The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-21
PROBABLY ANOTHER MURDER
CHASTITY DISCOVERY OF FISHERMEN AT
WfIGHISWLLE BEACH YESTERDAY
Floating In the Banks Channel Oppo.
site Ocean View Pavflion-Terrfble
Wounds About the Head.

DR.. c. D. Bell the coroner was sum-
moned to Wrightsyille beach yesterday
afternoon by a telephone message in
forming him that the body of an un-
known negro had been found floating
in the Banks channel of Wrightsyfile
sound. opposite the Ocean View pavil-
lion.
The coroner went down at 2:20 .. m.
and upon viewing the body discovered
some terrible wounds that made If
necessary to hold an inquest. The fol-
lowing jury was empannelled: d.
Hanna, foreman. E. C. Davis. secre-
tary. Reuben Grant, J.. o. Mills. S. w
Hinnant. and Tony Sellers.
The jury examined four colored fish
ermen, Tom Jordan, Willie Jordan.
Willie Irving and Larry Billups who
the body. They testified TO
the same facts, the effect of their testi-
mony being that yesterday afternoon
ABOUT 1:3O O'Clock while in their boat
tney found the body drifting with the
tloe. 1t was in water about fifteen feet
deep, the body being almost erect the
heao ana shoulders a little above water
and the face leaning forward Tbev
tled a line around the mans neck and
pulled him on the beach and tied II nm
I'LL they could have the coroner notified
NO one who saw the body could iden-
THY 1t at h inquest. DR.. ReIps ev-
animation revealed the fact that the
man had met his death from violence
Ihere was a cash to the bone straight
up n down the forehead running up-
wards from the eye brows; the
bridge of his nose was gashed and
fractured: the right eye was torn from
its socket and hung on the check by the
optic nerve; the left eye was obiiter-
ated: there was a confused wound on
the chin; and part of the right check
was torn Off. The body did not have
the appearance Of having been in he
water more than twenty-four hours. as
it was little bloated. In the left pocket
was found s10.67 in silver and upper
coins. two gold rings, a brass watch,
and a scarf pin.
The jury rendered the following ver-
dict: 1--WE the undersigned jurors m
pannelled to hold an inquest over the
body Of an unknown negro found in the
Banks channel at Wrightsville sound.
agree that his death was caused by
Wounds inflicted on forehead, eyes and
bridge of nos either by accident or at
the hands of some persons unknown to
this jury
DR.. Bell had the body put on the train
and brought up to the city at 6 D.. m.
After the inquest had been finished, an
old colored woman identified the body
as that Of Robert Galloway, colored,
about 80 years old, who went to
Wrightsville beach on Sunday to call
on a young colored woman DR.. Bell
learned from her that Galloway left her
Sunday afternoon about 4 o'clock, since
which fipoo ha hoe not haon cann n live
She says he was perfectly sober and
was not a drinking man, though some
n informed the coroner that Galloway
had been seen in a saloon at Ocean
View.
When the body reached the city it
was taken to the city hospital. One of
the hands at the cotton SEED oil mill
was missing. and when Mr.. Herbert B.
Martin. the assistant engineer, heard
the coroner had been called to the
beach. he telephoned> him last evening
to ascertain if it was the missing a
Upon being informed that the body
was at the hospital Mr.. Martin drove
out there and also identified it as that
of Robert Galloway. He said Gallo
way had not been about the mill since
Saturday and he felt that something
was wrong with him as he has always
been promptly al work and was a
faithful hand. He came from Charlotte
about five years ago n a since
worked at the mill, being regarded as
trustworthy and the best han at the
mill. He was we'll behaved and was
regarded as an inoffensive 1t is
said he has a wife at Charlotte.
The coroner strongly suspects that
Galloway was murdered. The other
theories are that he fell from the rail-
road trestle I'VE the Banks channel
or was knocked from it by a train.
Drs. Mcmillan and Wood performed
an autopsy on the body at h hospital
last night after 10 o'clock but at last
accounts the had not received
their report as to whether the injuries
caused death or whether it vas from
drowning.