The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-03
A VERY SAD AFFAIR.
Two Colored Men Die of Drink
and Exposure to the Cold.

This community was startled Sun
day at the intelligence that two colored
men were found dead within short
distance of each other near the North
ern edge Of town, having come to their
death by being exposed to the cold
LYING out on the ground while in
drueken condition Saturday night. They
were Willie Daniel and Babe Brame.
about Is years old. farm hands who
lived with Mr.. Sandy Basket about
| three miles from town. 1t seems that
with others they went to shooting
match in the country, drank freely Of
wine and then came to Henderson and
got whiskey at several places. The
party started home late, on foot, and
had not gone far before Daniel and
Brame got too drunk to walk. A negro
who lived near by was appealed to to
let them stay in his house all night and
he was offered pay, but he refused. Be-
ing unable to get along with them they
were left lying on the ground. Those
with them (the party being composed
OF six or eight men, white and colored)
thinking they would soon sober up and
go on home, and they having about as
much as they could do to take care of a
couple Of other men who were not quite
SO drunk.
Later in the night it rained and then
the weather turned suddenly cold and
somewhat Of blizzard sprung up &C
companied by snow. The negroes were
too drunk to know anything about their
nd ho
were found next morning within short
distance of where they were left, one
lying by the side Of the road and the
other in corn field about forty yards
away, covered with snow and stiff in
death. 1t was sad affair and some
body deserves severe criticism to say
the least Of it. Both were minors and
we are told were we'll behaved, indus
triOus boys not addicted to drinking
This was perhaps the first time they
had been drunk, but this was the fatal
step.
An inquest was held and the follow
ing is the verdict Of the jury substan-
TALLY in accordance with the facts
above. The same verdict was rendered
in both cases, but it sutfices our pur-
pose to publish only one:
STATE OF NORTH CARoLINA,(
VANCE COUNTY.
The undersigned, coroner specially ap-
pointed by the Clerk of the Superior
Court of Vance county to investigate the
case of the death of Willie Daniel, who
was found dead near the town of Hen
derson, n. c., on the Doth of November,
1891, respectfully report that in obedi-
ence to the order appointing him, he pro-
ceeded at once to summon 7. l.. Jones, j.
H. Malone, R. H. Switzerland, Ben
Smith, j. W. Reavis and |. c. Rowland,
as jurors, who, after being duly sworn,
proceeded to examine the body of Willie
Daniel and evidence, and who, after such
examination, found their verdict as set
forth in their report hereto attached.
He further reports that we were en-
gagged one day in such examination.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE FIELD, Coroner.
Nov. 80, 1891.
STATE OF North CAROLINA,(
VANCE COUNTY.
We, the undersigned, jurors summonsed
by George Field, a special coroner APP
pointed by the Clerk of the Superior
Court of Vance county, to make inquiry
as to how, when and by what means
Willie Daniel, whose body was found
dead near the town OF Henderson, n. c.,
Sundaymorning, Nov. 29th, 1891 to
his death respectfully report, that after be-
ing duly sworn, went out to where the body
was, near the head of Garnet street, near to
the corporate limits of the town of Hen
derson, and after carefully examining all
the testimony we could find we find that
the said Willie Daniel came to his death
by exposure to the freezing weather on
Saturday night, the said party being IN
der the influence of liquor to such an ex-
tent as to prevent him from seeking shell
ter from the snow storm on that night.
Respectfully submitted,
T. l.. JONES,
J. H. MALONE.
BENZ. Smith,
[. G. ROWLAND,
Nov, 30, 1891.