The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-05-31
NEGRO RAPIST CAUGHT.

Walter Morrison, Just From the
Chain Gang Ca ptured byDep-
uty kitchin and Identified by
the Woman Brought to Jail
Here Saturday - Committed
Assault on PollyRogers Thurs
day.
| Walter Morrison, negro about
| Is years old who has a bad re-
cord, was arrestedSaturday morn
ing at the home of lis father,
Archie Morrison. about 4 miles
south of Maxton, by Deputy
Sheriff j. A. Kitchin, was later
Unidentified before James Monroe
as the negro who committed
criminal assault upon Polly
Rogers, Croatan, near Elrod
Thursday, and was brought to
Jail here about noon Saturday.
There was some talk of a lynch
ing party of Croatans coming
over from Pembroke Saturday
night, but this seems to have
been groundless. Morrison will
be tried at the criminal term of
court in July.
. Just as The Robesonian was
going to press Thursday after
noon word came to the sheriff's
office of the assault and brief
mention was made of it IN
Thursdays paper. 1t seems
that Morrison, who had just
finished a 12-months' sentence
on the roads for laceny. went to
} the home of Archie Rogers about
noon Thursday and told his
wife, Polly, who was engaged at
a wash-tub under a tree near
! the house, that there was a
nearly dead man down the road
: a piece and he wanted her to &c
, with him to give the man atten-
ton, as he did not want to GO
: alone. From the negro's
description the woman in.
= ferred that it was her husband,
and she went with him. Wher
they reached the point proposed
by the negro he dragged the
woman, who was weak from re
d cent illness, into the bushes be
/, side the road and accomplished
g his purpose. This was abou
noon. A white man who live
d near heard the woman's erie
d but paid no particular attention
N at the time. AS soon as sh,
could the woman sent one O
her children to tell this man AM
"a he went Immediately to Elro'
!, and 'phoned the sheriff's office
I'd Sheriff McNeill, who was a
Rowland, was Immediately not
s. fed and he 'phoned at once
IS Chadbourn for a bloodhound
If which was bnought.to MIN abou
8. 6 o'clock that evening. TIL
negro was traced to Pembroke
-. -, and then back to Elrod, wher
:. it was thought he boarded
- train.
y Friday evening Deputy Kitcf
IS in, of Alfordsville township, wit
t. a white man named Mccall an
ne Jno. Dial, a Croatan, followe
m tracks which he thought wer
the negr0's to the home of Arch
I'd Morrison. They were told thu
H. Walter had gone fishing. The
O. guarded the house and saw Wa
70 ter return about 4 o'clock Sat
urday morning. Deputy Kitchi
~ and his deputies entered tn
III house and Walter and his fathe
70 offered resistance. Archie had
III gun and Walter a pistol and
er looked for a while like some or
would be hurt or killed. Viii
es Deputy Kitchin was engage
r. with Archie, Walter escaped fro
no the house and crawled under tt
he house, but he was finally captu
ed and was taken to the home {
- Justice James Monroe, who liv,
Is not far from Elrod. There tt
"a woman, Polly Rogers, identift
81 Walter Morrison as the man. al
r. he was committed to Jail
L. await trial.
But for the fact that Depu
TX Kitchin deputized a large nur
at Der of Croatans to help him t
raj negro might never have reach
me the Jail alive, but fortunately al
So such trouble was averted, thous
naturally there is intense feeli
lad over the outrage. Morrison h
on given considerable trouble in t
in county for several years. Aft
IRIS. serving but two days of a
her months sentence on the roa
for larceny he escaped and abe
no. a year ago he was captured
;na Hamlet. He was released fir
ar the chain gang, where he ga
oil trouble all the time, on the II
W. inst. after serving out that s.
wa tence.
l." Polly Rogers is about Is We
orv old; Her husband works at
)nal
day