Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-12-26
The Sampson Tragedy.

r.
The examination of Beebe and others, charged
with the murder of Milton Mathis, terminated on
Saturday afternoon last. with the conmital of Eu-
gene Beebe to the jail of this county, there to remain
without bail or manprze until the next regular term
company was ordered to find bail in the of one
thousand dollars for his appearance at the same
time and the same order .as made in reference to
one Messersmith, but it, after Court, appearing to
the satisfaction of the Judge and Solicitor, that he
in fact absent, several miles off, at the time of
the fatal occurrence, he was discharged.
No evidence was adduced to implicate any other
members of the Circus company saving Messrs. Man
gum and Armon, and these also succeeded at the ex
animation in proving that they were absent at the
time of the ARRAY and for time afterwards 1t
appears from the evidence of Messrs j. W. Robinson,
VIM. A. Register, Richard Parish, j. S. Parish, j..
Rackley and Olin Pope, that at 9 o'clock on Satur-
day before last the Circus company arrived at Mr..
Parish's, near Taylor's Bridge, in Sampson county,
and hired field short distance from his house,
where they erected their tent and in the afternoon
gave an exhibition, concluding with the play of Cole
man and the Miller. In part of the play both the
characters tumble off into ring. Messrs Merritt,
Watson and Duncan Chestnut, began the disturb
ance by throwing saw-dust into the faces of these
performers, and finally broke up the play An hour
or two AFTER the principal part of the company be-
ing their lot and the country people talking and
drinking at liquor stand of VIM. Registers, few
yards off, but on the same field, two of the members
of the Circus Company approached the stand and
used some insulting language to Watson. The de-
ceased retorted in threatening manner; of these
tUo han 10 tba
people, moved in the direction of the Circus men,
and gave them a signal which they Immediately re-
cognized and, advancing with blows and shouts,
struck down every man they met In the meantime
the other of the two was not idle The signal had NO
sooner been given, than he struck down two of the
citizens. Every citizen the ground was levelled,
with the exception of one, who managed to escape
although holly pursued.
| 1t was in this ARRAY that Mathis received his
death wound. All the witnesses for the State re-
cognised the prisoner Beebe, and two of them
positively to his using club at that time, and with
that weapon striking the deceased. Mr. Rackley
stated that Beebe struck Mathis two blows after he
had fallen There were some Sixteen other citizens
beaten and wounded, among them one named Borcam
who is since dead.
The Judge stated that he was reluctant to bind
any man upon criminal charge, unless
there either positive proof very strong pre-
sumption of his guilt that he satisfied from his
experience in criminal matters (Which had been
unfortunately, very great during the last eighteen
months,) that Mangum and Armon would be &C
quilted before jury upon the evidence, and he
would not visit them with Imprisonment, which was
in itself punishment under the circumstance. He
thought that, although MIR. Fisher mig ht also sue
coed in establishing his innocence, there proof
of his participation in the affair." and motive
for it, he of the parties assaulted in the
circus. Mes.ersmith was discharged upon a subse
quent statement of the principal witness against
him, to the effect that he had been mistaken. Ma
ny other matters transpired which we have not felt il
necessary to report, but we believe the above con
tains the principal facts of the
| Upon the whole, this is of the most painful
occurrences which we have ever had to record. Like
most other things of the kind, it may be directly
traced to the influence of liquor, which no doub
caused the first reprehensible conduct the part
citizens during the exhibition, and the subsequen
murders by the circus men, who since they hav
been here have conducted themselves in most I'm
exceptionable manner.
Fire in Charleston.
We learn from the Charleston papers of Saturda