Wilmington journal., 1875-01-29
A Fearful Tragedy.


to Charlotte, by night as well as by
day.
A Fearful Tragedy.
We regret to learn that on Tuesday
morning. about o'clock, Mrs Fannie
NJ Blackman, wife of Mr. Erwin Black
man. residing on Eighth street, be-
tween Bladen and Swami, was SO ter
rbly burned that she died from ths.
effects of it yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Blackman, who was formerly an
engineer on one of the railroads, out
who is now employed by Messrs. VIII
liams & Murchison in their naval store
department., had gone to his work, and
Mrs. Biackman, at the time of the sad
occurrence, was STOPPING LefOre the fire
englged in arranging something there.
Her youngest child. a mere infant,
was ia rocking chair behind her, ami
it made some noise, when she tur, ed
to it, with her back to the fire. At that
moment her dress caught and her entire
person was in an instant wrapped in
flames Overcome with terror she sank
into chair and shrieked for help Her
cries brought to the spot Il gentl man by
the name of Strickland, who lives op-
carried her over to his own house,
where messenger was hastily dis
patcht for Drs. Love aud Mcdonald.
Mrs. Btackman' S injuries were found
to be perfectly fearful and her suffer
Ings must have been horrible beyond
description The clothes were all
burned from her body and even the
h4ir oil her head was all burned off |
Her face, arms and body were terribly |
burned and she must also have inhaled |
the flames When Mr.. Strickland en-
tered the house he found her IN the |
chair, which was burning. while in |
the rocking chair near at hand was the |
infant, entirely unin ured. The lady |
was conscious fo- ONE time after the |
occurrence of the disaster ard gave |
the above statement OF the origin of |
the fire to some of the neighhors. She
fingered. in great agony, until fo'clock
in the afternoon, when death merci-
fully put an end to her sufferings.
Mrs. Blackman WIS very young,
too young, it would seem, to die. She
was not quite % years old and leaves
three children. the youngest an infant
five months old. The body will be
taken up the Charlotte road to day
for interment IL Bladen county.
Accidentally Killed.
AcoIored boy about1l years old, by
the name of Geo. Miller, was accident
ally shot and killed by Abraham vii
also colored, on Tuesday
night. Tie boy was living with VIII
hanson, by whom he had been adopt
ed, and the affair was found on the IN
quest to have been entirely accidental,
About o'clock ofthe nightin question
Williamson, who lives on the Wrlghts-
vile road, at what is known aG the |
Four Nile Branch, was sitting III his |
house in company with his wife al d !
the 10y, George Miller, engaged |
in cleaning his gun preparatory |
to d hunt, which he expected to |
take yesterday. While busy with /
it his wife made some remark, |
which caused him to turn around rather |
suddenly, when the gun was, i'll some |
unexplained manner, discharged, the |
load entering the breast of the boy and |
infiicting a wound from which he died |
in very short time. The neighbors |
heard the shot and rushed to the |
house, in time to hear the defamation
of the dying boy that the shot was an
accidental one. Yesterday morn
ing Williamson came up to the |
city and stated the facts to the |
Sheriff and surrendered himself into |
custody. Coroner Hewlett was at |
once notified anda jury was empaneled |
and an inquest held during the after
noon. The jury rendered verdict |
that " deceased came to his death by |
the accidental discharge of a gun in
he hands of A raham Williamson.
Death of Col. James w. Hinton.
Not many days ago our departe
friend sat opposite to us In the room !
where we now write. and when he left !
us we recalled the fact that we had |
never seen his step tirmer. never heard |
his voice more sonorous, and never |
seen masculine energy more fully dis
pIayed in bis sturdy figure than it was
on that occasion. We were the more
IMPRESSED with these facts because his
miud was overshadowed with the sad |
presentinlent of his approaching fate,
and Yesterday the dread messenger |
summoned him Just as he anticipated. |
It is impossible for us to realize the |
fact, and stunned by the sofrowful
announcement, we record 1t with un-
soeakable sorrow. His worth as a |
friend and private citizen is beyond |
all place. Warm, generous and en- |
thusiastic in temper, he made friends
in every field OF action IN which he |
appeared, and these he bound to blm-
self by hooks of steel by his solid |
virtues. AS a soldier he had follow
ed his colors faithfully. AS lawyer
he had attained the front rank of his
profession AS public man his eto-
ouence has reused thousands OF his
countrymen in the S nth and beyond
the Ohio; to the discharge of their
duty: and both as a man and Mason
he was an ornament to his order, the
community in which he lived, and his
adopted State. Now that he has fallen,
in the meridian of his power, he Will
be mourpe,. by host OF friends-not
only by these, but by the people of
the two great commonwealths, who III
mipgling their tears over the untlme-
lv grave of James W. Hinton, will be
drawn still nearer in the ties of their
warm regard aud common brother
hood Norfolk Landmark.
Supreme Court.
Among the decisions in the Su-
preme Court on Monday last, we find
the following relating to this section
By Pearson, G. J.:-Ivey Smith vs..
s. D. Smith ct at, from Duplln. No
error. Judgment affirmed.
By Settle, J.-Thomas III, Sutton,
vs.. j. L. Mcmillan, from Bladen. Err
). G. Blue VS.. J. L. Mcmillan, from
sBIaden. Error.