The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-25
THE NAVASSA MURDER
Lisbon Waddel1, Colored, Arrested on
Susptcion-He Threw Up His Job at
Navassa on the Night of the Murder.
Hearing Before Justice Fowler Yes.
terday.

Lisbon Waddell colored, was arrest
ed yesterday at Hilton bridge and
brought to the city at lis p. M, in
Brunswick county and Others. The
prisoner is q years of age and is a.
son of frankie Waddell h resides at
Powers. Gibbs & Co.'S guano factory.
Waddell was arrested on suspicion of
being implicated in the murder and
robbery Of Captain j. CASTOR Price, at
Navassa Guano factory last Sunday
night. He was carried Immediately be-
fore Justice j. ] Fowler and a hearing
was set for 4 p. m.
At 4 o'clock a big crowd assembled
at Justice Fowler's office to hear the
examination. Mr.. H. w. Mallory, man.
ager o fthe Navassa factory, has spared
no efforts to trace up the murderer of
Captain Price. and he employed J. O..
Carr. Esq. to appear for the state.
The prisoner was not represented by
He pleaded not guilty to the
charge.
Mr.. G. H. Murray. the railroad watch
man at Hilton, on whose affidavit the
arrest was made. was called as a wit
ness. He testified that the house in
which Captain Price was murdered is
about 100 yards from his home. He
the went on to say how the body was
found in the house Monday morning.
and stated that the stick with which.
he was killed and which was found in
the house by the body, was the handle
of an a which had been left at his
house last summer. He said a couple
of H. oo~r I1I I~-- -
and as there was danger of persons
failing over the embankment between
his house and the bridge he built a rail-
ing, using the handles of the oars as
s~taunchions. The affair broke down
after several months and he threw the
ore handles into his wood pile across
h railroad track from his house. He
identified the oar handle from some
nails which he had attempted to dIaw
out but which lie finally bent down
with a hammer. He said Lisbon Wad-
dell knew where the oar handle was
in the woodpile but others passing
might also have seen it. He stated
h a Waddell has worked with him for
five years. assisting in drawing the
',lidge. He left him for about two
months but returned two months ago
and resumed his job. sleeping up stairs
at night SO lie could get up when a
train or a boat passed. He said that on
Wednesday of last week., Waddell ask
ed for permission to come to the city,
promising to return that afternoon.
He, however. did not return, but on
Sunday night of the murder while MIR.
Murray was in his house., about II
o'clock at night. he heard a knock on
his door. When he got up to see who
il was. it proved to be Waddell. The
negro passed in without making any
explanation of his absence for five days,
| picked up a ladder and climbed up
stairs where he usually slept. In a
| minute or so Waddell hollered down
| from the loft and asked him to lend
| him CWaddelD an old valise that he
| had. Mr.. Murray inquired what he
| wanted with a valise n ne said he
| wanted to borrow it to carry away his
| clothes as he had another job. Mr..
| Murray said he had advanced Wad-
| dell $3.50 and told him il he was going
away he must give him his money.
| The negro replied hat he had no
money and Mr.. Murray Informed him
| that he could not take his clothes un-
til waddell paid him. Wadden became
| insolent and declared that he would
take his clothes, whereupon Mr.. Muir.
ray got his gun and told Waddell to
get out or he would shoot him. The
negro went out and in five minutes
returned and told Mr.. Murray he
would work out the $3.50. Mr.. Murray
told him he did not want him to work
any more. and remarked to him: III
you hadn't got out just now I would
have shot you" He said Wadden re-
piled. Yes. n you would have sent
me to hell" TIE negro then went away
Mr.. Murray said the negro had on the
same pants he wore that night but he
had on a different Goa He wore a white
coat hat night. He said Waddell wa<
r--srsc. -rs<x <h1 hosra0 ~-hoan fho uarrH-
: der was committed.