The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-05-22

ne was a ragged beggar ~beseechiDg
next, he was the we'll dressed
gentleman giving money and advice.
The lone of voice and words were pre-
clsely In accord with each character.
And, right before our eyes, he would
become a school boy full of fun and
trollc, pretending to recite a lesson.
The next moment he was the stern
pedagogue administering punishment.
And so on, for an hour, he kept US in
a OF laughter mingled with express
s1ons Of astonishment and wonder.
The episode of the drunken man was
entirely forgotten. Just before the
conclusion of the performance, the
magician announced that, if any one
wished to learn how he performed his
tricks, he would teach him at the rate
OF $3.50 per trick. He stated that he
would be in his room at the hotel, to
accommodate such, Immediately after
the performance had closed and would
remain up till IL o'clock. He said that
he would leave town very early next
morning and this was why he had no
other time to give. Two men sitting
near me agreed to go to the hotel and
take lessons in magic. They asked
Stounder if he would agree to go to
their rooms in another hotel to give the
lessons. To this he readily assented.
This ended the evenings entertain
ment. 1t vas then half past ten o'clock.
My room was in the same hotel as
that OF the magician and adjoining. I
retired as SOC as I reached the hotel
and, being wearied in body from my
arduous labors of the day, 1 soon fell
asleep. l was awakened about half
past eleven o'clock by loud talking in
the room of my neighbor. Angry
words were heard and then rapid steps
were heard going out of the room and
along the passage. Then everything
was quiet. I wondered a little at this
but soon fell asleep.
About daylight I was aroused again
by voices in the next room, This time
they were evidently made by porters
moving baggage. These sounds soon
ceased and I slept.
At the breakfast table, that morning,
the talk was entirely about the last
evenings performance and the GOODNESS
be displayed in the encounter with the
drunken man.
Ten months afterwards | was again
in Tarboro. Superior Court was in
session, and the crowd in town was
very large. I asked my landlord the
cause. He replied: There is an in
teresting murder trial going on"
Then, looking at me earnestly, he
II believe you % one of my
guests at the time of the murder"
I guess not" 1 answered, II never
heard of it BEFORE"
But you here that night" he
said, "for 1 remember that you had a
room adjoining the murderer's-that
magician fellow Stounder."
This was becoming interesting and
mysterious to me. So I begged the
landlord to give me the whole story.
He gave me the following history:
II believe you left town Immediately
breakfast that morning. Well,
about two hours afterwards, news
came to town that a man had been
murdered and robbed, about
fifty feet from the main road in an OBJ
scure cart-path, on the Conetoe road,
about three miles south of town. The
sheriff summoned a posse and the cor
oner summoned a jury and at once set
out for the scene. I was n of the
conorer's jury. We found plain eyi-
dences that the man had been dragged
from the main road into the cart way
and there murdered. His throat was
cut and his pockets rfed. He was
identified as James W, Broome, a we'll
TODD cotton planter who lived near
Sparta, on the road to G~reenville. He
was in town the night of the slight-of-
hand performance, and was there,
drunk and disorderly, and 1 think he
had some words with Stounder during
the acting of one of the tricks.
sit was proved, on the inquest, that
Stounder was seen on the main street
going towards the river about II o'clock
that night. It was proved also that
the policeman who had Broome in
charge released him by order of the
mayor, on condition that he would go
straight home. This he did about half
past eleven o'clock, riding horseback.
was nearly sober at that time and
fully capable of managing his horse,