Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-19
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
HOMICIDE NEAR DOVER.
How Nicholas HIOsely Was Shot ON
the Bowers Beach WOad-FntaI
Result of II 'Big Saturday.

the bowers Beach WOad-FntaI
Result of n "Big Saturday,
Quarrel.
Special Correspondence of Every Evening.
DOVER, August IL 1t has long teen
the custom of Kent county negroes to
make excursions to Kits Hammock and
bowers Beach about this time OF the year
These excursions generally begin with the
first Saturday in August, the second Sat-
urday being known as &c Big day at
Bowers"
Last SATURDAY, waa that dsy. Many of
the negroes OF this county are steady
hands and the farmers on these occasions
send the four-horse peach wagons loaded
with their and their neighbors' hands, and
last Saturday morning had one who is
not accustomed to the habits Of these
people been along the road "a wagon after
wagon passed, making the very air ring
with their camp meeting songs, he would
only have said Surely these people are
happy
The crowd came from every direction
and enrly in the morning the beach was
lined with negroes. jersey Lightning and
tangle foot soon hogan to assert surprising
authority, and how different was the scene
that followed to the happy scene by the
road, when hill and dale echoed the songs
Of the old negroes whose heads are hoary
with age and whose memories are 80 full
of the kindness of their old masters of
other days, that they dare not speak of
them lest large round tear should trickle
down their wrinkled cheek. How changed
IL the picture Men ARE burrying to and
fro, women are scattering. and scream
ing for protection, while knives z,rs,
clubs, black jacks and revolvers flourish in
the air which is filed with CURSES OF the
most blasphemous character.
The universal and indscrimiuate fight
ing was, however, stopped, and only u
few little fights occurred during their stay
on the beach. But rum still reigned
supreme, and drunken and crazier became
the crowd Old grndges were brought to
light, and il was al the sober men could
do to keep things quiet.
Night came aud the wagons filed up for
home. When about 2 miles FROM the
Beach two OF the Wagons stopped to water
horses. One of the wagons contained the
notorious Burt johnson, of Camden, the
other belonged to Mr.. William Butler, and
was driven by his son, who took his peach
plckers down to the beach johnson and
his crowd could keep still no longer. They
the occupants returned the fire. Johoson's
crowd then u1loaded and began boarding
the other wagon. cutting and firing. When
on the wheel attempting to climb into the
wagon, Nicholas Mosely, one of John
sons crowd was shot in the forehead, the
ball entering just above the right eye.
The victim died before morning. DR..
Sharp, of Camden, was called in to see
thea lad nd nhaI fnr tb., L,n
but did not succeed in indingit
News of the shooting reached here
about IL O'Clock that night when the
sheriff and party went in search of the
Truths, one of whom it was said did the
shooting. They were found near Dover.
On Sunday the Coroner held an inquest
over the body of Mosely. The jury
rendered verdict that the deceased came
to his death by pistol shot from the
hands of Thomas d. Truitt, coored, who
is now awaiting trial.
Yesterday morning, two negroes, Jim
Truitt and Sam Pebbtion, came in town
and had writs issued for Burt johnson,
Ben Mosely and Abe Gibbs, charged with
assault and battery with intent to kill.
These men, in connection with Mosely,
the deceased, are charged with attacking
King Buffers wagon.
Gibbs was committed in default Of
81 ,0C0 bail Burt johnson gave bail for
II 81 900 as also did Mosely for $500. In
the examination before the magistrate it
was testified that Gibbs, and not Truitt,
i shot the negro Mosely. There is friendly
feeling towards Truitt, who is now II all.
Bishop Becker Recovering.
The many friends of Bishop Becker,
will be glad to learn that rs
rapidly recovering from his recent
illness aad Is. already able to
attend again to his ecclesiastical duties.
4 He had visited Ocean City TO off, slate at
the dedication of the Catholic church
( which il being erected there, church
founded, by the way, largely through the
4 muniiicencs of himself aud the Catholic
priests of this city and the Archbishop OF
Baltimore, Bishop Becker contributing
the ground aud generous sum towards
the erection of the building, Thus far
this is the only place of worship which has
n been provided for that sesdside resort.
and the services will be conducted by SUI b
of the Catholic clergy as may happen to be
stopping there from tune to time. While
stopping at Ocean Oily Bishop Becker,
being an expert swimmer, ventured
considerable d stance from the
beach, and experienced some diff
Guilty in regsining the land. Between
the exertion of buffeting the waves
and the weakening effects Of
the hemorrhage with which he
was suddenly attacked he was very much
exhausted when he at length reached
water il which he could touch bottom and,
after his arrival home on Monday after
noon, was SO i'll for short time as to be
confined to his bed. The hemorrhage
however was more exhausting than
dangerous, not being hemorrhage of the
lungs, which his physician pronounced to
be in excellent condition, and good
medical treatment so restored him that he
W IS able to be about again Tuesday and
+ is now troubled only with slight cough.
The Bishop has removed from his late
residence to the parsonage of St. Paul's
Church, jackson street below Fourth, and
expresses an intention in the future to
devote his time to the care of his diocese in
& neral rather than to paroehial duties. His
diocese is coextensive with the peninsula,
embracing the State of Delaware, the
eastern shore of Maryland aud the two
eastern shore counties of Virginia and
numbering within its limits come 80
churches.