Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-08-17
TN0 RAPISzS 10
die SEPT. 18TH
(continusd from Front pape)


evidence against Angus Murphy and
Joseph Thomas, negroes charged
with criminal assault upon Mrs A.
Ketchen, the jury was back in
the box declaring to the court that
both defendants had been adjudgcd
guilty OF, rape and within the hour
both had been sentenced by Judge
B. F. Long to. be executed September
Is. The verdict was returned at
4::35 this afternoon.
Two thousand and more people
who crowded around the improvised
bar in the tobacco warehouse where
the court is sitting heard the verdict
and the sentence in silence. Word
was passed outside where hundreds
waited in the rain for the jury's de-
cision. The woman against whom
the crime was done looked on calm
Nv, and only the Murphy negro
showed emotion. He wept silently
Back to Raleigh
Tonight the two doomed negroes,
and the third, John Lee, who sub
mitted to a charge of secret assault,
were taken back to Raleigh under
the guard of detachments from the
Durham Machine Gun Company and
the Raleigh Service Company, leav'
ing here on special train. Car
thage and Moore county are set
tied back into their accustomed
calm, satisfied with the verdict and
glad that it was attained without
violence.
Conclusion of the hearing came
with a dash of the dramatic at $3.50
this afternoon when Solicitor Nash,
who conducted the prosecution and
U. L. Spence, speaking for the de-
Tense, submitted the evidence with
out argument and Judge Long be
gan his summary of the testimony
and the law. Thirty five minutes la
ter the jury retired and seven min
utes later they were back with the
fate of the two prisoners sealed.
Both denied their guilt, and
throughout more than two hours OF
the morning session had unfolded
a fantastic alibi, the one dittoing
The others statements with pre-
cision that might have shaken be.
lief in their guilt. But the State
had one more witness, L. L. Honey
cult, a Seaboard flagman who saw
them board the freight train on
which they were arrested.
Both negroes claimed that they
had left Durham on Wednesday af
ternoon, had gone to Raleigh on
Thursday, had left Raleigh on a
freight train at o'clock that night,
and had encountered two negroes at
station between Southern Pines
and Sanford from whom they swore
they bought the items of Mrs. Ketch-
ems personal property found on
them. The young negro, John Lee,
arrested with them, and whose
evidence did them most serious
damage, had joined them early in
the morning on the train, they
said
Rift In Story.
Conductor Baucom, in charge of
the freight train OH which the
negroes were arrested, swore that
the train did not leave Raleigh UNI
til 1:05 on the morning of the crime,
that he had searched the train for
hoboes three times on the trip and
found none, that he made no stops
between Sanford and Aberdeen.
That testimony cut heavily into the
statements of the negroes. Three
Southern Pines negroes thought
that they had seen the three prison
ers on the afternoon preceding the
crime, but could not be sure. 1t was
the fiagman's testimony that cut the
ground from under them.
Strangely enough his name had
not got to the solicitor until court
adjourned at noon. The population
generally had made up its mind that
the negroes were guilty and no great
preparation had been made for as
sisting the solicitor in his fight.
Honeycutt was brought here from
Hamlet at a most unlawful rate of
speed. He was on the stand less
sixty seconds, but he was very posi-
tive that the prisoners swung on to
the train as it passed Southern
Pines. He had stood by when they
were searched in Aberdeen.
Mrs. Ketchen Recalled.
Mrs. Ketchen was called back to
the stand early in the afternoon
when she had heard both negroes
testify, and had become familiar
with the natural voices of both
Then she was positive in her iden-
LITIGATION OF Murphy as the negro
who had committed the actual as
sault, and of Thomas as the Negro
who held the light while Murphy
beat her into submission. She was
calm and collected on the stand
and made good witness.
John lee, third of the thret
negroes charged in the bill of in
dictment with the crimes of rape
burglary and secret assault, took
the stand on the opening of court
-.