The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-27
SIX PERSONS MURDERED.
MOST HORRIBLE CRIME IN THE HIS
TORY OF THIS STATE.
THE FIENDISH WORK OF A NEGRO
with an Axe He Butchers a Negro
Woman and Her Daughter-He then
Sets Fire to the House and Burns to
Death Four Other ChiIdren-He Is Ar
rested and Placed in Wake Jail-Al-
ready Indicted by the Grand Jury and
to be Tried Next Week.

Raleigh, ". G., March 22.-Ihe most
horrible crime in the history of North
Carolina was perpetrated early this
morning at Carriers. five miles east
of this city, when a negro, Tom Jones,
commonly known in the county as
Preacher" Jones, murdered Ella
Jones and her oldest daughter, Ida
Jones, and then set fire to the beds
in which lay the bodies of the murder
ed victims and four others, all small
children, ranging. in years from a baby
one month old to the largest boy, who
was not more than ) years of age
The work was lone with an axe, the
murderer. according to the story of
little 7~-year-old Laura Jones, who
escaped with her younger sister, de-
liberately and cody striking the
mother four times and making two
heavy strokes into the body of the
oldest child.
The house was completely destroyed
by fire and the bones of the four
ms children were so fraii that
they are now distributed among the
ashes, which alone remain to tell the
story Of the cOn1agration.
The body of Ella Jones and that Of
Ida the ~13-year-old child, were burn
ed beyond recognition, and are lying
on the ground, charred crisp, and
with the whole bodies cut open and
displayed to view. +.
The dead are: Ella Jones, the moth
er, aged SO years; Ida Jones, Is years
of age; Jesse Jones, ) years DID,; Nan
cy Jones, 3 years old; Clever Jones. 2
years old an unnamed baby, l
month old.
The two girls who escaped from the
g. -.AL L.f- ir-@- r-nrn. n r1rn
Jones, and Sid Jones, 4 years old.
When those who heard the story of
the murder from the lips of the little
ragged negro, they went to Jones
house to arrest him. They found that
his clothes bore the stains of fresh
blood and his hands even showed
spots of human blood.
Though there was ak among the
negroes OF lynching, no attempt was
made to do so and Jones was brought
to this city and placed in Jail to
await trial for his crime.
The two children, having 10 rela-
tives, were taken to the county home
to be cared for.
Jones was arrested on the evidence
of the 7-year-old girl Laura, who es-
capped from the burning house after he
had gone. She took with her, in hel
arms, her little sister, Sid, who was
sleeping in bed with her and an elder
SIcNCI 1udp II va 1LIOAN
They went to the house of a neigh
Dor, half a mile away, and told what
had happened. Those who went to the
fire could see distinctly the bodies or
the bed inside the burning building
/ but it was too late to rescue them
Today the charred remains of the two
murdered women were taken out anC
buried. The four small children, eX.
eel the baby claSped in it's mother
arms, had been entirely consumed.
The child Laura is very bright fol
her age, and though she told the story
of the murder many times today she
never varied from her account of il
given last night while her home was
burning. She said:
Preacher Jones came to our house
last night about 9 o'clock. 1 went tc
sleep. Then 1 woke up-mother woke
me screaming. l saw Preacher o
strike her four times with an axe.
Then he came to my bed and struck
sister twice. The blood flew in my
face. After that he struck a match
and set both beds afire and went out
After he had gone 1 took Sid in my
arms and ran out. 1 carried her in my
arms all the way to Mrs. Winters and
told them what Preacher Jones had
done"
Tom Jones denies the murder, blu
he does not undertake to explain his
whereabouts at the time. He admits
AACIA 1S "oo Il IAAS oOASSi
who'is not related to him, though he
bears the same name. He says that
they had quarreled o her charging
him with the paternity Of her month
old child, and this, it is understood,
was the cause of the crime.
CBy Special Dispatch.)
Raleigh, N. c., March 22.-Tom
Jones, the negro whom the grand jury
fnds guilty of numbering Ella Jones
and five of her children, is in jail
here. He denies the crime, but the
evidence against him is overwhelm-
ing.
Thousands of negroes were at the
depot this afternoon when Jones ar
rived. Many of them talked freely OF
lynching.
Jones will be tried neXt week.
The murdered woman had not lived
with her husband in some time and
had recently told Jones she
to swear he was the father of her
month-old infant.
Mr.. w. H. Odom, who has been
holding a republican office in the ter