The daily gazette., 1879-07-25
BOOlblack Jackson.

N
THE NATTER OF HIS DISAPPEAR
ANCE AND FINDS SOME SUSPICIOUS
CIRCUMsTANCEs-Av VERY STRANGE
CASE.
Whea John Morris Jackson, one Of
Wilmington's well-knoxn negro boot
blacks suddenly dropped out Of the
world, so to speak, OH or about the night
of Friday June 9th Gas stated in the
GAZETTE of Tuesday, there were some
existing and transpiring circumstances
which have led his mother, and some
othrs into the ST ong belief, he having |
remained away 50 long, that he has been
d1alt with foully, and is now not among |
the living.
As has been stated in this paper, Mary |
Morris, Johns mother, had Silas Pritch-
ard and Susan his mother, both colored,
summoned before Magistrate Hagany, in
order to see if they could throw some
light upon the matter, as she believed
they could, and yesterday afternoon at 2
O'Clock, the Case came up. Nothing Of
importance was elected, aid Mrs. Nor
ris counsel withdrew the case saying it
ought to 60 before the Attorney General
as there was something in it he could
not falhom.
A GAZETTE reporter, who was pres
ent at that examination, felt sure that
| the case contained some interesting and
important points that had not tianspired,
and, far from satisfied, he entered upon a
general investigation, to which he devo.
ted the greater part of the afternoon.
| Jackson's mother was first called upon
at her humble home, No. 1l0S French
street. She i. an old woman, and is very
much worried about her son. John
Jackson, Is about twenty-seven years OF
age, and since he was three years old has
frequently been out of his head. A
short tima before the disappearance of
hn, he went to Hugh Lynch's .aloon at
Eleventh and Walnut streets, and sold
coat for counterfeit twenty-five cent
piece. Mr.. Lynch gave him the "quar-
ter" in fun and tried to get 1t back and
make him take the coat, when difficult
ty sprang up, which ended In John sue
ing Mr.. Lynch for assault and ba terry
before Magistrate Hagany, for which a
slight fine was imposed and payment Of
costs required. This was on the Friday
in quest on the night of which appears to
have been fatal one for John Jackson.
This far, Johns mother says she gives
"hearsay" statement. On this Friday,
John was drunk and she saw him last, at
o'clock in the evening, when he said he
Was going away and went out the back
way.
The basement of the house was then
occupied by the Pricbard family. About
three O'Clock the next NOR ming as Mrs
Morris was sitting at her window to catch
the benefit of the night air, she saw Silas
Pnchard come down French street in a
great hurry from Tenth and burst into
the basement. He quickly awakened
his mother and sister aud took them on
L and down Eleventh street in their nigh
, dresses. Mrs. Prichard came back ant
, got dressed; and went down again an(
, then all came back and went to be;dthe,
4 talked excitedly. While Mrs. Prichar'
was gone the second time, Mrs. Morri
: looked down the street thinking there
: must be a Hte somewhere and saw a wa
3 gop. The next day, suspec ing nothing
, she asked Mrs. Prichard about the doing,
Of the night before and that woman wa,
, silent for full five minutes, wonder
!, struck. When she d. speak, she made
4 startling observation. "Mrs. Norris,
said she, on that occasion. "Silas saw q
wagon down the street and he came to
} me scared; he thought tina. they had i,
. there to take Johns body away in.
, | Again she said she saw them put some
thing in the wagon but would not say
| who they were.
A day or two afterwards, Mrs. Prich-
ard denied going out at all with Sila.
Y that Dght,and now knowsnothing abou
;. subs antially M ry Morris, statement
8 Josephine Dickson who lives::at No. II0'
o French street, heard Prichards moving
+ about good bit that night.
. There is another circumstance tina
took place in the neighborhood tina
: night whsch naturally suggests tragi
}, connection withJackson'sd n'sdisapperrance
d ored mau, who Is employed at Merit
!. European Hotel, lives on Tenth stree
:, near Walnut, with his wife Lucy who i
= also intelligent and is dress maker
IL They came from Washington a yea
u ago, and seemed to be trustworthy. Tha
Friday night. or Saturday morninI
e rather, about o'clock, as the womal
q she heard the words, "Murder, murder
>, murder" This may have been dream
y she says, but shortly after that she hear,
something that she wishes had been
e dream. She heard voices as of mel
'e talking, and looking out saw two mel
e. standing by dark object that lay or tn
'e grass, on the edge oi little lot that lie
Is TO Sanders.
,r One was tall man in light clothe
h and light hat, and the otl er short an
y stout with black clio hes and dark hal
The slim one was complaining, and ASK
Y ed the time of night. The other respon
IS ded "thie ee O'Clock" They seemed in
& qua ,dary as 20 what to)do with the objet
e IN the grass aud at last the stout one weI
ar and got wheel barrow up Walnu
70 street somewhere saying they had I
h move it away. They put the object o.
- this vehicle and wheeled it up. l
front of the house and she saw it was th
8. body of man and, Mortified, called ht
ID husband who also saw it. Que whee1e
y, the barrow; the other held the head o
it the ground. They wheeled the body u
Nj Walnut street and they saw it no NOR
lv Mrs. Sanders told the reporter straigl
~ story and said she had not spoken of I'll
y matter because she wanted to hear {
re new developments first.
G. Both she and her husband are sure
t. was dead mans body Elizabeth Ma.
IL ton, next door to Sanders, also saw th
d, dead man on the wheelbarrOw.
nj From Mrs. Morris, the reporter learr
20 ed that Mason Loper had said he ha
ssS seen John that Friday night. Aft
20 great difficulty and exploration, Lor,
q. was found to he cOlored man wi
)u keeps candy shop over Eleventh sire
We bridge. Loper said jackson came the
about o'clock and staid an hour. L
was very drunk. He said he was goir
to Philadelphia, and showed what
said was railroad ticket, but it was
ticket for the street railroad. He had 1
money and wanted to sell his coat 4