Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-08-22
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
THE BOY MURDER.

The Case of Little Willie Carter
Startling DevelOpnle ents -ShOckin
Inhumnnity-LittI Negro hoy
hired TO do the Decd-A FenaI
the 1nsfigntOr.
The circumstances attending tn
death of Willie Carter, the little bo,
found dead with marks of nnusua
violence upon his person in Smith
Creek near this city on Tuesday nigh
last, were further investigated before
the COrOner's jury yesterday. Nothing
additional was, however, elucidateG
at that time, the testimony of DR.
Lane as to the injuries, and that OF
the reputed Mrs" Carter AS to the
identification of the body containing
about the sum total of facts developed
before the Coroner. This Mrs. y
Carter, it seems. is not the mother Of
the boy, nor yet his legalized step
mother, but n woman whose relation
is aEout the same barring the solemnity
of the marriage covenant.
Bnt subsequent to the adjournment
of the CorOner's investigation the
development of other and startling
facts regarding the affair was destined.
And indeed these lend an additional
and sickening sense of horror, causing
the blood to run cold and the very
circulation to stagnate at the infamous
cruelty and deliberate inhumanity
which cOmpassed the details to their
tragic end.
1t seems that a white man by the
name of S. ii. Terry, n drayman i'll
tins city, had seen little Carter not
l,rf. l,,o Hntl
among the urchins with whom he then
was he remembered having recognized
one coIored boy about 10 years old, by
the name of David Martin. Mr.. Terry
strongly suspected that this boy had
some hand III the terrible affair, and
hearing that he was in the vicinity of
Hilton, drove ont there late yesterday
afternoon, determined to apprehend
him and plncc him in the custody of
the Sheriff. Sure enough, he found
the yOnng rascal who, as soon as he
saw Mr.. Terry approaching, took to
his heels and ran over the iron railway
bridge, to the swamp opposite Hilton,
across the North East branch of the
Cape Fear River. Mr.. Terry pursued
and finally captured Martin, who had
cndeavored to conceal himself in a
ditch, and was then standing about
waist deep III water.
Martin as soon as captured was at
once brought down to the Court
House and there placed i'll the custody
of Deputy Sheriff Morris. It was not
long, however, before he made
A STARTLING CONFESSION
regarding the mysterious horror. He
states in effect that himself and two |
other colOred boys, Jimmie Anderson,
alias Freeman, and Bill-had been re- |
Gently approached by this woman
Mrs" Carter, as they called her, but |
whose proper designation is said to be |
Evadne Walters, who promised them |
ten dollars if they would succeed in |
drowning this boy, Willie Carter. Da-
vid says he told her that he couldn't |
do it, that it would get both her and |
themselves in trouble, an besides it |
was wrong. Following Martins state
ment further, it appears that this wo-
man with specious arguments endeay-
ored still to incite them to the deed,
avowing to them, among other things, |
that it was no more harm for them to |
kill Willie Carter than for one soldier |
to kill another in battle, and that she |
would thus commit in one weeks time |
She afterwards, Martin states further,
offered them ten cents to throw Will |
lies clothes in the stream while they |
were bathing SO as to induce him to |
SWIM after them, and that probably he |
would drown before he could return |
to shore.
On Monday, Martin says, Willie Car
ter, Jim Anderson, himself and the |
boy Bill went to Smiths Greek to |
oathe at point corresponding in de-
scrlptiOn to location q short distance !
rom the spot where the body was
fOnnd. when he, David, took Willie |
Carters hat and threw it into the |
stream. Willie swan out for it, and
to shore. Jim Anderson then
.hrew Willie's clothes out into the
stream, and these he also swan after
md secured. Returning he sat upon
he wharf. when Anderson showed him
nto the water. At this point in the
Martin says he left. He
declares he did not cut Willie Carter, for
le had no knife, but thinks some one
If the other boys did, for he saw them
nm away and plunge into the bushes
shortly after he left.
This boy Martin is also known as
David Hickes, though Martin is said
20 be his right name. He has an elder
Elijah Martin, or Hickes,
about 10 or 90 years old, who is stated
rs. having been seen going i'll the di-
rection of Smiths Greek, shortly after
Willie Carter and his young cnlored
had disappeared in. the
same direction. This was near the
fatal spot that he was seen. He was
also observed by a negro woman re-
turning from that direction with a
sack thrown over his shoulder and
with piece of beef in his hand. The
witness averring to these facts, also
states that he seemed very much ex-
.ited and was looking back continu-
lily. He told the woman, Gs if i'll ex
planatiOn of his manner, that he was
N a hurry as he was going out in
He had been working on
Col. McRae's place in that county.
Neither he l:Or the other twObOys have
since been seel.
These are about all the facts the boy
scented willing to disclose. They are
enough, however, to show the most
abject cruelty in the compass of such
Il horrible end, and the most shocking
and barbarous inhumanity in boys so
Jonng in the perpetration of the deed.
Martin was lodged in Jail, and upon
his affirmation. the woman, "N1rs. Car
ter" was apprehended last night on
warrant from Justice Cassidey, and
also imprisoned.
Ben Butler wore n Major Generals
and bestrode a horse at the
of the First Massachusetts,
lr;naln at Fro m in nham last week