The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-09-26
Suicide Cheats Prison.
JOSHUA HARRISON, CONVICTED
KIDNAPPER, KILLS HIMSELF
Rather than Serve a Sentence of
Twenty Years in the Penitenti-
airy, Man Convicted of Kidnap-
ping Little Son Of Senator Beas-
ley Of Currituck County, Kills
Himself In a Norfolk Hotel.
Norfolk virgaian-pilot, Sept. 10th.


Norfolk Virgiaian- Pilot, Sept. 10th.
Rather than serve twenty years i'm
the penitenitary for Kidnapping k'n-
meth Beasley, tJie seven year old son
of State Senator S. NJ. Beasley, uf
Currituck county, n. e., Joshua Har
rleon placed pistol to His temple
and blew out his brains Yesterday
afternoon about ) O'Clock in his
room at the Gladstone hotel, while
officers were waiting in the lobby to
arrest him for the North Carolina au-
thorities for being IL fugitive from
Justice
The injured man was taken to St.
Vincent's Hospital, where he died at
2:1O O'Clock this morning.
The Supreme Court denied Harri-
son Il new trial Tuesday, He was
out on $4,000 bail.
Five minutes after Chief BOusl re-
ceived IL telegram from Solicitor
Ward OF North Carolina, to arrest
Harrison for being IL fugitive from
Justice, detectives were detailed to
find him. Detective Wright went to
the Gladstone hotel, where he soon
learned that Harrison was there.
Acting under instructions from the
solicitor to be careful anu disarm
Harrison, as he had threatened to
commit suicide, the detective sent d
bell boy up to his room to tell him he
was wanted at the telephone. Har-
rison told the bell boy that he would
not talk to any one over the phone.
| He swOre he would not leave his room
and no one could make him.
Before the bell boy got to the top
of the stairs on his way to the lobby
IL pistol shot rang out, and the lad,
with one of the clerks, rushed down
to tell the officer. Detective Wright,
who had been Joined by Detective
Dosier, ran up to the room. Burst
ing in the door they found Harrison
lying full length on the bed with an
ugly bullet wound in the head, while
his brains were Oozing out on the
bed clothing.
Shortly after Harrison was discov-
cred lying on the bed dying, Detec-
tive " right notified Captain Ford at
the Central station, and he respond
ed promptly with the patrol wagon.
DR.. Schenck was summoned, land after
a hurried examination ordered the
injured man rushed to the hospital.
The weapon used was a 3S calibre
pistol.
Harrison has been out of jail ON
bail pending a. decision OF the Su-
preme Court for a new trial. He
came to Norfolk yesterday and had
evidently been in the hotel but a
short time as his name appeared on
the register the last one.
| 1t was sad scene enacted when
Detective Wright broke the news as
gently as possible to Mrs. Maggie
Gallop, of 1872 Duke ST., a daughter
of Mr.. Harrison. The officer told Mrs.
Gallop and Mr.. Harrison's wife that
he had met with an accident. The
woman in trembling voice inquired
what the trouble was.
When told that Mr.. Harrison had
shot himself, she almost tainted, but
gasped that she expected something
would happen when IL new trial was
denied by the courts. Mrs. Galiop
was then Joined by her mother, the
| wife of the dead man, who declared
between her daughters and her own
tears and sobs, that Mr.. Harrison
was innocent.
Mrs. Harrison declared that her
husband was asleep the night IN
| February, 1905, that Kenneth Beas-
ley was Kidnapped and carried away.
She tried to comfort her daughter
with the assurance that her father
was a martyr, having been innocent
I of the crime for which he was con-
victed.
When Kenneth Beasley disappear
ed that night in February, 1908, ,sus-
picion pointed to Joshua Harrison
as the kidnapper. 1t was known
that for a long time Harrison had
borne grudge against Senator Beas-
ilev. for some fancied or real wrong.
After u lengthy trial, in which some
of the best legal talent in North Car
olina was engaged, Harrison was
convicted and sentenced to twenty
years in the penitentiary. Ex-Gov
Aycock represented Harrison, anc
one of the strongest pleas he eve1
made is said to have been for Har
rison. An appeal was taken to th'
Supreme Court, but a new trial wa:
denied.
Nothing has ever been seen O
heard of Kenneth Beasley since tha
night he was stolen from his father
home. There was a report that Har
rison was seen in Norfolk with tn
lad, but no witness ever testified tt
this, however.