The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-21
WONDERFUL TESTIMONY
FIRES AND RIOTS THAT HE HAD
UTTERLY FORGOTTEN.
HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIS FINAL EXT
Cot S, Mad Being Hurried he Wanted 10 Stop
and Die. Did not Hear any Threats
Made,txcspt by Democrats.
He is a Populist.


In the taking of evidence in the
Dockery Bellamy contest yesterday the
entire day was consumed by J. II.
Melton, ex-chief of police of the city of
Wilmington.
After a look at ]. Il. Melton the
spectator gets an mixing of what sort
of law and order Wilmington must have
had when he was preserving them;
after a day of j. II. Melton's testimony
the spectator thoroughly understands
what sort of law and order any city
would have that had Melton at the head
of its police force. He looks like a
moonshiner of long apprenticeship who
had taken postgraduate course OF
small grocery store. His pale, tishy blue
eyes, his protuding underlip that looks
like a crescent of half-cooked pancake,
his pidgin English, that he mumbled in
descending pitch of uninteli-
gibility until attorney and steno-
grapher were wild-all these
make one day of Melton enough
for most constitutions, and the only
wonder is how Wilmington stood him
for so long and finally let him get away.
And no living man ever before suffer
cd with such failure of memory. On
cross examination he became a
lnnemonc bankrupt and could not recall
the most common and frequent occur
rences of his official life at Whining
ton; even such startling things as fires,
fights and riots had left no traces by
L IL. Il H.,
called to his attention. He had never
heard of Il negro making threat against
IL white man, they were all orderly and
law abiding; he had never seen one with
Il gun, only the sDemocrats knew what
guns We're; there was no fear for life
and limb and property in Wilmington-at
least j. r. Melton, of the fishy eye,
ex-chief of police of that city, remem-
bered nothing about it. All had gone
well until he was run out of town. On
that point Melton's memory was of the
very best. When he approached his
own tale of woe he grew voluble
knew more about that than ever occur
red or other men ever imagined. But
so soon as his official record and mat
tiers pertaining thereto became the topic,
the underlip dropped loosely down and
j. Il. Melton forgot. He was eloquent
only of the exodus, of the speeding
which the parting guest had received.
One of the most unique of his many
forgettings was in regard to the burn
his administration. At first witness
could recall nothing of it, had never
heard of it. Then finally when the
IL I, Il.
suddenly launched into minute rela
ton of the whole affair, telling how he
had gone out to the house himself and
tried to prevent the burning. j. K
Melton had evidently behaved with the
greatest Judgment and intrepidity and
the house had been burned in spite OF
him.
His evidence, so far as establishing
fraud and intimidation was concerned
amounted to little and that despite the
fact that attorney for contestant tool
him resolutely by the nose early
in the game and led him for the
rest of the day, a willing if ungainly fol
lower. When taken with the proper pro
portion of salt the testimony comes to .
Dockery deficit.
Mr.. Robt. Burns, of CaSthage, APP
peared yesterday and assisted as coun
sci for contestant. The examination o.
other witnesses will be resumed to-day
DIRECT EXAMINATION
John II. Melton. ex-chief of police Of
Wilmington. for Col. Dockery, being
called, counsel for contestee objected to
examination because he was not beyond
the reach of subpoena and the examina-
ton could have been had i'll the Sixth
district Witness said ] K. Melton was
his name, he had no steady occupation.
Q.-What is your politics and place OF
residence?
Al am Populist and reside at Mag
nolia.
Q.-What is your age?
40 years old next October.
Q.-How long have you resided ii
Magnolia!
A.-Nearly four weeks.
Q.-Where did you reside during th'
campaign Of 1898 and or election day
of that year?
Wilmington, \. {.
Q.-How long have you lived there!
A-All my life but 5 years.
Q-What position if any did you hol,
during the last campaign?
Al was chief of police of the cit.
of Wilmington.
Q-Will you state the character an'
nature of the campaign waged by the
Democratic party in the county of New
Hanover in 1898:
Counsel for contestee objected becaus,
question called for opinion of witness
and not for facts.
A-The Democrats made u very az
gressive campaign, using shot guns, ri
fes and threats or threatening to us
them in order to carry the election
(Answer objected to-
Q-WilI you state what you know o
the use of shot guns and rifles in Ney
Hanover county during the campaign?
Al know they were used, carried o
the street in day time, but not as nun