The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-24

Here.
Louis Myers, a black negro about 80
years OF age, who resides at Nayasa
and works in the Navassa guano fac
tory, is locked up at the station house
at the city hall for a horrible crime
which it is alleged that he committed
Tuesday afternoon. January 18th. Upon
the request of Justice F NJ. Moore of
Navassa, Chief of Police John J.. Fur
long or Tuesday night sent Sergeant
C. s. Burnett and Policeman Frank
George to Navassa where they arrested
Myers. They got back to the city with
him at nearly midnight and he is held
for safe keeping for the Brunswick
county authorities. the crime having
been committed in that county.
Myers is charged with the murder of
Clara Kelly, a coloI.i woman about
tw~enty-four years old who is married
ard lives on Mr.. Francis NJ. Noore's
lfH@e at Nayassa. She was burned DID
Tksday of last week and died last
Tuesday evening.
In the absence of a coroner Justices
F NJ. Moore and Joseph Gay, held an
inquest over the woman yesterday at
Navassa, the jury being composed of
John MacRae. Henry Williams, and l.
M. Mitchell. white. and Daniel Rowen
r. G.. Smith and Charles Williams. COL
ored. DR.. T. V. Moore held an autopsy
and his examination showed that the
woman was horribly burned and thar
the burns were the cause of her death.
Several witnesses were examined be-
fore the jury and the evidence was such
that the jury found that Clara Kelly
came to her death from being burned
with Kerosene at the hands of Louis
Myers. The woman, on the day that
she was burned. said that Myers came
to her house in the absence of her hus-
band and that she made him go away.
that in a half hour he returned and
slipped into the house while she was
taking a a in a chair in front of the
fire place, and that when she was
awakened by a noise made by Myers,
she found that he had poured kerosene
oil over her and before she could realiZe
what he. was about he struck a match
and set her on fire. Her story is that
when he set her on fire he ran and left
her in a mass of flames. Her screams
brought several persons to her assist
ance but before the fire could be put
out she had been fatally burned. She
also stated that after she was burned.
Myers went to her and told her if she
would say nothing about his having set
her on fire he would pay her doctors
bill. Thirteen witnesses, white anC
black. testified that the above vas the
woman's statement every day from the
time she was burned till she died. The
witnesses also testified that when they
got TO the woman h had run into &
bed room and set fire to the bed AMI
that it was with difficulty hat they
saved the house. 1t was also in evidence
that after the burning of the woman
Myers was very excited and acted as
one under great apprehension. The
witnesses who went to the woman when
she cried for help say that there We're
but a few dead Goals in the fire place
end that kerosene was all over the
floor
Myers was arrested on Sunday, on
the charge of assault and battery, by
which serious bodily harm was done.
and he gave bond for a hearing until
Tuesday at 4 p. m. He employed Her
bert McClammy, Esq, as his counsel,
put owing to the severe rain storm
Tuesday afternoon Mr.. McClamm"
could not go to the hearing. 1t was
therefore continued till next Wednes
day at 4 p. m. In the meantime, how
ever. the woman died and he was again
arrested by the officers sent over from
Wilmington. as there is no constable
or deputy sheriff at Navassa.
AS the coroner has committed Myers
for murder, nc preliminary hearing is
deemed necessary, so Justice Moore has
notified the sheriff OF Brunswick coun-
ty to send to Wilmington for the
prisoner.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. McClammN
had a consultation with Myers at the
He states that Myers de
mics the charge and say there is no
one word of truth in the charge that NJ
set fire to the oman Myers is a mar
ried man and has worked at the NaFas'
sa guano factory for about nfteei
years. Mr.. McClammy says he has
complete defense
Chief of Police Furlong has notlfe'
the Brunswick authorities that unles
he gets the proper papers commlttln
Myers to his keeping he will nave u
discharge him this