dry and clean.
Being tired and sleepy after the la
DOR OF chopping, my brother lay down
on the floor, close by the fire, with his
little girl in his arms, and went to
sleep. His head rested on an inverted
stool Tor pillow. Frankly gently took
the baby from his breast, put il In the
oed, picked up the axe from the door.
where she had placed it for the pur-
pose, and whacked his head nearly off
ut single blow. She intended to cut
clean off, but miscalculated, and
either stood too close or too far back.
The first lick did not kill him instantly.
Tor he sprang TO his feet and cried:
God bless the child His wife fled TO
The bed and covered up, till she heard
Charles fall and then jumped out and
finished the job with a second blow.
But the most inhuman part of the afro
c1ous deed was to come. The woman
went to work, cut the body into small
pieces and burned 1t bit by bit, the en-
tire night and much wood being con-
sumed in destroying the body. The
dog house and the door steps went I'D
III the effort TO keep roaring fire. 1t
Is believed that her mother and young
est brother helped = dispose Of the
body. In fact she confessed as much
to woman who called on her in tail.
[ believe the killing was conspiracy
entered into y the whole Stewart fam
iy.
OF course we knew nothing of the
crime at my fathers house. Frankly
came early the next morning, stopped
where my mother and the girls were
washing for Christmas and remarked:
You are hard at it early. My mother
answered: Yes, we are trying TO get
ready for rest Yes said Franky.
I've been at it myself ever since be-
Tore day. She told mother that
Charles had gone up the river to
George Young's.
THAT same afternoon Frankly came
over and reported that Charles had not
returned. She said she expected him
back earlier. Mother noticed that she
was bit nervous. but thought it was
on account Of the prolonged absence of
Charles. She said she would 90 down
TO her fathers home, three-quarters of
a mile away if some of the boys would
attend TO the feeding of her COW, ex-
planning that Charles hal fed her that
morning, but when we went there that
night we saw none but women tracks.
Charles didn't show up the next
day, nor the one following. Frankly
told mother that as he had remained
away so long she did not care whether
he ever came back or not, and went
back to her fathers.
After several days had passed and
nothing had been heard of Charles the
alarm was given. The word was put
out all through the mountains. No
track or trace Of him could be found.
The river was searched, for some
thought that he might have gone
through the ice. He had not been to
George YOungs. My father was great
IL GNa l..