The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-10-08


to confess if they would grant him
regular trial. By this time the number
OF lynchers had grown to quite
crowd, and the conspirators lost the
control. The majority were in favor
of granting trial. and Morehead was
taken to Jail.
Seymour visited the prisoner and
told him that he had become convinced
of his innocence, that Morehead would
need money for his defense and that
he (Seymour) would buy his interest in
the Morehead-S Springer mine, which
would give the accused the necessary
funds.
This gave Morehead a suspicion that
the accusation made against him was
a plot to gain possession of his prop
erty. He declined to sell. The trio,
who now realized that they must get
him out of the way or in the end suf-
fer for their crime, besides not gaining
their end in acquiring the mine, manu-
featured evidence against Morehead.
At the trial they produced witness
who swore that he had seen the knife
found by Miller in Morehead's posses
sion. Other witnesses were brought
forward who swore that they had
heard high words between Morehead
and Springer the day before the latter
had disappeared There was not a
scrap of evidence that did not come in
directly and secretly from the con-
spirators, but there was quite enough
of this to convict the prisoner.
Trials, except by Judge Lynch, are
necessarily prolonged. Seymour and
those in league with him endeavored
to create feeling among the people
that Morehead's conviction would fall
through and they had better take the
matter into their own hands. They
went so far as to incite a mob to at
tack the JAIL. possess themselves of the
prisoner and hang him. 1t was only
by the steadfastncss and bravery OF
the sheriff that the plan failed. Hear
ing of it in time. he armed a number
of deputies, and when the mob appear
ed declared that Morehead would not
be given up without a battle. This was
more than the conspirators had bar
gained for. In order to make capital
Cor themselves they advised the mob
they had melted to retire, and More
head was again saved from being
murdered.
Working In this way. under cover,
the three men created so much bitter
ness against the accused that he was
finally convicted and sentenced to be
hanged. By this time he had become
sensible that his enemies were de
termined to put him out Of the way
and felt sure they would succeed. He
sent for Seymour and offered to sell
him the mine if he would arrange with
some of the witnesses to confess that
they had been mistaken in their eyi
dence or had perjured themselves
Seymour said he couldn't consent to
the mine, and the condemned man
could use the money received for it
as he might see fit. They did not come
to terms, and Seymour went away say
ing that he would think the matter
over and come to see Morehead again
the next day.
But the next day some one else came
who was not expected. Morehead was
pacing his cell in an agony of suspense
when he heard steps in the corridor
and In another moment who should
stand looking at him through the bars
but his partner Springer.
1t was a joyful meeting, though
Morehead was so overcome by the
change from death to life that he sanh
down in swoon. When he recovered
Springer, who was in full possession
of his faculties, sent away the jailer
and the partners held a conference
alone. Springer revealed the fact thai
he had been told on the day of his dis
appearance that there was a Telegram
| for him at the railroad station some
| ten miles distant; that his informel
believed that 1t announced the seriou:
| illness or death of ibis wife, who was
| In the east He had ridden on a gal
| lop to the station and. on his arriva
had been arrested and spirited away
on the next train that came along. Elk