The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-14

was the case). Instantly this man
upon the oldest sister, wtho had |
the three steps that interviewed /
between e-ch of the girls hurrying |
(~"because we was late" in Miss Mat |
ties own words) to h factory. Miss
Matte screamed, ran, and never SO
much as looked back. was. her |
whole opportunity for seeing the as
saflant. They were hurrying, three
steps apart, and after herself getting |
through the fence, III glance al the
man, one at her sister; the man springs |
upon her sister, and instantly there is
flight, with that species of fear that
does not permit her to look back, even. |
That morning was cloudy, and there
was fog, and a heap of it, too. The
weather reports VIII demonstrate the
correctness Of this, had not numbers Of
people seen that is it was true. The al
manac says the sun arose that morn
ing at GA, but Washington time being
about 10 minutes ahead Of the sun,
in this longitude. this would make
sunrise at 6:29 a. m, or 81 minutes af-
ter this occurrence. Furthermore,
wood skirted to the east of his place,
so L am informed, and rather calcu-
lated to darken the place, is my infor-
nation.
One paper has said that Mr.. Terry, a
white man, T~estifyins for the defence,
said it was light. He said some time
after the occurrence it was light
enough to see a man pretty we'll, but
hat lit was a very heavy, foggy
morning." l have been informed that
after the trial was over, and court had
adjourned on Saturday night, things
were mae pretty lively for him around
Rockingham, and there were wild
threats, because he went o the stand
and told what he did.
n would think the very best efforts
| would be put forth to get a correct de-
scriptiOn of the aSSailant, and no one
would send out orders to arrest any
person until u description was given.
| The wires We're hot with messages to
all adjacent places to catch a mulattO.
| The first description / saw of the Grim
inal was a telegram here in the and
| of an officer, from Mr.. w. N. Everett,
mayor of Rockingham, saying that it
was a mulatto. The sheriff got what
the father gave as the proper deScrlp-
ton, and it called for a mulatto. So
certain was the father that it was a
mulatto, he insisted that it fitted the
description of a certain we'll known
mulatto, whom he wanted arrested,
but the sheriff ascertained that that
man had not been in town recently,
w = hdt III -
Postal Telegraph operators summoned,
to bring with them all kilograms of de-
scription. and they brought many. Ii
there was one sent out within three
DAYS after the crime was committed
that did not call for the mulattO, / did
not see it. Some even called for mu-
1atto with white vest, dotted black.
Furthermore the first arrest was an
Italian and thick and fast thereafter
bright mulattoes were arrested. AS
late as the third day afterwards, John
Forepaugh ("banjo picker'), a bright
mulatto was arrested and escorted tC
Rockingham by the MaXton Guards
| Being carried before the little girl, she
did not identify. Shortly afterwards
Editor Cook, of the L~aurinburg Elk
change, interviewed her, and so posi-
tive was he hat she had found the
right man that he wrote in his notes
Miss Matte says it is the right man.
She told Mr.. Cook that she thought i
was. and her father said he though
that if brought before her without tn
soldiers presence to excite her, sh'
would say he was the right man. Mex
morning he was carried before her am
she failed to identify him. Now. MI
Everett. in his article last Sunday
saws: 1T is a sad day in North Car
DINA to let it go abroad that the Wor'
OF a good, honest white girl, of lntelll
gence and character, is to be thrus
aside by the Governor of this grea
: state, on the word Of a man who i
? swearing to save his neck, backed u
by two of his sorry, lying negro pals.
!. This little girl under IA, where there
t only a presumption in case one or TN
$ age should commit a crime, has n
word of censure from me. She rathe
= attracted me while she was on tn
= stand. But she is a child. n ma
be Just what thousands Of others haV
= decentralization as to the identit.
Some are familiar with the cas-
in Wilmington like this: A Grim
was committed on the stree
e (purse snatched, 1 think and the Grim
0 inal, running off, was noticed by on
f who had ample opportunity to percelV
o his features. The Identification OF or
t accused was direct and positive. If
" captain and part of the crew Of a We:
n sci testified that the accused was fa
out at sea on their vessel that da.
So it goes. Such Identification cannC
be beyond question. If so, why did NJ
the parties having the matter in han
among them Mr.. Everett, release jon
" ~Forepaugh when she said he was NJ
; the man.? Mr.. Everett said: Sever
:, arrests = = * were made without n
CMiss Mattie's) knowledge or autho
a ity. and as soon as she was consultt
a on the subject, those parties were IN
mediately released from custody
What was John Forepaugh, a brig
mulatto. carried from Miss Matte
;. presence to Wilmington for? And WI
. did he languish in New Hanover Js
y nearly a week.? Did those managl1
" the business doubt Miss Matte
y word" when she failed to identity,
VI soon as she was consulted on The SUI
~ ject? Gentlemen, it simply means tn
III YOU did not consider the identif1catlo
L or lack Of it, conclusive Then, pr
et do not arraign al those who feel nc
~ Just as you did then about the matt
o.. Of identification.
=, Now, as to the alibi, proved by val
w. Gus parties, among them negroes w
proved good characters by white me
-, and white men who proved good cna
al acters, what more can be said than tn
s. the men who slept with John Eva1
~ and who were with him all the TIN
LII proving good characters for themselv'
R