The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1896-12-03
ANOTHER MURDER
WAS THE REPORT ON THE
STREETS YESTERDAY. ~

Chief woodall and Policeman BEN
nett Broke their Record on Long
Distance Foot Race to Find that
the Man was Only Drunk.
About O'Clock yesterday afternoon
the report began to fly around on the
street that negro man had been killed.
No one seemed to know where the deed
was committed but almost every body
admitted that some one was killed some
where in Durham.
The reporter in the office was kept
busy for sometime answering phone
calls from people in different portions
of the city who wanted to know "who
was killed" where was the murder
committed" "who did the killing and
what was the mans name killed" etc.
With pencil and note book in hand
the reporter Owed out into the rain and
hail to find out who was killed, by whom
and where. We began to chase rumors
One report said that a negro man had
been killed in bar-roorn. This was
soon found to be false and almost i'm.
mediately another rumor said it was at
one of the warehouses, but none Of ths
warehousemen knew anything about it.
The reporter was thoroughly wet and
disguised The never gets tired when
some one kindly offered the information
that the murder was committed at II. ].
Bass s. Cos prize house, near Dukes
factory; that negro man had cursed
white man who knocked him down with
q Ratchet and that he was lying on the
floor and expected TO die. The same re.
port also said that the man who used
the weapon with such deadly effect had
taken refuge in the offise at the prize
house and was at that time surrounded
by mob who wanted to lynch him.
In the meantime Miles Mccoy had
rushed up to Policeman Bennett out of
breath and told him that Daniel Rippey,
white, had knocked Gas. Latta, colored,
in the head at Mr.. B4ss's prize house
and that he had better 60 up there at
once. He also told him that it would be
advisable for him to take along physi-
clan or two to attend the wounded man
if he was still living.
Policeman Bennett at once reported
TO Chief Woodall and together they set
out, on double quick time, to get the
murderer before he made his escape
Now everybody around this section of
the state knows that if there is any one
thing Chief Woodall and his assistant
police like better than another it is to
nab" every evil doer who makes, or
tries TO make, Durham their home and
they had no idea of letting this man es-
cape.
In very short time the two gentle
men with blue clothes on, whose names
are given above. rushed up to the Office
of Mr.. Bass expecting to find a bloodv
corpse and see fleeing murderer. They
paused on the door way to get breath
and then with firm step marched inside.
It was then that they got the full parti-
culars Of the horrible deed"
CASTOR Latta, colored, went up to the
prize house more or less under the in
fuence Of whiskey. He cursed Mir.
RipPey who in turn simply slapped Lat
Ia down No one was hurt. There was
not even fuss and Latta was at that
time over on one side Of the house quiet
ly sleeping of the effects Of his drunk.
On their way back to the city the
Chief and Mr. Bennett found the re.
Toiter Of the Recorder, who FIRST started
cut after particulars wandering aim
lessly around asking every body and
every thing where the murder was com-
miiied. IT. was some time before he
eou d be gotten straight again and made
to believe that no one had been killed
But cit is a ] over now" and Latts, in
ell probability, will recover. The cases
Of Chief woodslI and Policeman Bennett
are the most serious.