USA > Tennessee > Sevier County > The White-caps : a history of the organization in Sevier County > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
To say that the neighbors who witnessed this scene were indignant, would be putting it in exceedingly mild terms-they were simply furious. White-caps were denounced in the most bitter terms and threats were freely made.
Shortly after this occurence an organization sprang up known as " Blue-Bill's," so called by the White- caps, the purpose of which was to defeat the plans of the White-caps. As stated in a' preceeding chapter, they differed from the White-caps in the fact that they took no oath and wore no masks. They did not care to cover their faces to put down a crime like that of white-capping.
The term "Blue Bill " applied not alone to those who joined that organization, but any good citizen who had courage enough to denounce white-capism, was by the White-caps called a " Blue Bill."
We have digressed a little, but now return to the subject at hand.
Mrs. Breeden gradually grew worse and was never again, after the whipping, able to leave her room. She
187
THE WHITE-CAPS.
lingered along between life and death for a little more than two months, and on August the 4th., 1893, breathed her last. Dr. J. A. Henderson, who was not her family physician, but one of the most skillful physicians in Sevier County, was called in a few days before she died. After a careful examination, he told her she could not hope to live but a few days. And gave it as his opinion that the unmerciful whipping which she had received on that fatal Saturday night was the sole cause of her untimely death. She told him that the Furgason boys were along that night and that one or both of them had done the whipping and were responsible for her death. The sad story detailed by this poor unfortunate woman, while lying upon her death bed, with only a faint hold upon life, touched the heart of Dr. J. A. Henderson. It no doubt was the incentive and moving power that actuated him in his perilous undertaking of organizing an armed force to put down white-capping.
As has been stated in a previous chapter, he was the organizer and leader of an armed force call Blue Bills. And up to the time of his death, perhaps, did more to. retard the progress of white-capism than any other one. man in Sevier County. He was a shrewd man, and a natural born leader, and the White-caps would sooner- tread upon the tail of a deadly rattler than to know that he was on their trail. He was a veritable thorn in their flesh.
When Dr. Henderson returned to Sevierville and re- lated the circumstances of the whipping and death of Mrs. Breeden, it touched the hearts of all who heard it,. and many of them signified their willingness to go at a. moments warning to meet the White-caps on their raids, and avenge this cruel deed.
188
THE WHITE-CAPS.
The alleged cause for this whipping was that the Breeden girls were living in adultery. And from the best information that can be had we do not doubt the truthfulness of this accusation as to Miss Bell, while some say that Miss Martha was a virtuous woman. The two Breeden girls were very intelligent and were rather good looking. Miss Martha was married soon after the whipping to a respectable and substantial cit- izen and has ever since lived a virtuous life. The old lady who died defending the virtue of her two daughters, was herself never accused of being a lewed wóman.
We close this chapter by briefly referring to one other incident in connection with the Breeden family.
About three years after the first whipping another attempt was made to whip the Breeden girls, who were then living on Patrick Johnson's land in the house with their brother Jesse Breeden. The door was bat- tered down, and Jesse well remembering the fate of his mother, made his escape at a back window. He went dashing down the road in the direction of Johnson's yelling for help. Johnson asked him what on earth was the matter.
"The White-caps are murdering my two sisters," he replied,
Johnson was no friend to the White-caps, and snatching his trusty revolver, hastened to the scene of the trouble. The house sets close by the roadside on the East, and two or three White-caps were left on the lower side of the house to guard the road. They saw Johnson coming and opened fire on him at once, but without effect, as he still kept coming.
-
189
THE WHITE-CAPS.
The main body of the White-caps were on the upper side of the house making preparations for the whipping. Those on the lower side unable to hold their position, called for help :
"Come around here quick, I tell you, " Pad," John- son is coming."
"G-d d-m him, shoot h-1 out of him," was the reply, and they all came to the front side and fired at him.
But " Pad," as he was familiarly known, was not the man to leave dust in the road behind him at the first onslaught of a White-cap battle.
Up to this time he had not fired a single shot, and now began to pour it into them as fast as he could pull the trigger. The White-caps fired one more volley and fled in dismay, leaving "Pad " master of the situation.
I will follow them one step farther before I close this chapter. The White-caps had shot out their am- munition and went immediately in search of more. They called at James Brown's store at Sinking Springs, for a new supply. Mr. Brown had retired, but thinking it was some of his neighbor boys, got up to get it for them. The night was dark and he unlocked the store door, walked behind the counter and lit a lamp. Imagine his surprise when he found his store standing full of masked men instead of neighbor boys. They de- manded from him a full supply of ammunition, saying :
" We have shot out once to night, either at a man or his image we don't know which for we could not hit- him, but we are going back to try him again."
" Take off your masks," replied Mr. Brown, "and I will sell you all the ammunition you want."
190
THE WHITE-CAPS.
"We don't have to buy it" replied the leader, walking towards the back end of the house where Mr. Brown's winchester was setting. Mr. Brown took in the situation at a glance and in an instant stood grasp- his gun while the White-caps went flying out the door.
The writer well remembers the circumstance, but can- not now recall the day of the week, but it must have been Friday night, at least it was an unlucky night for White-caps.
-
CHAPTER XXXI.
RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE.
There is another sad death, which, by some, is at- tributed to the whipping of old Mrs. Breeden. And we deem it proper to relate it in this connection.
About a year after this whipping, William Furgason was found dead one morning in his father-in-law's barn. He had a bullet hole in his temple and a pistol was found lying by his side. As to how he came to his death, opinion seems to be about equally divided.
His relatives and close friends say he committed suicide. While many of his neighbors take a different view of it, and say that he was killed in a White-cap raid.
How this is, the writer is unable to say, but will give both versions, and leave the reader to draw his own conclusions.
William Furgason was a bright young man, but un- fortuntely, was somewhat addicted to drink.
After the whipping and death of Mrs. Breeden, it seemed as though life held no special inducements, and death no terror for him. His once happy life now seemed to be shrouded in darkness. His smiling face ceased to be so bright, and the gay, merry life of the blithe young man, had seemingly, come suddenly to an end. His life was overshadowed. He was living under a cloud. He was down-cast and down-hearted, carrying a secret in his bosom, the concealment of
-
192
THE WHITE-CAPS.
which was torturing him, yet he dared not reveal it. He was sadly in need of sympathy. To enlist the sympathy of his friends he must reveal his secret, and disclose the facts that would unvail the mistery sur- rounding the whipping of a helpless woman, and connect him with that fatal Saturday night tragedy. This he could never do, as it would not only incrimi -- nate himself, but also a violation of the White-cap oath. To violate the White-cap oath meant certain death. Thus the young man was held in almost breathless suspense. He must go through life with his lips sealed forever, guarding a secret that was render- ing his life almost intolerable.
The dreary months went by, the clouds overshadow- ing his life grew darker and darker as time slowly dragged along. Yet he still guarded his secret, hoping for relief from some source, until finally hope became a torturing suspense, suspense depened into dispair and dispair darkened into death. He at last ventured to tell a friend that he could no longer endure life in this country, that the image of old Mrs. Breeden was haunting him day and night. When he would close his eyes at night for sleep, instead of that quiet gentle repose wafting him into dreamland, there came floating upon the breeze the image of old Mrs. Breeden, her horrible shrieks and pitious cries would arouse him from an unquiet slumber, and he could see he care- worn face just as it appeared to him on that fatal Saturday night when she begged them in the name of high heaven to spare her life.
There are times in a man's life when it seems as though all the sorrows and griefs of a life time are con-
193
THE WHITE-CAPS.
densed and crowded into a single moment. Such was the life of William Furgason.
He suddenly disappeared. His friends knew noth- ing of his departure. In a few days, however, he turned up at his brother's home in Texas. He did not tarry long in Texas, only remaining a few days. The same pitiful cries and hideous screams that had haunted him around his old home had followed his wandering footsteps on his long journey to the Lone Star state, and were still overshadowing his life.
As stated heretofore, his stay in Texas was of short duration, and no one knew of his intentions to return home until he was found dead in the barn of his father-in-law.
His father-in-law, Mr. Gilreath, who was not in any way connected with the Whith-caps, naturally supposed that he had committed suicide, which, per- haps was true. But others who stand in a position to know, say positively that such was not the case. They say that no blood was found, and that his face was not black with powder, and his hat, also, could not be found. All of which went to show that he had not committed sucide.
On this very identical night a White-cap raid was made into Nunn's Cove in the neighborhood of Fair Garden, on the south side of French Broad river, and some twelve or fifteen miles from the Furgason home.
It was customary with the White-caps when any one was to be whipped living on the south side of the river, that the raiders come from the north side to do the whipping. And the same rule applied, as far as it was practical, when a whipping occurred on the north side.
.
194
THE WHITE-CAPS.
It is a well known fact that James Furgason, brother of William, was captain and leader of the band on the · north side of the river. And it is said that they were out in full force on the night of the whipping refurred to in Nunn's Cove.
For several years there was very little known about this raid except that Catherine Allen was whipped and that the White-caps were fired upon while standing in her yard after the whipping. The White-caps could not afford to divulge anything concerning this affray, neither could the parties who had fired upon them. It was during the palmy days of white-capism, and they realized the fact that their lives depended on a still tongue. They, therefore, guarded their secret like a miser would guard his gold.
But after the White-cap band was broken up and their organization had gone to pieces they were no 1 longer afraid to talk, and the writer was made ac- quainted with all the facts and circumstances by a : detailed account from both the men who participated and by a visit to the scene of the conflict.
Catherine Allen had been notified by the White-caps that she would be waited on in the near future. Ac- cordingly, Dr. J. A. Henderson was notified of the fact and preparations were made to intercept, and, if possi- ble, capture the whole band. The spy in the White- cap camps, was also, to go along in order that he might not be suspected, and to fall behind at a certain point designated by Dr. Henderson. Two hundred yards from Catherine Allen's home, the road is dug out from the side of a hill. On the east is a number of large trees standing close by the roadside, large enough
.
195.
THE WHITE-CAPS.
to conceal a man behind each one of them. This was the point selected for the battle ground. Every man was to stand quietly behind a tree, gun in hand, ready for instant action, until Dr. Henderson gave the com- mand to the White-caps to halt. In the event the command was not instantly obeyed they were all to fire upon them at once.
This plan failed because the spy had not been noti- fied until late in the evening of the same day that the whipping was to take place. To late to notify Dr. Henderson who lived ten miles away, he did, however, notify T. O. Caughron who lived at Fair Garden, in the neighborhood where the whipping took place.
Caughron was a man who did not fear a racket, and although he sometimes came out a little bit disfigured, he was never known to back down. He had long wished for an opportunity like this, and when it came, determined to not let it pass. So in company with only one other man, armed with winchesters, they stealthily slipped along through the dense forests, avoiding all public roads, and finally arrived at Catherine Allen's. They secreted themselves in a little clump of bushes near the house and, in breathless silence, waited patiently for the attack. It was their intention to fire on them when they attempted to batter down the door, but the White-caps came in from the other side of the house. When they took Catherine Allen out to whip her, they came out at the back door on the side where Caughron and his companions were wait- ing. But they could not fire on them then for fear of killing the woman. They finished the whipping, which was an unmerciful one, and then took her back
196
THE WHITE-CAPS.
in the house and returned to the back yard to rejoin the balance of the band. This was Caughron's oppor- tunity and at the same instant two guns fired simul- taneously. A number of shots followed in quick suc- cession. The White-caps were taken completely by surprise and fired only one volley, and then fled from the scene in great haste.
The two men concealed in the bushes lay flat on the ground, and it was well they did so. Although the night was dark yet the White-caps had located them by the flash of their guns and took good aim. The bushes just over their heads were literally cut to pieces with buckshot. The White-caps, some twenty- five or thirty in number, having been put to flight by only two men, the firing ceased. Early the next morn- ing Catherine Allen picked up a hat with a bullet hole in it which was found lying in the back yard. She still has possession of the hat to this day, and it is. believed to be William Ferguson's. Hence the bullet that went crashing through his brain was not fired from a pistol in his own hands but from a Winchester in the hands of a deadly enemy.
There is one more theory, however, offered by those who believe in this version of the story.
They say that his relatives living south of the river were making preparations by sun-up next morning to attend his funeral, long before it was known in his own neighborhood and, therefore, must have been notified the night before.
-
CHAPTER XXXII.
DETECTIVES REEDER AND McCALL.
It would be highly improper if some space in this book was not devoted to an acknowledgement of the valuable services rendered by detectives C. A. Reeder and C. W. McCall, in the location of witnesses who from fear of the White-caps, having left Sevier County, were concealing their identity and place of habitation in order to successfully avoid processes of law which would compel them to appear as witnesses in the Courts of Justice and reveal facts in their knowledge incriminating members of the White-cap organization and identifying participants in the many flagrant acts of lawlessness committed by them.
As stated in a former chapter, deputy sheriff Davis, appreciating the original methods and ingenuity of these two officers in their detective work, induced them to contribute their valuable service.
It will not be drawing too heavily upon the credulity of a mercenary age, to make the statement, that these officers were actuated more by a desire to uphold the majesty of the law and bring to judgment the guilty parties, than to secure any part of a reward which might possibly be offered for their conviction.
The brutality exhibited in the Whaley murder ap- pealed to the sympathy of every law-abiding citizen, and to the manhood of every officer of the law who witnessed the ghastly spectacle or were acquainted with the horrible details.
198
THE WHITE-CAPS.
It was the brutal manner in which the Whaley murder was committed which inspired so much terror, and drove from the county citizens who could furnish convincing evidences of guilt but who, fearing the same fate as the Whaleys', felt all the terrors and tortures of criminals from justice.
Many of these witnesses had located in Knoxville. A plan of work was agreed upon, and the result was not only a conviction of Pleas Wynn and Catlett for this murder but other convictions have preceeded and others will follow this one.
C. A. Reeder is now the efficient chief of the Police force of Knoxville, Tenn., while C. W. McCall is mak- ing a reputation as U. S. deputy marshall.
1
-
CHAPTER XXXIII.
TRIAL OF W. R. CATLETT AT MORRISTOWN.
Inasmuch as Bob Catlett has been referred to in former chapters of this book as being the leading spirit which prompted the Whaley murder, it is thought not improper, before closing this book, to give its readers a short history of his recent trial at Morristown, Tenn., he having been charged and indicted as an accessory before the fact for hiring and procuring Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton to murder William and Laura Whaley.
No crime ever committed in the county has caused such popular indignation as this one. It has now been over two years since its commission, and public senti- - ment, which was at once directed toward Pleas Wynn, Catlett Tipton and Bob Catlett, has never changed or abated in the least; but, on the contrary, it has in- creased and become more intensified as time passed on and new discoveries and additional developments have been made.
Indeed, so intense has become the sentiment in Sevier county against Bob Catlett, that at the November term, 1898, of the circuit court at Sevierville, Catlett, through his counsel, applied for and obtained a change of venue from Sevier to Hamblen county, on the ground, as set forth in his sworn petition, that he could not get a fair trial in Sevier county, so bitter was the feeling against him in that county.
200
THE WHITE-CAPS.
This was no doubt true, and Judge Nelson granted the change and directed the papers and proper tran- scripts to be transmitted to Morristown, where the case stood for trial at the December term, 1898, of the circuit court of Hamblen county. At that term the State announced ready for trial, but the defense was not ready, and presented the usual affidavit and made a strong effort to have the case continued till the next regular, term the fourth Monday in April, 1899, stating specially in his affidavit that "he could not get ready to try in thirty days."
Judge Hicks did not force the defendant into trial then, but refused to continue until the regular April term, as requested by the defense. By order of the presiding judge, a special term was ordered to be held on the first Monday of February, 1899, for the trial of this case.
For a special reason the state was wanting an early trial of the case against Catlett, and for the same reason the attorneys for the defense were vigorously opposing an early trial. It was this : The cases against Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton had been affirmed by the supreme court in November and they were sen- tenced to hang on the fourth day of January, 1899, at Sevierville. It was understood at this time that Wynn and Tipton had decided to make a full confession of the murder and that it implicated Bob Catlett as an accessory to the crime.
In this view of it the state wanted the testimony of Wynn and Tipton against Catlett on his trial, while the latter was more anxious not to have them and hoped to secure a continuance to a date after the exe-
DETECTIVE C. A. REEDER. (Now Chief of Police, Knoxville, Tenn.)
201
THE WHITE-CAPS.
cution of Wynn and Tipton, at which time their testi- mony could not be used against him.
It is true that the sixth day of February, the date fixed for the special term to try Catlett, was a little over a month after the day fixed for the execution of Wynn and Tipton, but the State's officers felt confi- dent that they could secure a respite from the Gov- ernor for a sufficient length of time to use Wynn and Tipton as witnesses at the special term, while they were, not certain that' a respite could be obtained extending beyond a regular term. The State in this carried both points. That is, it secured a special term and obtained a respite of time for the witnesses ex- tending from January the 4th to April the 5th next, at which latter date they will be hanged unless there is further interference on the part of the Governor.
The postponement which was asked for and granted by Governor Taylor was solely for the purpose of using Wynn and Tipton for witnesses against Catlett, that justice might be meted out to others, and not as a favor to Wynn and Tipton nor because it was asked by them or their friends. It was an act on the part of the Governor which was almost universally commended by the people, believing as they did that the informa- tion which would be forthcoming from Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton would throw new light on one of the bloodiest tragedies ever perpetrated in the state of Tennessee.
On the 6th of February the case of Catlett was called for trial by his Honor Judge Hicks at Morris- town, and the State announced ready for trial. The defendant, by affidavit, asked for a further continuance,
202
THE WHITE-CAPS.
on the ground that certain witnesses were not present and that he could not safely go to trial without them. This motion was overruled by the court and a jury ordered empaneled to try the case. Only a few hours were occupied in securing a jury, and on the morning of the second day the State began to introduce testi- mony.
Lizzie Chandler, an eye witness to the killing and a sister of Mrs. Whaley, one of the murdered people, was the first witness introduced on the part of the State. She told the same story as heretofore detailed in a previous chapter about two men breaking the door down and rushing into the Whaley house on the night of December 28th, 1896, about 7:30 o'clock, and shooting William Whaley first and then almost instantly turning and shooting his wife, Laura Whaley, both of whom died instantly, without ever speaking. The cruel intruders then retracing their steps left the house, with only the witness and the infant babe of the murdered woman left to tell the awful story. The witness identified Pleas Wynn as one of the men, but could not identify Tipton further than to say he in a general way filled the description of the other man.
After another witness or two were called and exam- ined by the state, the two condemned men, Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton, were then introduced for the state and told in detail the blood-curdling story of the murder of the Whaleys and the plot that was set on foot and carried out for that purpose.
Inasmuch as a full confession of these two accom- plices in this crime has not yet been published, we deem it not inappropriate to insert at, this place what we can vouch for to our readers as being a substantial
.
203
THE WHITE-CAPS.
but not a verbatim statement of these two parties as told by them in this trial upon the witness stand.
CONFESSION OF PLEAS WYNN.
"I know when the Whaleys were killed in Sevier . county in December, 1896. I was living then in Sevier- ville, some two miles from the Whaley house. About dark on the night of the killing, Catlett Tipton and I met by agreement at Ben Bailey's house in Sevierville. From there we went to Bailey's shop, where Tipton worked. There Tipton got his shot gun out of a tool chest and he and I went down the bank of the west fork of Pigeon river to the junction of the two rivers. There we crossed the bridge over the east fork of the river and went down the north side of the river, along the bank, till we got even with the Whaley house. We went up the hollow to within about twenty yards of the house, and then hearing some parties talking in the house we stopped, and after waiting a short time one of us coughed or made a noise. Immediately John Whaley, brother of William Whaley, came out with a pine torch and went to the crib near by and did some nail- ing about the door, went back to the house, and in a few minutes left and went down the hollow toward where he lived, a few hundred yards away. Then Tipton and I masked ourselves and went to the door of William Whaley's house, broke it open and entered.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.