The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-02
THE DROSS NECK TRAGEDY.
The Inquest Over the Murder of Walter
Pemberton, Whose Brains Were %
Out Saturday N~ight-The Murderers Not
Captured.

The Inquest over the Murder OF "aiter
~Pemberton, Whose Brains Were Shot
Out Saturday Night-The Murderers Not
Captured.
There were no new developments yes
terday in the Dross Neck tragedy in
which Walter Pemberton, colored, had
his brains shot out last Saturday night
about 10 o'clock.
Coroner Jacobs on Sunday summoned
the following jury Of inquest to inves-
tigate the matter: DR.. T. B. Canoll,
John Maunder, W. H. Guitar, George
Mallett, Edward Williams, and David
H. McClearney. They viewed the body
and took a recess till 2 o'clock yester-
day afternoon.
Pemberton's former home was at
L%aurinburg and his remains were sent
there Sunday afternoon for interment.
He has resided here about six months
and lived on Brunswick street near the
brewery with his sister, two brothers
an nephew.
Pursuant to adjournment for recess
the jury of inquest met yesterday at
2 o. M, at the court house.
The first witness called was Mary
Houston, colOred. She testified as 1ol-
lows: / knew the man who got shot.
His name was Walter Pemberton. l
live in the front part or n mouse
where he was killed. I was SICK and
had gone to sleep in my ROOM, and was
awakened by shooting in the house.
When I went to sleep there was only
one man in the house and that was
Jim Whitley. 1 don't know what time
it was when l heard the shots. l got
up n tried to open the door. When
1 locked the door before retiring the
keys had fallen on the floor in the dark
and I couldn't find them at first. When
I found them I unlocked the door and
came out. I came out into the passage
and saw Simon Prince standing near
the door by the body of Pemberton.
Pemberton vas lying on the floor in
the passage dead I jumped over his
body n ran out doors. Prince was
next to the passage door between Wal
ter Pemberton and the door. l heard
two shots fired. 1 heard Jim Whitley
say Who did the shooting. When l a
out, ] went over next door. When L
passed Prince don't know whether he
had a pistol or not, I was SO frlghten-
ed. l never heard him say he was shot
in the arm. After l came back to the
house I heard some one a he had
been shot in the arm. When I returned
Simon was the only one of the men in
the house who had been shooting.
Don't know whether Henry Shepard
went out of the door or window.
Jim Whitley being sworn testified as
follows: On last Saturday night my
self, Simon Prince, Archy Bradley and
Walter Pemberton were sitting in a
room in my house talking. Henry Shep-
ard came in and while we were sitting
there talking socially. No one else
was in there. Henry Shepard owed ST.
mon Prince a little money, or 1 sup
pose he did, for Prince said pay me
that money" Then they got to argu-
ing over it. I heard Henry say:"Well,
I won't pay it to you" Prince was sit
ting in the corner next to the window
n Henry Shepard was sitting in the
corener next to the passage door. l
was sitting between them. They kept
on arguing over the money. I saw
Prince get UP n step back into the
corner from where we were sitting. He
Prince did n drew his pistol. Prince
said pay me my money" Shepard
told him he wouldn't pay it. I saw
Prince pull out his pistol n Shepard
took out his pistol and Prince began to
walk towards Shepard. I said Prince
DOM do that" They kept inching up
to each other with their pistols in
tIlCA1 LII IL 1lldi1 L SIllOCIl vi lIlS1
got up and started to the door. Prince
kept walking up on Shepard, and I
said Don't you niggers shoot here"
L saw they were going to shoot and [
ran into the passage. When I got
out there I hard two shots fired. The
next I saw of Prince he was standing
up by the body of Pemberton. I went
out the back door and went UP on
Fourth street and informd Policemen
Louis Geyer and ]. Sharp. While I was
gone to the officers Prince left.I staid
at home till the officers came and ar
rested me. 1 heard some one say that
one of the men got shot. / was not ac-
He knew Mary Houston and came to
the house to see her. When I was in
the passage 1 saw him fall. I never
house where the shooting occurred.
Mary Houston occupies one side of the
house. I don't know how the broken
had been OF. in the lamp, and it might
have been knocked over. When myself
and the officers went back to the house,
gambling going on in my house tina
night, and no game of any kind.
Prince works for Powers, Gibbs & Co.,
I don't know where Shepard works.
Policeman Joseph Sharp testified
about Whitley's coming up to Fourth
street and notifying him and Officer
Geyer. They went to the house and
got there about fifteen minutes after
the killing. There was a dim light in
the fire place and a lamp was lighted
after thew wont in