From Friday night until Monday noon Sheriff Reid and his deputies were all over the county summoning a special venire of 150 men from whom were to be selected the jury for the trial of John, Mary and Will Savage, who, on the 19th day of March cruelly and unmercifully beat Mr. Geo. H. Bowen and his daughter, Miss Claudia. Mr. Bowen does form the wounds inflicted on him by these brutes on the 21st day of April.
It seems that John Savage had been working around the Bowen home off and on for several years, and was familiar with the conditions and surroundings of the home. He learned that Mr. Bowen had a sum of money in his home, and becoming covetous enlisted the aid of his wife Mary and son Will, and then went to the Bowen home with the purpose of obtaining this money. Mary stated that John forced her and Will to accompany him on this mission against their will. She stated that she and her son stoutly maintained a desire to be excused from this visit but were quickly overruled by the older Savage.
During or immediately after the process of unlawfully getting this money, one of the victims screamed and was heard by Mr. Charlie Bowen, son of the deceased, who lives just across the road from the scene of the depredation. He immediately went over to find what the trouble was and on entering the house he found his sister in a most critical shape, she being beaten into insensibility by the fiends. No trace of his father could be found, and after searching for some time he came to town in quest of the sheriff and a physician.
After the sheriff and his deputies reached the scene of the crime they began a more careful search for the missing man, who was finally found stowed away in a small closet, totally oblivious to everything. Then an investigation was made and several tracks were found. Mr. J.W. Shores and his bloodhounds at E. City were telegraphed for, and upon their arrival the dogs were put on the trail and took a round-about course to the home of Savage.
Savage, his wife and son were arrested as suspects, although they stoutly denied any knowledge whatever of the crime, and after a preliminary hearing before Recorder L.W. Gaylord they were held without bail to await trial at June Term of the Superior Court. The local jail being crowded by the road crew and deemed insecure, the prisoners were taken to Edgecombe County jail for safe keeping.
While Judge Allen was passing sentence upon the condemned man, he stood there as nonchalantly as if he was hearing the latest gossip, and after the Judge’s admonition he sat down with a mirthless chuckle. It seemed as if he could not grasp a comprehensive idea as to what is in store for him.
The jury sitting on this case were: C.E. Marriner, J.B. Ambrose, A.B. Ambrose, Z.T. Tarkenton, O.R. Armstrong, Z.H. Phelps, B.M. Snell, H. Chesson Jr., T.E. Ainsley, G.A. Overton, G.W. Craddock and J. Adam Furlough.
John Savage is sentenced to be electrocuted July 18th.
From page 5 of The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth, N.C., June 16, 1916
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92074055/1916-06-16/ed-1/seq-5/#words=John+Savage+JOHN+SAVAGE
No comments:
Post a Comment