Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-12-16
BARBEE JAILED.
Is Suspected Of Being the Murderer Of
Engineer Holt. Evidence Strong.

auu E1dS0o LII JoIis oAaASou WILL
having murdered Engineer Fred
Holt. Ever since the killing Of
ficers have been investigating Bar
bees movements on the night of
the murder and they claim to have
woven a strong net of circumstan-
tial evidence about him. It Is
stated that Ex-Solieitor Brooks
has been retained by the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers to
assist in the pr osecution of Bar
bee.
The following from a Durham
special will be of great interest at
this time to the readers of The
WATERMAN, as it serves to throw
considerable light upon the reputa-
ton and character of Barbee, that
is, admitting that such a dark
reputation is susceptible of being
%lightened:
ct is said that the evidence
against Barbee is very strong. The
story is-but the officers are not
giving tout anything-that there
are two eye witnesses who saw the
man who fred the shot and then
ran out from under the coal chute
and reload his gun. The witnesses,
so the story goes, say that that
nam was Reuben Barbee. They
are locked up and it is impossible
to see either Barbee or the Witness
es at this time.
SIN the Office of the sheriff is an
ominous message from the MUIR
der-this being a single-barrel
shot gun that the detectives say
was used in killing Holt.
"Soon after the arrest of Barbee
there were rumors that he would
be taken from here. The sheriff
said that he had not decided, but
that he did not want any unneces-
sary trouble in protecting the mau,
and there is undoubtedly a great
deal of feeling against him. It is
also learned that the governor had
ordered the local military to keep
in readiness for any trouble that
the sheriff might have in handling
the situation. There is, however,
no probability that the military
will be called to use. If 80 it will
be for some matter that is not now
in sight.
"While the arrest of Reuben
Barbee caused a great deal of ex,
element, and the facts were quick
ly spread over the streets, still
there was no great surprise. As a
matter of fact it has been openly
suggested on the streets and in all
other kinds of quarters ever since
the shooting that it was done by
Reuben Barbee. This has been no
secret, although not published in
the papers, and as a matter of
fact Barbee himself has talked
with people who openly charged
him with the cr1me-at least that
is the story heard.
"Reuben Barbee is a white man.
little more than fifty years of age,
and with a shining plate that
shows the ravages of time have
scraped off the hairs. He has led
a checkered career. Time and
again he has been in trouble and
he has been charged with crimes
on many occasions that would
have put him up for terms or for
his life if convicted.
"On one occasion he was charg-
ed with killing William COLI.
There was no doubt about the muir
der, but IN the court he put up a
showing that caused the jury to
render a verdict of acquittal. Tie
verdict so enraged the good people
of the county that an open iudig-
nation meeting was held in the
very court room where the Jury had
returned the verdict. This meet
had the effect to change the
in regard to getting a special
venlre III this county. Up to that
time the court had the right to
order deputies to go out on the
highways and get those they could
for service. This was done in that
case against Barbee.
"In addition to this murder,
Barbee has been charged shooting
a train on one occasion. and
it is told of him that while be was
a boy in school that he was sent
school because he threw
rocks at a train. twas also sug-
rootod INIT bo WOE, ,oxor o,ro,ol