A Terrible Crime.
Negro Severs Babe’s Head Almost From Body.
Fairmount the Scene of Bold Attempt on Life of Well Known Lady and Murder of Her Babe.

News reached this city over the telegraph wires Monday night of an occurrence at Fairmount.

It was one of the most brutal and dastardly crimes in the history of the county.  At about 6:30 o’clock in the evening a negro appeared at the home of Mr. Henry Tolbert, in the edge of the town, and approaching Mrs. Tolbert, who was alone with her little babe, in the home, demanded of her $50.  On being refused the money he made threats on Mrs. Tolbert’s life and attacked her with the fierceness of a tiger.  Mrs. Tolbert pulled away from her assailant and running from one room of the house to another, finally made her escape, having all her clothing almost torn from her body.  She ran to her husband’s store in the town, leaving her little babe of three months old asleep on the bed.  At her own life’s peril she left the home, never dreaming the demon would molest the infant.  When she and her husband and others returned to the home as soon as it was possible they found the little one with its throat cut desperately, the head being nearly severed from the body, and the body slashed and mutilated about the face and stomach.

The negro is described as being rather tall, a mulatto, wearing side whiskers, and had on at the time of the attack a cap and blue overall.  At first it was thought that he was a convict who had been released from the Sugar Hill camp a few weeks ago, but afterwards it was decided to be some one else, and a negro, a stranger in the community, that had been seen about the place the evening before the happenings.

A soon as the facts of the crime became known the little town and the country around were thrown into a fever of excitement and every man able to go was out hunting for the miscreant.  The dogs at Sugar Hill camp were secured and a chase began at about 9:30 o’clock.  The dogs struck a trail at once and followed it to the Ramsaur mountain, immediately off against the town and around for a distance and back in south of the town.  The dogs gave out and the chase by that method was abandoned and an effort made to get a new set.  It is said though that from 300 to 500 men, well armed, have been scouring the country in search of the criminal ever since the occurrence.  The negro is supposed to have come in this direction.  A crowd at Cartersville, numbering it is said about 25 persons, went up to Fairmount when the news was first heard.  The trains have all been well watched and several arrests have been made but none of them are supposed to be the right party.

The Tolberts are among the best people of this section.   Henry Tolbert is a member of the firm of Tolbert Brothers and is an ex-mayor of his town.  They have many friends whose indignation is at the limit and who would welcome the swift hand of justice applied to the brute whose bloody hands brought woe to their home.