Violence in the area continued for sometime and many citizens of Sevier County were afraid. The White Caps made good on their promise to lash of kill any member who mentioned anything about the group.
The brutality exhibited in the Whaley murder appealed 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.
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 Whaley's, 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 preceded and others will follow this one. CA Reeder is now the efficient chief of the Police force of Knoxville, Tenn, while CW McCall is making a reputation as US Deputy Marshal.
*William and Laura Whaley were murdered in their cabin and in front of their child.
(Source: The White-caps: A History
of the Organization in Sevier County, E. W. Crozier, Bean,
Warters & Gaut, 1899)
No comments:
Post a Comment