Tipton feared a riot; and it was decided to send the prisoner for incarceration and trial to Morgantown in North Carolina, just over the hills.
Tipton did not accompany the guards he sent with Sevier.

It was stated and commonly believed that he had given instructions of which the honorable men among his friends were ignorant.

When the party entered the mountains, two of the guards were to lag behind with the prisoner, till the others were out of sight on the twisting trail.

Then one of the two was to kill Sevier and assert that he had done it because Sevier had attempted to escape.

It fell out almost as planned, except that the other guard warned Sevier of the fate in store for him and gave him a chance to flee.