Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-09-20
Edgecombe County Matters-Judge Merri-
mon

Edgecombe County Matters-Judge Merri
mon.
We were in attendance during portion
of the session of Edgecombe Superior Cour
during the present week. His Honor, Judge
Merrimon, presided. The Judge made the
most favorable impression, and has thus TAI
given entire satisfaction. We have seldom
known Judicial officer who gave such gen
eral satisfaction, and was so eminently fit
ed for his position. His charge was full
and thorough, and while replete with the
most valuable instruction for the Grand
Jury, it was calculated to have beneficial
effect upon the people at large. We regret
to learn from him, that it is his intention
to resign during the coming winter. We
will regard such action on his part as q
public calamity. The State, however, can
not expect to retain for any length of time,
in the present condition of affairs, first class
lawyers upon the Superior Court Bench,
with the salaries now paid. We are adverse
to increasing the expenses of the Govern
ment, but cheap Judges is very poor econo-
my. But few of our lawyers are able to fill
positions of honor, upon inadequate pay,
while many might be moved with the laud-
able ambition of serving the State in such
capacities. We hope the day is far distant
when the fair reputation of the North Car
DINA judiciary may suffer from false econ
omy.
But little business of an interesting char
acter was transacted during the earlier part
of the week. On Wednesday John. Tay-
Tor and Jim Knight, freedmen, were ar
raigned for the murder of John W. Clutch
en-, an account of which we published in
full few weeks since, and for the appre
hension of the murderers handsome re-
ward was offered through our columns
Judge Biggs and MIR. W. FL. Johnston ap-
peared in behalf of the negroes. Judge
Howard and Messrs. John L. Bridgers and
L. d. Fender assisted Attorney General
Rogers in the prosecution. We left before
this trial terminated and are not as yet adj
vised as to the result.
The small amount of cases entered upon
the criminal side of the docket, speaks we'll
for the county, and especially so for the
freedmen of that section. We saw but few
of them arraigned even for offences that in
some counties fill the Court Houses with
negro clients, and furnish occupants for
jails and offenders for the whipping-posts.
We know that much Of this is due to the
former good discipline existing in that
1,,1 RI hn
sion that singular good fortune in the APP
pointment of officers in charge of the Blu
reau, and an almost entire absence of Rad
ical preachers, white and black, will fur
nish much reason for this state of affairs.
We noticed during the week quite large
number of business men from Wilmington,
Petersburg, Norfolk and New York. All
seemed to be busy, and from the appear
ance of the fields we would suppose the
county will give business to a great many
of them. With the exception of a crop
here and there, injured by the rust, we
have seldom seen better. While the rust
will decrease the aggregate number of bales
somewhat, the total amount is yet estima-
ted at twelve to fourteen thousand bales
We understand that something over TWEEN
ty thousand acres have been planted in cot
ton.
The health of the county is unprecedent-
edly bad, though the sickness is not of
serious character. We heard it suggested,
and we think not without much reason,
that this is owing to the fact that many
plantations uncultivated, were not drained,
while most we're very imperfectly so.