Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-01

and they made their way through Jones
and Onslow. or Duplin county.
Slow FRE1GHT-Some of our mer-
chants complain of the great delay this
week and last in forwarding corn from
Portsmouth by railroad to Fayetteville.
Large lots of corn, now in great demand,
ordered week or ten days ago, are still
not coming or heard of.-Fayetteviile
Eagle.
The barn of Geo. Eller, of Davidson
county, was consumed by fire on last
Thursday night, together with FIVE horses,
& ain and provender. Loss ebout So, 900.
The fire is supposed to be the work Of an
incendiary.
FROM friend just from Oxford, We
learn of a very amusing scene that took
place there last week. One of the negro
jurors was seen making tracks for the Vir-
ginia line; on being accosted as to whith-
er he was going, replied that he was leaving
the State as the jury would be hung the
next day at 10 O'Clock. "How high ish
dat? ?'-Battleboro' Advance.
Mr.. Geo. Jackson, a farmer in this vi
cinity, was arrested few days ago by a
United States officer, charged with distill-
inf brandy without license. Mr.. jack
son is plain farmer and a peaceable, law
abiding man, when he knows what the laws
are and being like thousands Of others,
kept in profound Ignorance of the exac-
tions of the revenue laws of the y. S., got
the impression from some ono that the law
allowed him to distil fruit without q
license, and this we believe, is true, as re-
CARDS our State news, but he and his
counsellors confounded the State law with
llO1
to convert his fruit into brandy 50 rs TO
make little money to pay his taxes, rath
er than let the fruit rot on the ground. =
He no sooner commenced than some gov
ernment spy or pimp informed against
him. and this poor man with bOnest lnten-
tions was arrested and his property seized.
HillborO' Recorder.
The FIGHT AT THE DEPoT.-Ic is very
rarely that we notice street fights or COM
mon fst-cuffs, bat the fight that took
place at our depot on last Sunday nlOrn-
ing, in which the United States District
Court Judge Brooks took part. demands
an impartial notice at our hands There
will be, no doubt. an attempt made to dis
tort it into Ku-Klux outrage, and for
this reason we feel it to be our duty 20
give plain and impartial statement Of
facts concerning it, We were not present
ties we get these facts, with respect to its
origin, results, &c. :
There was an old grudge existing be
tween Capt. r. L. Wilson and Mr.. District
Attorney Starbuck. Capt Wilson had
long felt aggriaveds by Mr.. Starbuck's per-
sistents and repeated persec1tions, and had
the previous evening called on him TO
bring about a settlement. This Mr.. .Sfar-
buck refused but told tho Captain that
l. 20 fho ta
ing morning, Sunday at S o'clock. On
Sunday morning Capt. Wilson, accompan-
led by friend, again called at Mr.. Star
bucks room ct the appointed hour, but
found no one in. AS it was known that
Mr.. Starbuck would leave on the Western
train for Marion that morning, the Capt.
entered the omnibus and proceeded to the
depot. On the way, Judge Brooks end
Mr.. Starbuck got in the omnibus. Ihe
party then consisted of Capt. r. E Will
son, Mr.. W. Beard. Mr.. Lueco Mitchell,
Mr. Larkins. U. S. d. Court Clerk, Mr..
Starbuck and Judge Brooks. and perhaps
one or two others. On arriving at the
depot Capt. Wilson reminded MIR. Star
buck of his promise made on the previous
evening to settle the old difficulty, wheH
some words passed and fnally blows. Then
were drawn in Mr.. Beard, Mr.. Larkin,
Mr. Mitchell and Judge Brooks, respecf-
|
the dedot, and consequently some of the
parties Mr.. Starbuck, Mr.. Larkin and Mr..
Beard, were considerably bruised before
they could be separated. Mr. Beard being
severely hurt by the blows Inflicted by
Judge Brooks, who had furiously attacked
him with his gold headed cane, which be
broke into pieces-a great loss. 1t shoulc
be borne in mind that Judge Brooks was
not struck, not a hand being upliftec
k0 Of NJ
way, Notwithstanding his diFgre ceful at
tack upon Mr.. Bead. No one intended
any indignity to or wished to hurt th'
Judge, though his undiguihed temerlty
cost him a valuable cane and gold stur
from his shirt collar.
It will thus be seen that the whole alta
grew out of an old, unsettled difficulty oe
tween Captain Wilson and Mr.. Distrlc
Attorney Starbuck, and was simply n
affray, and the parties tosiJ amenable to tn
municipal and State laws for this brearl
of the peace. And why, we would mos
respectfully ask, were we not each and 1"
arrested and bound over 10 Court Tn
should have been done at all hazards. Tia
the power to keep the peace been take
from our municipal and State function
aries Or has timidity taken posse ssion G
their souls, If they have been deprive
Of the power to peform plain and,
, better days, an imperative duty, then, the
, should no longer attempt to keep up ap
, pearances, but throw up their commissions
> and submit, at the advice Of the timld, t
Q whatever breaches of the peace may befa
e us. How humiliatiug the spectacle.
Our people generally entertain d hlg
/ regard for Judge Brooke, but they al
almost unanimous in their copdemnat1o
3 of his course in this matter. The Judg
is a sworn officer of the lava conserve
8 tor and should not be disturber OF to
? peace. To say the least. it was very undie
, nified for him to take part in street figh
) Again, it is generally conceded, as IN
7 was merely an ordinary etfcay OF which IL
3 state Courts alone have jurisdiction, th'
: the conduct of the Judge in binding tnre
d of the contestants over to the Feder
: Court and allowing the others to go sec
@ fres, is arbitrary and unjust.
9 The Judge himself was rot exemp' 1ro
3 arrest. He took part in an attfs
|. nsed an unlawful weapon, he is gull an
8 is amenable to the offended Lawn ma
: ter if he was about to start to has Court
6 Tnaoes. Jurors, members of Congress an
n Legislators are protested against CIV