The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-18

turning from my Held las morning, IL
met Moses Evans and he asked me If
1 heard that a man was found dead
al the bridge. l told him I had not
and asked him where he got the news.
He said Preacher Capot and some
other colored man sal he was on the
evening train coming into Wilmington
and saw the man lying beside the
track. On Friday morning l saw some
women going towards the bridge, but
never saw any n in the afternoon
/ first saw the body this morning
about IL O'Clock. II vas on the north
side Of the creek at a telegraph post.
opposite the elevation where / stopped
when ! went to investigate the cries
About fifteen feet from the bocE near
the edge OF the creek q hoe was lying
in the nash. where the o was found
it would have been covered by the
tide. II was high tide about the time
i heard the cries, as we always wait
till high tide TO get water for The let
tuce bed.
Moses Evans being sworn testified
as follows:
working in the field adjoining Mr.. HUI
taff's OF Friday afternoon. about a
hundred yards nearer the bridge han
Mr.. Hutaff, and o 400 yards from
the bridge. when / heard chies OF muir
der. i heard leN ated cries Of murder.
i HcdEu sU.ilC OAE say SA- oH- ol-
several times and then hoiler murder
foLr or five times at the top OF the
voice. | thought the noise was made
by some boys, and thought at first 1
would go and see what was the matter
but did not 10 so. / was in the field
by myself. ] saw no one going in the
direction of the bridge. The first man
I saw was Mr.. Hutaff who came 10
me in the field where / was working
and asked me if / had heard cries o.
murder. l tod him yes, and said such
carrying on as that ought not 10 be
| allowed.
Robert Maultsby, being sworn test
fled as follows:
/ work with Mr.. Hutaff, and was
ploughing Friday afternoon near
Smiths creek bridge between 4 n 5
o'clock. Mr.. Hutaff came to me and
asked if 1 heard some one cry murder.
At that time l heard three cries of
murder. Neve heard anything more
until I heard Postell was found dead
at the bridge. l never saw him be-
fore until l went TO the bridge and
saw him lying there dead.
Ben Keel, colored, being sworn tes-
titled: / did not knowPostell. the de-
ceased. Never saw him before unt:l
I saw him dead at Smiths Crock
bridge this morning. | am employed
by Mr.. G. H. Hutaf and was working
in his field near the bridge Yesterday
evening between 4 n 5 o'clock before
the train came along L heard three
cries of murder. Mr.. Hutaf asked me
if I heard cries Of murder and l said
yes and that it must be .ome one jok-
ing or playing. Mr.. Hutaf said no, il
must have beeen some n in distress,
as it sounded like a distress cry. l saw
no one in that vicinity that afternoon
but Mr.. Hutaff and the other labOrers
in the field.
Balaam Fuller, colored, being sworn,
testified a. follows:
I am an inmate of the county home.
1 know John Postell. He was in the
yard here yesterday. About 4 o'clock
in the afternoon he took a hoe and
buckle and said he was going off to get
bait. He never came back and reported
at night as usual. I never saw him any
more until I saw him at the home
dead. Postell was a kind of foreman
about the yards and frequently quar-
reler with the inmates The old man
was fussy and frequently accused first
one and then the other CT stealing his
clothes.
I V left the yard otter The old
man left and was there all of Friday
afternoon.
James Brown, colored, testified as fol
lows:
I am an inmate of the county home.
l. hlON IlODtIl Il OSlCi-. Il a. NioC 0h
inmate at the home. The last time ]
saw him alive was yesterday afternoon
about 4 o'clock. He came out OF his
ward and passed by me with a hoe. a
bucket and a walking stick. He said
he was going after bait. He went
down the railroad rack towards
I Smiths Creek bridge. He went out OF
my sight towards the bridge. 1 know
Balaam Fuller. He is ar inmate OF the
home. After the old lan Postell left
saw Balaam Fuller also go down th5
railroad track towards the bridge walk
ing fast. Balaam Fuller came back to
the home before the ira / passed 60
ing towards Wilmington in the even
ing. I saw Balaam Fuller when he was
coming back up the railroad track.
at the cattle guard and came back II
the home through the fielo. The old
man Postell said some III tried TO poi
son him with poisoned whiskey. I
heard him say so and he said he knew
who gave him the poison, but he die
not say who it was
BALKAN Fuller, recalled, testified as
follows:
I saw Postell when he left the home
I was sitting on the piazza when he
left. 7 never went away from the yard
after h old man left. I eve went tc
the city yesterday after medicine. A
little after the rain I went down into
the field and didn't go on the railroad
track. I went to Wilmington this
morning about $50 o'clock. L went
down walking on the railroad track tC
go to DIR. McMillan's office. When
passed Smiths Creek bridge l did moi
see the dead man lying there. When
got to the city I went to DR.. McMil-
lan's office and 1 got the mail for the
home about 10 o'clock this morning
Before going to DR.. McMillan's Office
I went to the market to see the butch
ers. I got some mutton from Mr.. W
NJ. Hays. I got back to the home
about 1890 o'clock. When I was at th'
doctors office I heard that the old mar
had been found dead at the bridge.
never had any quarrel with the OLE
man.
After hearing the testimony the jury
adjourned to meet at 9 O'Clock tomor-
row morning at the court house.
NAVASSA,S FIREMAN DROW NED