The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-08

IL had a bloody banCagS around IL
and he carried IL in a sling. He also
had a bandage around the fore finger
OF his right hand, and had TO make a
cross mark when he signed his testi-
mopy. as his thumb had been knocked
out of joint and was very sore.
During the examination Of Mr.. Rogers
two pen knives were exhibited TO the
jury. One was a barlow dirk knife
about eight inches long and IL was an
ugly looking specimen The other look
ed like a butcher knife and was in a
spectacle cas- that a used as q
scabbard- Mr.. Rogers stated that the
long barlow knife was found where It
Is inferred that he must have had the
open knife in his and when he was
assaulting Mr.. Rogers with the axe
handle. The butcher knife was found
by the body where he had crawled into
the edge OF the woods. Mr.. Rogers pis-
toll was also exhibited. The spring
had been sprung from the blow with
the stick.
Without moving from their seats the
Jury found the following as their YER
dict:
I'VE the %cOroner's jury having been
duly summoned and sworn by DR.. c. ID.
Bell, coroner of New Hanover county,
to inquire what caused the death OF
Frank Clayton, do hereby report that
from the investigation and evidence OF
witnesses that the said Frank Clayton
came to his death by a pistol shot al
the hands Of Charles Rogers; and that
we, the ]coroner's jury, find from all the
evidence hat the said Charles Rogers
was justified in shooting him
The negro who was killed was thought
to have been a stranger here but sever
al persons Unidentified him. One of the
jurors who knew him said he had been
hnrn ohnrlr civ raarS Nv Z Spl1arS
said he had often traded at his grocery
store and always paid his bills. DR..
Bell, the coroner also knew him and
had attended him and his wife who
died a few years Ago.. He said he was
always a good paying patron. 1t was
stated that Clayton had worked about
three years at Mr.. T. j. Cores still or
on Smiths Creek. Those who had
known him were at a loss to know
what possessed him to do as he had
done at Mr.. Rogers house.
Before he died at the hospital Clayton
made a statement to Chief of Police
J. J. Furlong. He stated that he went
to East Wilmington Saturday afternoon
to hunt for a job and that he was
drunk and had no recollection of going
into Mr.. Rogers house. The body was
turned over to the county yesterday
and was buried in potter's field.
AT the request OF the coroner the SUI
perentendent of health performed an
autopsy yesterday and he made his re-
port as follows:
'Ofice Superintendent of Health Of
New Hanove county, Wilmington,
N. c., August ), 1902.
To-day with the assistance Of Drs.
Alderman and Pride Thomas, | did an
| autopsy on the BODY of a mulatto, said
to be that Of Frank Clayton, OF South
Carolina. The body was we'll devel-
oped and nouished, was about five feet
enght inches long, n would weigh
probably about I65 pounds. Two gun
shot wounds were apparent, on a flesh
| wound in the right arm near the Shout
der. The ball entering from the front,
passed through the arm. The other
wound was on the left shoulder The
ball entering in front near the joint,
| passed downward and inward through
the upper portion of the left lung
through the second dOrsal Vertebra
| and was found embedded in the spinal
cord. A considerable quantity of blood
was found in the left pleural cavity
The heart was normal, lungs congested
and the stomach and bowels normal
but very much dlstended.
"Wnl. D. MCMILLAN,
superintendent of Health