The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-11
a Week Of Excitement.

several sensations last week. The Su-
perior Court being in session Hoke Sc
crest. alias Tom Medlin." was arraign-
ed for cow~-stealing. His counsel got
the case postponed in order to produce
proof that he was the escaped lunatic.
CBy the by. Hickory C~aroliHidn says
Secrest's grandfather was named Thos.
Medlin. and the 'scape-grace nephew
took his name.) Then began the trial
of Jim Coleman. colored, for outraging
and killing two mulatto girls. He was
defended by a colored lawyer named
ID. A. Straker who ''astonished the Ma
tives" by his learning. coolness& and
LEGAL ability The case was clearly
AGAINST him from the start. andh he made
no attempt to deny the double murder.
tut sought to establish the fac that
Coleman was crazy. He produced evil
dence of undou.ted veracity that the
negro was at times deranoed. But the
jury convicted in short order."1hen
OtCUIltu dl IlOiiilNl1lt IL X" lAit AVN
Columbia which resembles The one al
Haw River a few years ago. j. Is.
Oliver and a man named Rowe had 4
dispute. Rowe's ~sOn-in-law, j. r..
Williamson, took up the quarrel. and
went over TO divers house. Oliver
slipped into the thicket that night, but
wa at home next day when Williamson
rode up, and yelled at the house. Co
ing up the road, the latter circled
around the house, and got over the
fence. Oliver fired from the door crack
and killed him instantly. Oliver then
surrendered himself.-While these
events were in progress Judge Hudson
vas hearing the tamously infamous case
of DR.. w. 5. Sims for attempted assault
upon the person of his wife. The I'M
happy wife Is quite good looking, and
lady-llke in appearance. She came in
to court, accompanied by her grand
parents, and mother. The prisoner
was an intelligent young fellow, well
dressed, and wearing English side
whiskers. He has been in jail six
months-bail being denied. The wife's
counsel soon began to argue in favor of
stopping the case saying that she was
unwilling to testify unless compelled to
do so. The solicitor argued that she
could not stop o that she had sign
ed an affidavit, and the grand jury had
found a true bill, and the trial must 90
on. The judge took a night to reflect,
and then decided not to force the wife
to testify. The prisoner went to the
wronged woman, and whispered a few
minutes and she took the stand to de-
clare that she could not testify. She
wrote to the Judge:-
my husband has inflicted no bodily
injury upon me. and | have long ago
forgiven him for any wrong he may
have done me. / wrote the solicitor
that l wished the prosecution stopped.
and L now pray the cOur not 10 destroy
and the welfare of our child by forcing
me to testify in this case"
The court turned lose the prisoner ;
and he left the Bar, as notorious as the
notorious Congressman Robert Potter.
whose notorious trial drove him into
exile from the Old North State.
Upon his release DIR. Sims went to
the clearinghouse where his wife lad
stayed while in Columbia and received
a message from her to the effect that
she had just gone to take the up-train
for her mothers home at Mccormick.
Edgeteld county. He got a hack and
drove to the depot, where he met his
wife. and before the train left converscd
with her, briefly thanking her for her
~magnanimity. The train left, and Dr..
Sims returned. He was met by the
correspondent of the News and Comier
in the sheriff's office this evening. and
said that his future plans were unde-
cided. AT the proper time he would
make a statement which would satisfy
the public as to the character of the
charge made against him. He seemed
to take his freedom without marked Ella
ton.