The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-14
OUR CHARLOTTE BUDGET.

Trial of j. W s~(ilan-Austin, the
Old Homicide, Pleads Guilty Of Man
slaughter-yhe Squabble Over Position
Of Cotton weigh~r-New Bicy Gle Track
Fine Base Ball Game.
CORRESPONDENCE of The Messenger.)
Charlotte, n. c., September II.
The fall term of Mecklenburg's GRIM
inal court is being held this week.
Judge Sutton presiding, and the term
is one OF unusual interest on account
of the two very important cases which
! have come up for trial during the ses-
| sion. One of these cases is that Of lit
tie Johnnie Austin, a 1~0-year-old white
boy, who, on July 14th Of this year.
| stabbed and killed another little white
boy named Kell Cation. The attorneys
| representing the defendant submitted
| to the court a verdict Of manslaughter,
which verdict, owing to the extreme
| youthfulness of the defendant, the
state solicitor decided to accept. The
case was then gone over and the at
! tOrneys for both sides argued the mat
| ter thoroughly, after which the impos-
| ing Of the sentence was left to Judge
| Sutton, who informed the counsel that,
| owing to the popularity OF the case, he
would like to review the evidence, and
that on Saturday tomorrow morning
he would impose the sentence. Judge
Sutton said tina in all his experience
he had never had a similar case. 1t Is
thought that the sentence will be a
light one. The facts about What led to
this murder seem to be that young
Austin had been accused of stealing
ice cream at a church festival and had
been informed that young Cation was
the one who had circulated the report.
Austin went up to where Cation and
some other boys were playing and
asked him if he had told that he had
stolen the cream. Some words were
passed, and then Austin o an ice
pick out of a little wagon which he
was pulling and stabbed Cation, the
pick entering his heart. Cation then
walked a few steps, cried out for help
three times and fell dead.
The other case of peculiar interest
is that of J.. w. Milan, the ~absconding
cashier of the Seaboard Air Line ticket
office. 1t will be emb that
Milan left Will about $4,000 belonging
to the company, and was subsequently
captured in Tennessee, his old home.
Milam's trial began this morning, and
he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
liz lays Ioo pS1A III LIN IN
animation of witnesses, and the trial
will not conclude probably before some
time tomorrow. He is ably defended.
yet it is scarcely probable that he will
get out without a considerable SEN
tence.
The court docket this time. has been
a rather heavy one, and owing to the
time consumed in the trial of these i'm
portant cases, Judge Sutton will not be
able to clear the docket as he has to
adjourn tomorrow in order to begin
court at another point on next Monday.
Judge Sutton a made a host of
friends in Charlotte since his term be-
gan. His rulings have been manifest
ly just and fair to all concerned; his
bearing has been hat of a most up
right judge and an excellent gentle
man, and he is held in the highest es-
TEEN by the people of Mecklenburg.
The election Of a cotton weigher dur
ing the present week has furnished
abundant food for political discussion
and argument. 1t seems that the law
prescribes that the county commission
ers and the city aldermen shall meet
on the first Monday in September, and
elect this official in joint session. So
last Monday the aldermen met and no.
titled the commissioners that they
were ready to proceed to business. The
commissioners, for some reason, not
being ready, sent word to the alder
men that they would postpone the cleo
ton for a couple of weeks. At this the
aldermen went ahead and elected the
cotton weigher, MI. Joseph Shannon
house being the lucky man.. Mr.. 10
seph Withers, the present official,
thereupOn consulted his attorneys and
was advised that the election Of Mr..
Shannonhouse was illegal. Mr.. With
ers, by right Of possession. is. there
fore, still holding the Office. Mean
while h friends of both parties are
working for their respective man, and
how the matter will end Is purely a
matter Of conjecture.
An unusual drought has been prevail
ing in this section for some time and
not a drop Of rain has fallen in this
immediate locality in nearly three
weeks The result Of this dry weather
has been disastrous to crops, especial
ly to cotton. 1t is said that the ton
crop Of the plant has almost beer en-
tirely shielded; the bolls generally are
opening p~rematurely, and altogether
the crop is in a very serious condition.
Three weeks, or even two weeks ago
the cotton crop in this section was
never in a more promising condition.
and now the crop Is in all probability
cut short from one-fourth % one-third.
The corn crop will be a fair average
yield in spite of the drought, as the
crop was practically made before the
effect Of the dry weather was felt to
any great extent.
Charlotte's new bicycle track, built
by MI T. y. Latta at III Latta base
ball grounds, was formally opened r.
the public last night. The track was
opened with a grand electrical DISPLAY
and with an abundance Of fire works.
This track is one-third Of a mile
around, and is first-class in every re,
spect. A great crowd was present at
the opening, and the track was alive