The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-07-02
NO FUN IN BEING
"WH|TE-CaPPED"
Steve Got 1t From Hick-
DRY and Court Alike.
A THRILLING TALE
Put Everybody Agreed The
Victim of This House Creek Out
rage Was a Bigger Liar Than
He Wa a Martyr-To
Jail For Costs

Jail For Costs.
The next time a umbe Of white
emmen with handkerchlefs tied
across their faces. big hats pulled
down over their eyes and old ragged
overcoats Disgusting their manly
forms come to the home Of Steven
Sorrell for the purpose OF giving him
a number Of licks with a hfckory,
Steve IS going to think twice about
doing anything more than bathlng ms
feyered brow in the nearest creek.
As the colored center Of a white
capping episode. steven undoubtedly
felt a pride, a distinction and q hero
ism which he was powerless TO keep
cut of his testimony.
When the trial was over and ne
found himself in jail as having brought
a malicious prosecution, he doubtless
wondered what was the use of being
white-capped anyway
For that is what happened TO steve.
It all came to pass beIote Magistrate
Roberts yesterday and the Indictment
was brought against Charley Howard,
: 80 Poe. jim Darlington md Dol
Creighton, white men Of the House
1851 lection " the county, the ale
cation being that they had come TO the
house Of Steve. run him to the house
of another negro, caught him when
he left that shelter and finished with
him only after having given him a
sound beating. raised 2 bump on his
head three inches long and kicked
him in the side. Also they put a
rope over Steve's Understanding to
Steve-and made as though they were
certainly going to hang him. steve
verify believed that that they would
have done so had some Of his friends
not come along through the woods
about tina time with a lantern. Steve
r 4 n 4 fhn 1aGn Tvt1n
we're engaged in the affair were the
-four defendants and identified all of
them positively in spite of their dis
guises.
For Steve appeared 3. c. Beckvith.
Esq. for the defendants, Colonel j. G.
L. Harris.
h trouble with all his was that
the defendant Creighton and his wife
went on the stand and svore positive
~ hat they We're both al
home on the night IL oues-
ton and that Creighton did not
leave the house. It was also estab-
lished by other reputable witnesses
that Sorrell had told a number of
lies about the occurrence. as to the
number Of men in the vhite-capping
party, his personal proves in self
defenso and what had been said and
done. It was also established beyond
the shadow of a doubt that the repu-
tation of Steve in the community was
that of a first-class liar, although that
was the worst that could be said of
him.
In fact the alleged motive for the
white-capping affair was that the
party had taken the negro out of his
house on account of stories thai he had
been circulating throughout the com
nlunity rejecting on the defendant
Howard
Neither of the defendants except
Creighton took the stand and the nag
istrate based his decision probably up
on the conflicting stories Of the pros
scouting witness and his local reputa-
ton as a black Munchausen. 1t was
also suggested by the defense tina the
motive Of the negro in bringing the
charge was to void going back to
work in the community, as he had
attempted to jump his labor contract
and wanted an excuse not to return to
work.
h story told by the prosecutor.
steve Sorrell, was a ale to cause a rise
in wool. On the night Of the even
teenth Of Jun he had gone to sleep
about sever o'clock and was awaken
ed by a knocking at his door. When
he aroused and peeped out he saw
four men who asked him the vay to
a neighbours and insisted on his get
ting up. When he stepped from the
door he was seized. but broke away
and ran followed by five pistol shots.
He then took refuge in a house of one
Of his color and stayed there several
hours They We're not willing for him
and demanded that he move
on. When Steve ventured from this
shelter. he was hit on the head with
something which knocked the enses
outen him. h mex thing he knew
he had d rope about his head and was
- - La-r 1888 T
declared that he recognized the men
who had hold of him as the defend
ants. He was taken in the woods and
beaten With a hickory and somebody
kicked him in the side. Afterwards
Neil Chavis and his wife. Lizzie, came
class and the men left him.
To witnesses examined Sorrell had
stated that he and the Chavises lay in
the path and watched the White-cap-
pers go by. To Mr.. W. &. Emory he
stated that when the white-cappers
door, but hat they kept coming till
they overpowered him. TO othei
witnesses he stated that there were
at least five of them.
This. III addition to the evidence
from several witnesses that Sorrell
was a noted liar. constituted the case.
upon which the judgment of the court
was made up. The witness and his
mother testified that he had not been
able to work on account of the kick
in the side that had caused him to
spit UP blood. but it appeared that he
had not mentioned the fact to any
Of the other witnesses. In the com
munity it appears that Sorrell's state
ment as t the whitecapping was taken
to be A Joke in view of his reputation
for mendacity. and it was also against
his credibility that he had once named
Howard. Poe and Darlington as the
only men he had recognized and had
afterwards stated to the same witness
Mr.. En1ary-that he did not know
any of the alleged white cappers.
The only tangible piece of evidence
in the caSe-which was beyond doubt
was the fact that somebody or some
thing had snitten Steve on the head
This was evidenced by a clearing in
the wool where the head had been
shaved that look ed like a corn-patch
on a mountain side.
But, to all intents and
Steve was not w~hite-capped at all: 1t
was all a mistake.
PEACHES AND PLUMS.
Mr.. Van Lindley Shipped 5000 Crates