The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-20
A WHITE MAN SHOT
He Gives the Story of the At
tack Made Upon Him
Strawberry Shipments are Nearing Close,
The Prices Have Been Coed But The Crop
Is 80 1.3 Per Cent. Shorter Than
Las Year.
(Staff Correspondence

Mount Olive, n. c., May 19.-W. T. Mil
lard, white man, residing and doing
business one and half miles west Of
here, was seriously shot yesterday by
David Raynor, negro. Millard is in a
prccarious condition. He was shot six
times, each ball taking effect. He was
hit in the left hand right elbow, right
shoulder. forehead and breast. Two of
the shots penetrated the breast but a
few inches above the heart The sworn
statement of Willard, taken by Justice
Jas. r. Hatch, is as follows
T. W. T. Willard, do hereby swear to
the following: Manning Price brought a
basket of clothes to my shop this morn
ing, May 18th, 1902. and carried them off
again. Half an hour later | saw negro
man with the basket out in the road near
my shop and | went out to where he was
and asked him who got the basket and
he Immediately drew a pistol and began
to shoot me, striking me on the finger
the first shot. l then went for him and
he continued TO shoot and shot me five or
six times. | then turned and came back
to my store. The negro on emptying his
pistol ran off down the road. | do not
know his name. There was another ne
gro man with the one that did the shoot
ing. l did not know either ones name.
| had had no quarrel, no words with him
only as stated above. The one that did
the shooting was ginger cake
color. The other was yblack. The one
that did the shooting was chunky,
thick set; the other low, small slim. Both
ran off together. | have seen them sew
eral times. They have been visiting my
store for about one week. Had
had no fuss with them. l was not in
the road when first shot, but did go into
the road after he began to shoot | did
not have any weapon with me, had moth
ing in my hand. | did not go out for any
fuss-iust went to see about the
basket. There was no one else
nearer than about one hundred yards.
They were not right in front of my store
but down the road about twenty-five
yards. The negro owed me nothing.
They were in my yard about half hour
betvre the shooting. l don't know wheth-
er the second negro shot me or not"
The people here are giving little con-
Germ to the matter, owing to the fact
that Willard is reputed to keep q negro
Concubne. Rumor says that the trouble
arose over the fact that a mistress of
Raynor had boarded with the woman
kept by Willard and was refused her
clothes because of non-payment of board
and that Raynor went to the house and
took the basket Of clothes. Raynor was
seen on the road this morning, en- route
to his home some seven miles distant, by
Mr.. Huber Futrel to whom he acknOwl-
edged he, Raynor, did the shooting,
claiming "he did so in self-defense.
That Willard advanced on him with a
drawn pistol and he. RaynOr, taking aim
off the fence fired the first shot which
took effect in the hand. He then kept
banging away" Raynor also said he was
not going to try to get away, but the
average coon" when in trouble, likes
to migrate and it is possible if Willard
dies Raynor will get a move on him.
Strawberry shipments are nearing q
close and yet some 5000 crates were ship
ped from here today. The bulk of the crop
is sold to buyers on the spot. Prices to-
day range from $1.75 to sos per crate
of % quarts Growers claim they have
had good prices right along, but that the
crop is short SO 1-3 per cent from last
year. There were $4,000 crates shipped
from this station last year. The acreage
has been increased and it is thought the
total shipment, notwithstanding the short
crop. will exceed that of last year. The
berries here are large and of good color
and flavor.
The News and Observer man rejoices
with this people and with the people of
the berry belt, that they have had good
prices and, that their crop prospects are
so encouraging. A gentleman from Du-
plin county where no crops were made
last year, remarked to me today that
the crop outlook in Duplin was the best
he ever saw" Truly do we wish their
fondest hopes may be realized this year
G. j. RIVENBARK.