The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1907-09-26


he was innocent Of the charge OF Kid
mapping Kenneth BeasIey and asking
God TO bless his family were the lass
words OF Joshua Harrison who blew
out his brains In the Gladstone Hotel,
i'm this city, rather than serve sen-
tence of twenty years III the pemten-
tiary. The following letter was found
in the coat pocket of the dead man
shortly after he breathed his last ut
st. Vineent's S Hospital few hours
after he had fired the fatal shot into
his brain.
Text of Letter.
September 9th, '07. This day
I have been notified of an unjust sem
tence of twenty years in the pen.
| am an innocent man; God knows 1t,
my family know it. | am about to
end my life at my own hands. No
one is in any way responsible save
the cruel ones who imposed the awful
sentence. May God bless my precious
family. 1 believe the world will be
charitable to them ALL To the world
I say, Good bye Whoever finds
my body notify my daughter Mrs.
G. A. Gallop, 1872 Duke street, Nor
folk, Joshua Harrison"
On the back Of the note was writ
ten: "I have in my pocket 80 cents.
want my effects returned to Maggie
Gallop, 1872 Duke street.
With his wife and daughter, Mrs.
Maggie Gallop, Of 1872 Duke street.
Norfolk, declaring the dead man was
innocent of any crime and was un-
justly accused and convicted, and
Senator 8. NJ Beasley declaring he
did not believe word of the letter
left by Harrison, the tragedy will go
down as one of the most horrible and,
perhaps, unique that Norfolk has ever
had happen in its midst. "My hns-
band was innocent God knows he
was," said Mrs. Harrison as she was
helped aboard the train to harrisburg.
N. c., to which place the body Of
Harrison was sent for burial. "My
father was not guilty of the crime of
kidnapping Kenneth Beasley," said
Mrs. Gallop, who also accompanied
the body Of Harrison to harrisburg.
"He was asleep at his home the night
the boy disappeared" /"
II don't believe it," said Senator
Beasley. II am convinced that he
was guilty and ninety-nine out of
every hundred persons in Currituck,
where Harrison was known, are of the
same opinion"
Carried Secret to Grave.
Senator Beasley, who is here on a
visit to his wife, at No. 21S Brown
avenue, was apparently very much af-
fected by the death of Harrison: not
that he regretted the end of the aged
mans life, but because he believes he
carried to the grave with him the
! secret of his little boys whereabouts,
| if he is alive, or the manner of his
death if he is dead. "The suicide
has carried the secret to the grave
with him." declared Mr.. Beasley, as
he turned away his head to wipe a
tear drop from his eye "He has
been tried for murder BEFORE" con-
tinued Mr. Beasley, and he should
have ben tried for murder in connec-
ton with the disappearance of my
| little son, for as true as I stand here
I believe he Murdered my boy. The
character Of the man and the threat
he made against me leaves no room
for doubt about this in my mind"
Two Corrections Made. O..
"There are two things l want TO
correct" he said. "It has been stat
| ed that I had Harrison arrested for
| the illicit sale of whiskey and that he
and l were opposing candidates for
the State Legislature. never had
Mr.. Harrison arrested for anything
befo1e my little boy disappeared, and
| Harrison was never a candidate for
the legislature. We were not of the
same political party, as am Demo
erat and he was Republican; and
although he made threats against me
I never had any feeling against him
| until vas convinced that he had kid
mapped my boy.''
When asked why Harrison should
threaten him, Senator Beasley re-
piled:
ga fight was on in Currituck coun,
ty against the illicit sale of liquor
which Harrison was engaged In. -Four
days before the election In 1904 J
met Harrison in the road. He stop.
ped me and, raising his hand to heav'
en-, he declared that if the sale of hi
wines was interfered with that some
body would be sorry for it and thai
he would have his revenge If 1t wa
the last act of his life. The ehurei
people of my county had petitione'
me to have a resolution passed by th'
| Legislature that would put stop y
the illicit sale Of liquor, and 1t va
on this sceount that Harrison ha'
| the feeling against me. While kneS
bis business was contsninating th
young men Ok Curritaek county, Har
r;son lived more than Ave miles iron
me and he did no harm personally.
After his threat there is no roor
for doubt that he killed my son; and
though I have followed many clue
and investigated them thoroughly,
have never felt that ] would find .h