Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-07-31
REPUBLICAN, NOMINEES RECOGNIZE
THE RIGHTS o. CITIZENS o. COLO
DECLARES THAT MOB LYNCHED
THE WRONG MAN.
(Associatcd Negro Press.)

Durham, N. c., July-In communi
cation to the Durham Herald, Nello
Tecr, contractor who employed Ed.
Roach, who was lynched near Rox-
bcro, Person County. OH charge of
attempted criminal assault, declares
that Roach was innocent OF tho at
tempted crime, that he could not pos
sibly have been guilty and taht the
ROB made a CHASTITY mistake in kill
ing Roach. His statement follows:
Editor Morning Herald:
II have just read your editorials
or the lynching Of Ed. Roach In Per
son County land 1 feel would be
an unworthy citizen IL failed to
state what 1 know about this matter.
when this Negro was lynched as
Innocent man was murdered as
would have been had you or | ne,
The victim Of the mob. He was work
ing for ME and was quiet, hard-work
II S., inoffensive, humble Negro On
Monday lie came to me aiiSS Stated Ito
was sick and wanted to go with me
TO Durham that night to sec a doctor.
l greatly regret that 1 did not take
him with me for I believe his life
would have been spared, but instead
l arranged for him to go Tuesday
night to RoNboro He continued at his
work all day Tuesday until obout 5:
30 (bear in mind the crime for which
he was lynchcd occurred between 9
and o'clock that afternoon, when
he asked permission Of his foreman
to stop and go to Mount Tcrsa stat
ion to catch the train for RoXhoro.
Permission was given him and he
left for the station walking. AT 5:Ab
I.n passed the states bridge crew
tw'lite men) and two men who were
searching for the guilty Negro saw
him and followed him up the road
10 Mount Tcrsa station where he sat
down and waited for the train. The, Q
two mon sat down on the railroai
near him When The train came he
got on and paid his fare to Roxboro
and got off the train there.
lie was not arrested until lie got
OIL tho train. | am advised by the
Chicf OF Police he asked what they
had him for and told them he had
not done anything, but he was not
told until he got in Jail what they
had him for. He denied it and told
the little girl when she was brought
in that she was mistaken; he was
not the man, SO the sheriff informs
me. He asked to be taken by my
Office to see my superintendent with
whom l had arranged to carry him
tc the doctor, but permission was re
fused him. He had been working for
two years and on this particular
work since November /, 1919 and
was In every way a straightforward,
inoffensive Negro. His life has been
taken for something he knew abso-
lutely nothing about.
"a Negro man about Ed. Roach'e
size came to my camp on Sunday
night, was employed on Monday and
went to work on Tuesday morning.
About S:45 A. NJ. he drove my team
out to the side of tho road and had
Eeen gone about 25 minutes when
my foreman missed him. My foreman
took out one Of the mules and went
to look for him, going up the road to
wards Mount Tersa. The Negro saw
him and broke and ran over the
east side Of the railroad going towards
Lynchourg. This was about 1890 A.
M. Tuesday morning in Approximate
ly three-quarters Of a mile of the
scene Of the crime. This man was
dressed practically the same as Ed.
Roach with cap and overalls, was
about the same size but little dark
or In color. He was a strange Negro
who had never been in any Of our
comps before, and the circumstances
would point to him as the guilty
party.
II make this statement in the in
terest OF truth and justice and with
a full knowledge OF the odium I am
bringing down upon my own head in
doing so, but with the hope that this
fearful crime may. shock our people
as to make its like again an impos-
sibility."