The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-19
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AN ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE
BOARD YESTERDAY AFTERNOON,
DIR c.. d. Bell Elected Coroner to Sue
ceed DIR. stokes, Resigned-The Elec-
ton to Vote Bonds for Building Good
Roads.

caed Dr. stokes. Resfgned-The E1ec.
ton to Vote Bonds for Building Q
Roads.
An adjourned meeting of the board OF
commissioners of New hanover county
was held Yesterday afternoon at 2:5o
O'Clock in their room at the coui'
house. All the members were IN at
tendance. viz: Chairman ID. cEdch
ern and Commissioners Holmes, Mont
gomery. Vollers and Alexander.
Previous to transacting any business.
all the members retired to the grand
Jury room to hold a caucus to consider
qualifications for the office Of coroner.
After an hours conference, the mem
hers returned to their room, and pro-
ceeded to business.
Chairman McEachern stated that the
first business in order was the election
of a coroner to succeed DIR. w. r
Stokes. resigned. He then read appll-
cations for the position from the 1ol-
lowing: Former Coroner j. G. Walton,
DR.. c. D. Bell, III. w. Lowell y. A.
Virgins. and w. A Wright
Chairman McEachern. along with NIL
wright's application, read a
cation recommending Mr.. Wright for
the positfon. In contained the follow
ing signatures: II. c. Mcqueen, A. Nj.
WaddeIl. Jno. s. Armstrong, John i.
Rankin, J.. A. Taylor, w. G. Yarbor-
ough. Robert d. Cronly, James r. POST
III. Rurkheimer. w. II. Sprunt, w. j.
woodward, @. j. Boney, w. b. Cooper
Y G Worth. William Gilchrist, Thos.
s. Burbank. NJ. D.. r. w. Hicks, J. ID.
Boatwright, X. H. Pickett. E. 7. Boat
wright. John Wilder Atkinson, Jno. L.
CantweII. w. N. Harriss, Thos. d.
Meares. George Harriss, j. e. springer,
Hugh MacRae, George w. kidder, L..
B.. Sasser, 6. w. Skinner, Martln
O'Brien. t. Frank m w. d.
Northrop, Jr.. C. W. Yates. j. A Mont
gomery. B.. H. j. Ahrens, E. p Bailey
M. s. willard, l.. b. Rogers, w. A.
Whitehead & Son. w. II. Brown, jesse
Wilder, j. F. Maunder.
The following was also read by the
chairman:
Wilmington. ". c., April 10. 1901.
ITO the Honorable Board OF Iouh'S
Commissioners:
the undersigned,
members of the New Hanover BOARD Oh
the democratic committee
hereby petition your honorable board 10
appoint w. a. Wright Us coroner lof
New Hanover county. Believing MIN
to he properly fit for the position and
Nv IL Jill oAN
our hoard and several previous ones,
freely and without remuneration, we
deem this due to him for his Jealous
and untiring services to the people ana
the party.
Respectfully,
E. F. JOHNSON, Chm.
JOSEPH III. HANDY.
J.. NJ. BRANCH,
G. H. SMITH.
CT. c.. SIMMONS.
E. S. LATHROP,
]. g.. L. GIESCHEN,
JAMES D. KELLEY,
A. o. McEACHERN,
GEO T. BLAND,
VIM. E. SPRINGER"
After the applications had been read
a ballot was taken, and DR.. Bell hav-
ing received all five votes was declared
unanimously elected coroner of New
Hanover county.
The chairman then read a report
signed by Commissioners F. A. Mont
gomery and H. l.. Vollers, who were
appointed to investigate as to who was
to blame for leaving unburied for a
week the remains of a negro whose
body ioated ashore a few weeks g
about eighteen miles down the Cape
Fear. The committee reported that
h coroner did not notify he board
OF commissioners or the burial contrac-
~ W LdNS NAS pouJ A1$
port of the committee was unanimous
ly adopted.
A communication from DR.. w. F.
Stokes. coroner. was read, calling the
attention of the board to the fact that
in paying the expenses for the inquest
held on the body of Minnie Aiken. col
ored, who was supposed to have been
poisoned, they had failed to allow him
anything for viewing and examining the
body. getting out witnesses, conduct
ing the preliminary examination of the
same. and making an arrest, all OF
which required a day. He stated that
the board had above the jury for
three days service and had only allow
ed him for three days, whereas he had
done the extra work mentioned. He
requested h board to allow him for
the extra work. On motion, the board
declined to reopen the matter
A bill from Coroner Stokes for s42.40,
was read and referred to the auditing
committee. The bill was for the fol-
lowing charges: Viewing body of Sam
uel Priden. colored. who dropped dead,
$5; viewing the body of E. G. Barnett.
who was found dead in bed. SIS; view
ing the body of Hannah Richardson,
colored, who was burned to death, So:
holding inquest on Mamie Breeze who
was shot and killed by Lauty Hardison,
so; summoning six Jurors in this case.
$50; summoning nine witnesses, S2.lo;
per diem for six Jurors, So; per diem for
nine witnesses. $3.50.
The chairman informed the board
that he had not issued the call for the
election to vote on the proposition to
vote $50. 900 in bonds for the purposes OF
repairing. maintaining and making
good roads in New ano county, as
was authorized by the board, for the
reason that the election would have to
be held under the new election law. g
copy of which had not been received
yet. He stated that he would send for
a certified copy of h election law so
that the road election could be called
in accordance with the same, as moth
inc would he omitted to have the cleo
ton held so as to have no flaw in case
the bonds were authorized to be issued.
On motion, the board took a recess