The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-07-07
(Kinston News 7th.)

cluded its work yesterday afternoon
the state had rested and the dcfan liant
Sam Stocks and one other witness for
the defense had been heard. It was
the concensus of opinion that if the
characters of the witnesses are not i'm
peached the state has woven a net
around some of the alleged lynchers
from which it will be hard for them
to extricate themselves.
Part Of the testimony, especially that
of H. M. Barnes; detective sent to
Greene county by Governor Craig to
ferret out those implicated in the lynch
ing, was highly sensational and in
voived some Of the Representative men
of Greene county. Barnes testimony
was all of the hearsay kind and some
of it secured under circumstances that
very particular man might have hes
itated at, but owing to the peculiarly
hard kind of evidence to get this might
be excusable. 80
Barnes stated that from mingling
with the people of that section for
five or six weeks he had learned, from
hearsay that Mr. Will Grimsley, q well
known and prominently connected man
of Greene county, was the leader of
the mob who entered the Kinston Jail
on the early morning of April 5th and
took Joe Black out and killed him
somewhere between Kinston and the
place where the negro 8 dead body was
found later. He said that Sam Stocks
told him that he had shot Joe Black,
and that he, Barnes, had heard from
Sam Stocks and others that Frank
Rouse, Arch Frizzelle and Sam Brax-
ton had also shot the negro. From a
statement secured from an old man
Andrew Jackson he had learned that
Ed Rowe had told jackson that he saw
81 automobiles leaving Snow Hill and
among the number of men in the crowd
were Will Grimsley, Herbert Suggs,
Herman Beddard, Dan Braxton, Sam
Braxton, Frank Rouse, Oscar Harper,
Frank Harper sw-o ~Beanaan brothers,
Arch Frizzelle, Ross May and Sam
Stocks.
The detective admitted he carried
whiskey to the home of the old man
jackson who was sick in bed and that
they drank together while Jackson
gave him a hearsay knowledge OF the
lynching. Mr.. Jackson and his wife
were put on and corroborated Barnes
about his visit to their home and Mr..
jackson repeated some of the things
he told the detective. Mrs. jackson
said she had heard Ed Rowe and others
talking about the lynching. She said
she did not pay any attention to the
talk between Barnes and her husband
as she thought it just drunken talk. .
Nr. J. T. Dixon furnished the spice
of comedy to the morning session by
his categorical answers to Categorical
questions He was the landlord OF
both Black and Mr.. Tyson, father Of
the little girl outraged by Black g son
He was at Snow Hih when the trial Of
Black was started but stopped before
He said he was notified at his home
over the phone from Snow Hill thai
Black had been brought to Kinstor
for safe keeping. Black wanted hin
to stand his bond but he did not tel
Black whether he would or not.
Mr.. Dixon IS testimony concluded tn
morning session and when the cour
reassembled in the afternoon Solicito
Shaw announced that the state woul,
rest.
Counsel for the defendant Sar
Stocks, asked permission to confer fo
few minutes before proceeding, al
ter which they put on Mr.. A. F. Moyt
and the defendant. Mr.. Moye was i
the court house the day Joe Black wa
to have had trial for his part in hi
son Is crime and threats to Tyson. H
said the trial was continued becaus
Black played off crazy. He heard PEI
pie say Black was putting on'' b.
heard no one talk of lynching. He sa
about 35 strange men in Snow Hill |
that time and late at night heard ii,
or six automobiles pass over the brid.
towards Kinston, to which he learn
about 9 O 'clock Joe Black had be-
taken by Sheriff Williams. He 8
peeted they were on their way to &
Black. Saw Black next day after
was lynched and examined the boo
Found several places where it look
like bullets had entered his body a
two bruises ON the face. There. Y
cuts on the negro's body, he said.
Sam Stocks took the stand IN
own behalf and when he left it eve
one believed that he is either mt
smarter man than he has been e
sidered or that he was telling
truth. He denied even knowing
tective Barnes and never saw him
fore yesterday Of his knowledge .
he never owned !. pistol in his life
hadn It ever had one OF anybod.
First he knew Of Joe Black 2 De
1ynehed was about 9 o o'clock the mt
ing his body wnE found when some