The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-03
WE'RE NOT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
The Two Negroes Arrested Yesterday
Have Been Discharged.

Have Been Discharged
please send two officers down to the
Southern Railway water tank to arrest
two train-wreckers."
That is the message that came to the
station house yesterday morning at $50
o'clock 1t was sent from the Park
Hotel and the man who asked that it be
sent was a negro who gave his name as
". ID. Campbell. He is dark mulatto,
of medium height and middle age. He
looked wild and excited and could hardly
wait to find out whether or not the officers
were coming.
Before coming to the hotel Campbell
went to several other places, the last one
being the Union depot, and asked them
to telephone for the officers, as he had
spotted the wreekers and feared they
might escape. Everywhere he acted like
a crazy man.
In response to the message from the
Park officers Jones and Ellison went
| down to the Southern= Railway water
| tank where the section hands were at
work and upon Campbells statement ar
| rested two of them-Henry Coyington
and Mike Ellerbee.
They were taken to :the station house
and an investigation of the charge against
| them at once begun.
Campbell said he was a professional
detective in the employ of a certain we'll
known detective in Savannah, Ga, (giy-
ing his name), and that he had been on
the track of EllerbrGe for some time.
Friday night he said he (CampbelD crawl
ed under the house OF Mary Lee, where
Ellerbee lived, and heard him talking
with the woman about wrecking the
Seaboard freight train Wednesday morn
ing. He said Ellerbree said he was sorry
that his and Henry COvingt0n's plans
miscarried and they didn't get the vesti-
bule as they had intended.
This was CampbelPs story Now the
question arose as to how much truth
there was in it. Mary Lee was sent for.
She denied the whole story. Another
woman, Hattie Powell, was in the house
during the night and she corroborated the
Lee woman.
Sectionmaster Moore, of the. Southern
Hallway, said the two men were quiet.
industrious negroes and had been in his
employ since last May. Previous to that
time they had worked for the Seaboard.
They were not discharged. but volun-
| tarlly gave mp their jobs on the Seaboard
TO come to the Southern.
This gave the lie TO Campbelrs state
ment that he had been following Eller-
bee for some time. A telegram was also
sent to Savannah to the detective. He
denied any knowledge whatever of Camp
bell. This again looked bad for the ac-
ctser of the two men in the station house.
In the meantime the Seaboard authori-
ties had also, through a detective, been
investigating the matter Both the city
and railroad authorities decided that
there was nothing in the charge and the
men ought to he released unless Camp
bell could explain a few things; but he
wasn't there 30 explain and couldn't be
found. So yesterday afternoon the men
were discharged.
Campbell has been in Raleigh for about
a month. Nobody knows where he came
from. He says his business is a detec-
tive. Many think him crazy The au-
thorities, however, are inclined to the
opinion that he caused the arrest of Eller-
bee on acco3Int of jealousy of the Lee
woman.
1t is suggested that it would be a good
idea for the city authorities to purchase
pair of blood-hounds. They WELD a
great influence in a community for good
among a certain class. The city could
keep them at very little expense and
WHY CouIu tHey not DE u source OF pf0ntg
Neighboring cities and corporations would
want them on certain occasions. Charge
them for the use Of them. They would
be worth their weight in gold to this city
to keep the poultry and chicken thief
at home. The average petty thief don't
care to come in contact with a hound.
The very mention OF them make them
shudder. They would be a source of
revenue Instead Of an expense. What
think you?