The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-04

Forgery and COnspiracY~~The De-
fence win Introduce no Evidence
Unless Conspiracy Is PrOved--The
News and o observer Dispatches Stolen
Special to the News and Observer.
MoREHEAD CITY, N. O., Aug. s
To-day the Board of County Super
~visors met in Beaufort, and the IN gis-
trates in the insurance case are members
of the board and one of them is chair
man. The case was not considered to-
day, bat it was more talked of than be,
fore. Public sentiment seems to me to
be divided, with large majority of the
people neutral and saying nothing. Very
naturally Beaufort people do not con-
demn well known citizens of grievous
crimes until they are found guilty. But
the sensational evidence that has been
brought out in the trial this week has
caused many people to change their
minds.
The State attempts to prove three
charges: /, fraud; 2, forgery; con-
spiracy. The first has been conclusively
proved. 1he second is strongly eyi-
denced in the cases Of Silas Blount,
Samuel Williams, William Fisher, and
others.
But conspiracy is one OF the most
subtle crimes in the calendar. 1t must
be proved almost entirely by circumstan
tial evidence. Men doa'6 gather on the
street corner like medicine yea3ers and
say: ''Con9 up, boys, we are going to
have q cons piracy, now" + it exists it
is secret, Jude gr0uud and ic Is hard to
dig up these bglied pipe lines Tae State
has introduced a large mass Of circam-
stantial evidence, but whether this is
strong enough to prove conspiracy re-
mains to b. seen
The defence viii, / understand, not
introduce any large amount of evidence
unless conspiracy Is more particularly
proved by the States evidence.
The court room is the hall of the
Teachers Assembly. A crowd Of inter
ested listeners, ''all sorts and conditions
of men, from the summer tourist TO the
negro fisherman, gather each day and
listen eagerly to the testimony. When
some unusually sensational bit is brought
out murnur of surprise passes over the
crowd To most of them it is ike read
ing tle D00k Oh hSVeidliOuS.
The defendants in the case are I.
B. Delamar, Levi I. Noe, Selden D.
Delamar, Jacob O. Delamar, William
Fisher, David Parker, Silas Blount, Sam
uel Williams, Albert Wigfall, Stephen j.
Turner, William H. Turner, Chas Z.
HasseIl. Dr. s. W. Perkins
The insurance companies involved
Massachusetts, Benefit Life Association,
National Life Association of Hartford,
Conn, Mutual Reserve Fund Life Asso-
citation, Life Insurance Clearing Com
pany, Michigan Mutual Life Insurance
Company, German American Mutual
Life Association, Northwestern Life AS
sociation.
Referring to the tedious drag Of the
case Justice Willis said, 1.-THE court wants
this matter tried while we are yet alive. !"
Mr.. A. P Massey, Raleigh lawyer,
one of the attorneys for the prosecution,
is taking down all the evidence in short
hand so that the justices may have the
testimony absolutely correct.
The prisoners and witnesses, nearly a
hundred in all, are brought over from
Beaufort on the steam launch, sadie, :"
and sharpe, each morning and carried
back every night They are now under
5000 bond for their appearance next
Wednesday.
Perhaps something of the defendants
would be interesting:
Jacob Delamar, one Of the agents in
volved, is a young man OF careless ap-
pearance, short, stuDby beard, and pom
padour hair.
Levi T. Noe, another member Of the
firm of Noe, Delamar & Co, is a small,
young fellow, with an excellent face,
black hair, black eyes, and black nous
tache. He has broad, intelligent fore
head.
DR.. 7. B. Delamar, the man who
acted as medical examiner for Noe,
Delamar & Co., is rather small man,
and has the appearance OF being an opium
eater. he yesterday seemed to
be under the influence Of the drug while
in the court room, aud was several
times fast asleep. His face is not pre-
possessing and from his general appear
ance / wsuld not take him TO be a ply
siciau. he alleged that he graduated
at the College OF Physicians and Sur
geons of Baltimore, but the prosecution
say they will prove that he stayed IN
Baltimore but forty seven days, and
never had q diploma. a gentleman
stated to me that it was current rumOr
on the streets less than year ago at
the time his last wife died, that DR.. Del
am had attempted to commit suicide.
He is about thirty five years old and has
been twice married
S9lden ID. Delamar, the ex-mayor, is,
in general appearance, very much like
his brother, the doctor de has not
made his appearance at the trial, but
sends certificate of the doctor that he is
unable TO come to Morehead City.
Si!2s B.ount is black as the ace OF
spades, with light beady eyes, hair part
ed in the middle and standing out on the
sides. while his side whiskers jut out on
either side like hairy peninsulars. h
is said to be the finest penman IN the
county, white or black, and is a leader
among the negroes. He is town com
missioner of Beaufort and a general al
around politician aud prompter. People
tell me ne is the smartest negro in tht
county.
William Fisher is large, fine looking
mulatto VINO once kept an eating house
on Market street This was when tht
town was uDder prohibition, and BllIi
place was supposed to be the headqdar
ters of the liquor element, and | am in
formed that he was believed TO run ;