Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-01
NORTH STATE.
NEWS NOTES aAfHI1yD H1Rx AND
fHI1y Al HALKIGH.
A Rsprievs-Ths Coming Election for Ga.
prems Judgss- Discouraged 1spub-
lieans-Ths pearson-Jonss Case.
IspecIsl tslexnm 70 the pismtch.l

hanged May 7th, at Jacksonville, Ons-
low county. The reprieve ID until June
lst. The attorneys for the prisoner
petitioned for the rsprievs, and asked for
commutation Of the death-sentenee to
imprisonment for life ct hard labor.
There is always complaint Of action Of
the Governor in granting respites, but
it is safe to say that Governor Scales
takes no such action without good rea-
sons.
An election has been ordered at States
vile on the issue Of sl00, 900 in bonds
to the Roanoke railroad. A very sur
prisipg amount ofintercst is manifested
in this road.
The attention Of several prominent
Republicans here Was called to-day to
the statement that the Republican State
Executive Committee would not call .
State convention this year to nominate
Justices of the Supreme Court. Per-
sons interviewed said they thought .
convention would certainly bs called,
and that steps would be takento at least
make show Of making regular cam
psign. They did not speak with any de-
gree of hopefulness, but expressed them.
selves in such way IS to lead to the
belief that all that could be done was to
hold together as many of the old party ss
possible. 1t is . matter Of interest.
and goes to show the demoralization Of
the Republican party. 1t may be as
sumed, therefore, that the Republican
convention will meet and will nomi-
nate candidates, but that the movement
will not make single step
towards success. The only oppo-
sition to the present Supreme Court
bench on the part Of any Democrats
appears to be as to the ages Of two OF
the justices, and this may lead to some
changes by the convention. The pre-
sent bench is certainly an able one. The
work is too great for three justices, and
it is thought by many well-informed
people that the number will be made
five, as 1t used to be.
Late last night dispatch from Ashe-
Vile gave news Of possible amicable
settlement of the difficulty and threat
ened duel between Richmond Pearson
and Johnstone Jones. To-day's Ashe-
vile papers contain the correspondence.
General Jones takes ground against
duelling and declines the challenge.
This apparently settles the matter,
though some persons say that possibly a
personal collision may result. No affair
in years has created such stir and pro-
voked so much comment. The State
press is loud in its ridicule Of duelling,
and demands that the law on the SUBJ
ject shall be strictly enforced. Duelling
is a dead issue in North Carolina. AS
has been stated, the challenger or &C
cepter of q challenge loses all rights oi
citizenship and can never hold any office
of trust or profit in the State. Neither
the Governor nor Legislature can gram
a pardon.
Progress of the work on the railway
from Wilson towards Raleigh is now
quite rapid. The railway authorities
here are sure the road will be built te
Raleigh. Work on the through line
from Wilson to Fayetteville has pro
gressed with remarkable rapidity. This
week the force Of laborers was in
creased. Forty-five miles of steel rail
is already in operation. This line will
take the bulk Of travel from the old
line to Wilmington. II is built to CON-
pete with the Richmond and Danville
line from Danville ria Greensboro to
Atlanta.
Fruit-growers now pronounce the
fruit crop as safe from frosts in all Of
the State except perhaps few Blue
Ridge counties.
1t has been ascertained that the man
who committed suicide at Wilmington
Wednesday, by taking laudanum, was
James A. LASTLY, of La Grange, Le-
noir county. Information came through
Lassiter's wife, who identified her hus-
band through published description.
She has three small children. The poor
woman is nearly insane. Her husband
went to Wilmington in search of work
as q carpenter.
. Governor Scales may be able to oc-
cupy the Governors Mansion by the
end Of October. That is now the cal
culation of the penitentiary authorities.
who have the work of construction Of
the builping IN charge. 1t has been
twenty-five years since governor oc-
cupied . msnsion, the last executive
who did so being Vance. Governor
Scales had q consultation with Captain
Stamps, president Of the Penitentiary
Directors, and Architect Hicks to-day
on the matter.
A very sad case of insanity has oc-
CURED in Green county. Yesterday as
q man named Dickinson was at work
in his field in Chocowinity township,
Beaufort county, he heard voice call
in pitiful accents to an imaginary friend
to come back and not leave, then plead
ing with . supposed enemy, begging
not to be shot, saying he would sur.
render. Dickinson's curiosity was
aroused. He proceeded to the woods
from whence the sounds proceeded.
There he found man acting so strnge'y
as to leave no doubt of insanity. The
stranger wrote the name Arthur Spruill,
and from his incoherent talk it was
learned that be had been practicics law
at Snow Hill, the county. seat Of Greene
county, thirty miles from the place
where he was discovered. 1t is sur
missed that the slander suit recently
tried in Greene county was the cause of
his demented condition. Dickinson
cared for the maniac. took him to
Washington, and lodged him in jail.
Spruill originally came from Washing
ton county, and is connected with the
best families in that section. He was
recognized at Snow Hill as . brilliant
lawyer.