The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-12
HE is ONLY IA YEARS OLD
ORDERED THAT HE BE SENT TO
A REFORMATORY.
THREE ON TRIAL FOR HIGHWAY ROBBERY
The Docket Will Be Finished Up Monday and
Judge PurnelI Will Go to Charlotte to
Hold Court this Week for
Judge Dick.
Judge Dick.

The mill of justice turned out eX
sceedingly small grist yesterday, but
by no means ground slowly. 1t served
the stuff up crisp and hote. Judge
Purnell and District Attorney Aycocl
kept things moving in doub.e-quick order
and when might came mo less than thlr
ty-nine cases had been disposed of.
Another days work like yesterday
and the docket will be clean. Cour
will be i'm session tomorrow until
O'Clock, and will then be adjourned unit
the January term. Judge Purnell leave
tomorrow on the $40 train for Char
lotte to hold court for Judge Dick, who
is sick
Another negro boy mail robber wa
tried and convicted yesterday morning
His name is Sam Wellons and his home
is in Goldsboro. Wellons, like Luthe
Wynne, the Powellsville postoffice ne
gro. is only IA years old
He stole the key to the lock-box
III. WE'LL and Brothers, of Goldsboro
about week ago and has ever since
been Systematically going Through their
mail to find letters with money in them.
Having opened the letters he tore them
up and threw the fragments ON the
streets.
On Friday morning, Messrs. WE'LL &
Bros. complained that they had received
no mail whatever from either North.
South or West by the night trains. Mr..
w. G. Hollowell. an employe of the
sGoldsboro postoffice. then devised a
novel scheme to catch the depredator.
He fastened string to n small bell
and then, by means of a tack, fastened
the other end Of the string TO Messrs.
WE'LL and Bros postoffice lock drawer
Nv. Lt-.1 H. <h,
mail from the Atlantic & North Caro-
lima Railroad, having been distributed,
the lock drawer was pulled open, caus-
ing the bell to jingle. Instantly Mr..
j. W. Miller. clerk in the postoffice,
glanced up and saw a negro boy taking
the mail from the postoffice drawer. He
ran around to the lobby of the postoffice
to intercept the boy, but in the mean
time Mr.. Hollowell (who was at the
delivery window called to a bystander
to catch the boy, who then had in his
hand about half dozen letters, taken
from Messrs. WE'LL e Bros drawer;
also the lost key to the drawer.
Besides the fragments of quite num-
Der Of letters and a check for 1898
which were discovered, nice pair of
kid gloves were uncovered, which had
been mailed to the firm, and were taken
~
by the boy.
The case was disposed of in a yer
rapid manner. In less than twenty
three hours from the time the offender
was first detected in Goldsboro, he was
brought here, indicted, tried, convicted
and in Jail under sentence.
As soon as Wellons was caught in
eGoldsboro Postmaster Dobson wire
for a postoffice inspector, who was at
tending United States court here, and
who reached Goldsboro at $50
Friday evening. The boy was
taken before a United States
Commissioner, plead guilty to the
charge. He arrived in Raleigh at S:45
yesterday morning. A bill was sent to
the grand jury Immediately upon their
assembling and an indictment returne
at 1910 O'Clock. Wellons again enter
ed plea of guilty, and at 10:40 sen
tence of one year and one day impris
onment was imposed.
Judge Purnell later made an order
that Luther Wynne and Samuel Wei
Ions be sent to reformatory at Wash
ington, d. C.
Another case that was ont of the
ordinary and attracted considerable in
- terest is that against three white men
in Franklin county-B. p. Strickland
Gordon Green and Buck Knight-charg-
ing them with highway robbery Of Unit
ed States property.
The facts in the case seem to be abou
these: Sometime in September a mum
Der of revenue officers went down to
Youngsville on raid. just beyon,
Youngsville they got out of their car
riage and told the driver, Frank Scott, to
bring it back to Raleigh. In the car
riage was Deputy Collector Vile
Jones' valise. In it were some govern
ment locks, stamps, bottle of whis
key and some of his own property.
After Scott had passed throug
Youngsville and gone about half a mile
he stopped at the home of Knight and
asked the way back to Raleigh, as he
did SO Knight came out and held tn
(horses. Strickland drew his pistol an,
took the valise, while Green made ugly
Threats and told Scott to leave there in
hurry, which he did.
], 1t is for this that these three mer
Ire now on trial. The case was no
finished yesterday afternoon. and tn
hearing will be resumed tomorrow morn
ing.
A Lenofr moonshiner, James Hous
ton. excited much amusement by ar
guing his own case. 1t didn't take tn
jury tiIftc uluuttS 10 UTluS Ill a VerUlct
of guilty.
Cases finally disposed of yesterday
were as follows:
Joe Mangum, distillng, imprisonment
for sixty days and fined 500.
Archie De Keyser, retailing, guilty:
imprisonment for thirty days
Joe Grissom, distiling, guilty: impris-
onment for sixty days and fined 500.
T.. B. Morris. charged with. breaking
into warehouse, was called and failed
to appear.
VIII Mangum. working at an Illicit
distillery: case mol pressed.
Samuel Wellons. violating postal laws
plead guilty: Imprisonment for one year
and one day.
Fletcher Strickland plead guilty OF
working at an Illicit distillery; imprison
nent for thirty days in the Cumberland
Charlie Butler, guilty of retailing
imprisonment for thirty days In the
Cumberland Jail and fined 500.
Jordan Harrington, distilling, plead
guilty Of working at an Illicit distillery
imprisonment for six months and fnet
s1OO.
James Houston, distilling and retail
V, guilty; Imprisonment at hard labo
n