The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-15
The GROSS NEGLIGENCE
Of P~enftentiary officials as to Escapes.
I'VE More COnviets Leave in Broad
DayIight-SecOnd and Third Regi-
ments COmpleted-TwO Deaths at
New COurage-RusseH Laughed at for
Trying to Run Loge Harris for Com
0ress.
Messenger Bureau,
Raleigh, N. c., July II.

1OluSDOTO COHIlHSeLtS dSSlBEeu " All
the Third regiment at Fort Macon did
not go. The Asheville contingent goes
today and fills the regiment.
Adjutant Cowles says he will APP
point Colonel Arthur Ellington Smith,
of Charlotte, provisional colonel of the
Fourth regiment Of the state guard,
until Colonel Armfield's term of SER
vice expires. Colonel Smith is a very
capable officer and was for years in
spector general Of the state guard.
The fight against the imposition by
the telegraph companies upon the
public in requiring the people to pay
for the revenue stamps while the tele-
graph company gets all the money, is
to be made very active. The COM
panies think they are well e~ntrenched.
It may be as well to say that no ac-
ton the companies have ever taken
has more surely hantened the day
when the government will take control
of the telegraphs, OF has done so
much to deepen the feeling against
these corporations. AS to kilograms
sent within the state your correspond
ent viii bring the matter squarely
before the railway commission Tues
day. 1t is as well to remember that it
is the companies who have interpret
ed" the law and not the commissioner
of internal revenue.
Revenue Collector Duncan will to-
morrow name E. A. Aiken, member of
the lower house of the Legislature, for
deputy collector, with headquarters at
Greensboro, vice T.. H. Vandeford. He
recommissiors Deputies Jack Shell
burn, c.. w. Means n G. Mebane, of
Greensboro, until August 18th. These
are all members of what is known as
the Greensboro force, which does spe-
cial work. 1t is said the collector of
the Western district will name some
deputy for this district, in exchange
for Aiken's appointment. Four of the
clerks in the office of Collector Duncan
are commissioned until August list.
This evening at the Agricultural and
Mechanical college the non-cOmmis-
stoned officers of the Second regiment
(of whom, by the way, there are some
211) will give q military german.
Two more convicts escaped from the
penitentiary yesterday afternoon, some
time between noon and 5 o'clock.
One is a federal prisoner named Mat
theWS, the other Dunlap, a state con-
Wet, under a f~ive-year sentence, from
AsheVille. Near the lake which gives
the water supply for the prison is a
"OOdCI u lllI III "CIC HUI Odl >
The cOnvicts removed the bars and
craWled through the drain, and both
in entering it and in leaving it were
in plain view of a sentry on the outer
Stackade, not Over sixty feet away,
and of one or the great stone wall, 100
feet away, and at that point yer fifty
feet in height. There are not a few
people who are openly charging that
some of the escapes are the result of
collision. This is quite broadly hint
ed az regards the escape of Gettings,
alias Merritt, the burglar from New
Jersey, who so easily got away Thurs
day night. The penitentiary manage
ment is unquestionably on trial n
persons who profess to know what
they are talking about say that in the
next ninety days there will be some
astonishing revelations of incompetent
cy and carelessness. The officials Of
fer no excuses for the escapes, but
merely say they nave not enough
guards; that there are only ten day
aid night, while at least fifteen are
needle
Yesterday afternoon the Second reg
iment was filled to it's war strength,
1880, and has some men to spare, who
will probably be transferred to the
First regiment. Three men deserted
Saturday night, among them two sail
ers who were members of the Green's
boro company.
The state today chartered the Penn
Lumber Company, of Aberdeen, Moore
county. r. A. Wagner and several
other PennSylVanianS are the stock
holders. The capital is s25, 900.
Senator Pritchard has induced the
war department to send to the state
m~usSum.here a 12-inch armor-piercing
shell, which has been fired through an
11A-inch plate of nickel steel.
The reports as to the crops say it is
hardly possible they could be better.
The tobacco crop is simply magnificent.
The only complaint is that it is too
large a crop.
Ex-Congressman Woodland of the
Second district says the political situa-
ton there is improving very much.
Democratic State Chairman Simmons
added: Yes n you can add that it
is improving in all parts of the state"
There is interest in the campaign and
promptness in giving information and
preparing for action and hard work
which augurs we'll"
Yesterday private Albert Abel of the
Nantahala company of the Second
regiment died in the hospital at Camp
Russell, of cerebro-Spinal meningitis.
His body was at $3.50 o'clock his morn
ing escorted to the train by a full COM
pan Yesterday afternoon private J.
Is. ftaper, OF the ASHeVllle
died of exhaustion. following delirium.
He had acute dysentery several days
and early Saturday night wandered
away from the hospital and went to
the woods ear by, where his first
sergeant. after an all night dseareh,
found him yesterday morning.
The Fayetteville Gree11sboFo,SG aseofl-
ia, Lumber Bridge Tarboro, AsheylHe,
Nantahalas and Rutherfordton esmpan-
les of the Second uregiment. file 4r aGr
counts a~aggregatipg o$as65l for dsubsiss-
ence,s etc; espFiorr toTtheir arrival at
camp, These the radjutant general APP
proves and forwards tor the war de
partment. The other fourn companies
make no chargeid; IS, Xtsfaa d5tw ..
politicians here at Governor Russelrs
attempt to induce the poalists to sup
port J: CaL.! Harris. Republican, ef6t
congress in this district na2- 80
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