The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-02
SUPPOSED BURGLAR
CLOSE AFTER A SUSPI-
GIOUS CHARACTER
Allen Jones, n MuIatto Who Was
Captured by the Vigilance Com
to the Roads Yesterday-He Made

Justice John j. Fowler on yesterday
gave a hearing to Allen Jones h mu-
latto. who was captured last Sunday
morning at Masonboro Sound and
brought to the city by the shot gun bril-
gade n are bent on stopping the
burglaries down there. He vas arrest
cd on suspicion of having made an at
ten ot TO break into Mr.. Z. F. Won
KaTnpen's summer residence Sunday
morning about I o'clock.
Since several burgiaries had been
committed on the sound he citizens
organized a shot gun brigade and pa
troIled the roads at night and kept a
sharp look out for Suspicious char
acters. Allen had been seen at
WrightsyilIe the morning after the rob-
berries there and was suspected Of being
the burglar who entered the residences
hof Messrs. Oscar Grant. W. H.. Stokley
and ]. S Divine. 1t was reported Sat
urday that he had gone IN the direction
of MasOnbOro, SO the vigilance commit
tee got under arms Saturday night and
divided into parties OF four and five to
watch for him or any other suspicious
character. About 1 o'clock that night
the ladies of Mr.. Won KaInpen's family
heard some n on the upper piazza and
screamed for Mr.. Won Kampen. He ran
up n heard a man climb down and
run He fired his pistol three times in
the direction in which he ran, and the
reports from his pistol were heard by
four of the vigilance committee. They
hurried in that direction, n Allen ran
right into them. They levelled their
guns on him and made him hold up his
hands. He claimed to lave been home
with a woman and was on his way back
to the city. He assumed to be highly
indignant and told the fOur men that If
they would lay their guns down he
would whip the whole crowd. For his
insolence one of them knocked MIN in
the mouth and loosend mis- teeth. He
was brought on to the city and when
being guarded by one of the men while
the others were away, he told HIN when
he got out of Jail he would fix him and
all the men who captured him He has
been in Jail up to yesterday.
In the hearing before Justice Fowler
yesterday afternoon, Mr.. Elijah Orrell,
captain of the vigilance committee,
gave the details of the capture OF Allen
AS mentioned above. Two GGlored men,
Jeff Fair and Frank Williams, of
Wrightsville, testified that they saw
Allen in Wrightsville on Saturday, the
night of which three houses were en-
tered. They also saw him come out OF
Mr.. Edens' ~unoccupied house Sunday
morning and it is supposed that he slept
there.
ALLEN protested his innocence, and
said the two colored witnesses lied o.
him about seeing him come out of a,
house. He acknowledged, however,
that he was in Wrightsv11le OF the Sat
urday mentioned. He explained his
presence at Masonboro Saturday night
by saying that a fisherman named VIII
liamS a white man, had engaged him to
pull an ore in a fishing skiff and that he
had gone to the sound to SCI him. He
claims that he sat on the sound till 1
O'Clock waiting for NJ. Williams to
come ashore, that he was fishing off in
the sound and he could see his lights.
He said when he started back to the
city, he ran into the vigilance COM
mittec.
All the witnesses stated that there is
no such fisherman as Williams on the
sound and that fishermen never fish
Saturday nights, as they only fish on
nights when they can get their fish to
market neXt morning.
Justice Fowler stated that the evil
dence was not sufficient to hold Allen
for attempting burglary On Mr.. Won
Kampen's house, but ne sentenced him
to 80 days on the road for vagIancy.
Allen protested that he was not a va
grant. He says he came here four
months g from Birmingham, Ala, and
ndQ $50 Wnen ne got Cnere- Lie SAID ne
had made 81 since and had credit at his
boarding house in the city. He was
asked what he had done with his o
and said he had paid board, bought
clothes. and spent his last cent for a
piece of tobacco.
The people on the sound firmly be-
lieve that Allen is the burglar who has
been depredating there and say If he
returns they won't bring him t, Jail
any more. They say, however, that
there are others of the gang on the
sound as an attempt was made to get
into Mr. Barney Shepard's residence
on Myrtle Grove sound last Wednesday
night. He was climbing into a window
whereupon Mrs. Shepard screamed and
a frightened the burglar away. Allen
g OF course, was then in Jail.