Wilmington journal., 1872-01-05
MASONBOEo TOWNSHIP,
December 2Sth, 1871.

To the Editor Of The Wilmington journal:
DEAR SIE-We, the officers alluded to
in YOUR paper of the 27th instant, as being
present at the shooting affair at Mr.. 4Iew-
let's, in MaSonboro Township, on the 10Th
instant, and made no effort to arrest the
boy, swould respectfully inform you that
volIr informant of this fact, knew very lit
lie about the whole atfair-at least we be
Ieve if he had been present himself, he
would have made his statement correct.
We saw no grounds for any arrest what
ever, because of the shooting being an accl-
dental one, without any willful or malicious
intent on the part of the negro. We had a
conversation with IIuhn, the Injured party,
in a very few minutes after the affair, con-
corning the arrest of the negro, but being
informed by him QIuhn) that the shooting
was accidental, we saw no grounds for his
arrest.
Should your informant know more about
the whole matter than we, or Mr.. lluhn
does himself, we would be very glad TO
hear from him but when he comes to us
we only want to know what he saw him.
self, and not what he heard others say.
The boy alluded to is not at large, but II
under the oversight of Elijah Hewlett. He
is about II years old, and goes by the name
of Henry Mcneil. s- .s.E g..
For the information of the public, and
the justification of ourselves, we will also
give yo the statement OF Mr.. Charles
IIuln, which YOU will please, together with
our statement, publish i'll your next issue.
Respectfully, we remain your Obedient
| servants,
JOHN G. WAGNER,
ELIJAH HEWLETT,
MAsoNBoRo' SOUND, n. c., Dec. 28.
MIR. EDITOT-
Sir L saw statement ILL your paper
that | would like to correct, concerning the
shooting affair on the 25th at Mr.. Hewlett S.
+ If there was aiy words or malice before II
happened, don't know anything about IL,
/ for / consider that it was all i'll play, al
Y though am the injured party. AS for the
officers refusing to arrest the party, it is not
! SO. talked with them myself, and tolo
them that it was i'll play.
CHARLES HUM.
W1LM1NGToN, n. c., Dec. so,
EDITOR JOURNAL-DEAR SIR: After
due apologies for encrOaching upon youl
/ time. / beg your perusal of the following
J facts Having seen in the columns OF YOU
paper of the both inst, two letters relative
to the shooting affair at MasOnboro, ant
feeling that the writers knew who va;
vour first informant of the affair, 1 an
nceeSsitated to state that / have the
(
of honor and undoubtcd truthtulness
that they were eye and ear witnesses OF TIN
occurrence They assert, and will testify
that it was no accidental discharge OF th'
oun that inflicted the wound upon Hllhn
THAT HUM, ut the time the gun was fired
was endeavoring to effect his escape iron
the presence Of the negro, who was steadily
nursIljpg him. That HUM cried out to tl'
NEGRO several times not to fire upon him
and that other parties standing near en-
deavorcd to prevent the firing OF the gun
John 6. Wagner, one of the parties WhoSt whose
letter appeared in your paper OF the zyti 9I1
inst. has stated thai he was present at th'
time. and seeing the negro aiming the gnu
at. and in the act of firing upon Hnhn, dl'
endeavor to prevent the shooting by callln' my
to the negro to@forbear. Mr.: Wagner de e,
mics this statement in his letter. 10. %.
stating that the firing wassaccidental' wv
therefore Stink 1t would De '."ei