Daily Republican., 1881-07-09
The Blackbird Murder.


THERE'S certainly something out ol
gear in the administration OF justice
down in Blackbiri Hundred, ana SO iai
as Coroner Weldin is concerFed we
would advise him even at a sacrihce' 10
attend to his duties in that Hundred
personally rather than to commit the
administration of justice in cases OF
life and death to incompetent and lgho-
rant people. We have no doubt Tie
coroner did the best he could and ap'
pointed for his deputy in the two lower
Hundreds one of the most Intelligent
young men that he could find,
but after all it is evident that
there were number Of persons on the
Jury who though disposed to do what
was right and were as honest men as
could be found anywhere, they weTenot
equal for the emergency nor qualified
for the position Of members of coro-
uer's inquest. We can easily see how
such men would listen to the law oracle
of the Hundred who unfortunately was
a member of the inquest to ascertain
the causes of the death Of little Mary
Draper. From the circumstances sur
rounding the case it looks like put up
lob between the murderer Mason, and
the law oracle that the latter should be
on the jury OF inquest and that he
would there use his influence to render
verdict of justitiable homicide, We
say it looks as if this might have been
the case, for we would not unfairly
charge Squire Deakyne with duplicity
in such serious case.
Little Mary Francis Draper, only fVe
wears of age, innocent and childish, had
her little heart torn out by gun shot
wound from a gun in the hands OF
negro of bad reputation named Thomas
Mason. Lazily basking in the sun on
that Sabbath afternoon, he saw that
little child innocently playing few
feet from him The mind of the negro
reverted from the child to gun within
easy distance. Come here or Iii shoot
you," said the black wretch.
The child not wishing to he shot
started immediately towards the man,
obeying instinctively his command
Mason not satisfied with the ready
obedience of the child, snatcEed the gun
the same as if she had not obeyed, and
as she came trembling towards him, he
fred and the load of Shot and wadding
went crushing through the tender breast
of the child. Mrs. Reading, the woman
in whose care the child had been placed.
screamed when she heard the report OF
The gun and comprchended what had
been done, but tine vile wretch, Mason,
instead OF giving way to grief and dis
tres, for what he had done, upbraldcd
rhe grief stricken woman and heart
,esslv said, "Iou make as much fuss as
if the child was yours" In effect this
was equal to saying: "She is no ac-
count any how. Only a little "nigger'
child. What is the use of making a
fuss about it?' For this offence this
vile wretch, Mason, was justified by Il
coroner's Jury of Blackbirl Hundred,
New Castle County, because he said he
didn't know the gun was loaded, anu
the jury took his unsupported word for
if. 1t is true there were honest men
upon that jury, who thought it wasn't
right to clear the negro, but squire
Deakvne was member Of it, he knew
the law, he eXpounded 1t, he eHpatiated
upon it, and there was nothing to do
but to clear the negro, who, when he
tie act ran to him and made
him believe that he (Mason) did not
know the gun was loaded. OF course
when Mason saw what he had done, he
had to concoct some story, and what
could he more readily think of than
that he did not know the gun was
loaded? We hope this is the last coro-
ner's inquest that will be held in Black
bird Hundred if they result as this ont
did.