The Caucasian., 1895-08-08
TROUBLE IN WILSON COUNTY.

A Magistrate Alleged to Have Encouraged
Trouble--A U. 5. Guaeer Charged With
Illicit Distilling.
Mr.. James II. Pou writes me from
Smithfield letter in regard to the
Johnston county mOOnshiners, in
which he takes issue with the evidence
on file here in the office of the United
States marshal and revenue collector.
He says these offices have been greatly
misled by M. d. Taylor. He states
that he knows Taylor well and is only
surprised at the small number of dead
and wounded he reported. Taylor is
here, and says he was driven out of
O'Neal's township by moonshiners and
their allies. Mr.. Pou says he does not
live in O'Neal's township, but is ia
miliar with its condition and owns
several farms in it, and, excepting the
shooting of M. G. Holland, cannot re-
call any considerable breach of the
peace there since the autumn of 1892.
NJ. D. Taylor cut a magistrate named
Jones very severely in the throat at a
political speaking, and Mr.. POu says
was tried and convicted of that offence
He denies that there is any "reign Of
terror" in O'Neal's, as officially report
ed here by Taylor. 1t is true, he adds,
that certain persons in the eastern
part of the county near the Wilson
line, who were morally offensive to the
community, have been visited by '.white
caps" and that in other sections viola
tions of the revenue laws have been
too frequent, and he expressed the
hope that the guilty persons may be
caught and punished. He wants the
United States marshal to Investigate
M. D. TaylOr's character. 1t was said
| when Holland was shot that he was a
spy on moonshiners. Now it is alleged
that he was a mOonshiner and Operat-
ed still in his kitchen.
The people in the revenue office have
the notices to Taylor sent by the
which they told him that if he did not
leave as soon as he gathered his crop
they would torture him. A letter is sent
of an order to Taylor to leave. These
are the papers which the collector will
send to the Postoffice Department.
The above appears in the Will
mington Messenger of July 3Oth
1895, the tenor of which evidently
is to discredit the statements made
by Taylor.
We happen to know the facts az
to the cutting Of the magistrate
Jones by Taylor, referred to in the
article, and although the jury in the
case rendered a verdict of guilty, yet
the court thought him SO nearly
justified in his action that it did moi
, impose any fine on him and ever
excluded the fees of part of th'
witnesses in charging the cost
against Taylor. The fact is Jone
made the assault on Taylor and fol
lowed him up-Taylor trying to re
treat and get out Of the way. MI
,, G. B. Aycock, now U. S Distric
Attorney, appeared for Taylor OF
the trial, and knows the facts to b.
as here stated as elected at the trial
! We do not consider it any credi
e to Jones, under the circumstance
e that he was a magistrate at th
time-when in reality he was pre-
t voking the dificulty-being backe
: by crowd calculated to bring abou
: a riot, instead of trying to keep th
peace as his oath of office epjoine
y him. It did not come out at tn
S trial that Jones was magistrate,
This same Jones is now boun
s. over to the U. S. Circuit Court fe
violations of the Int. Rev. laws
h making and selling whiskey-and .
n the same time holding a commissio
v as U. S. storekeeper and guager.
This seems to be about the on
- charge against Taylor except not Ii
al ing in O'Neal's Township, but v
know he formerly lived there, and
not living there at the time of mo
t. ing off from the threats of Il
re ssviqilance committed" he was vel
g, near the line in Beulah township
g adjoining township.
i'd We saw a reliable citizen from Il
ID neighborhood yesterday, and c.
Of give his name if necessary, WI
lg stated that on account of threat
70 threatening letters &c, Taylor lay
in his house at night with his &,
m loaded and across his body, fearil
le, an attack from s.white caps"-
ss called,
ty We do not write this at the
N, stance of Taylor or any of
re: frienda-nOt having seen him