The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-16
(staff Correspondence

(StafI CorreSponoenceJ
Wilson, N. c., May 14-Wilson is in the
midst of the throes of another killing in
completely in the murder of Percy Jones,
an insurance man from Arkansas, are In
the county Jail, while one of the party,
badly shot, is at friends home.
Who of them are guilty and who inno-
cent is not yet officially known. This af-
ternoon at the coroner's inquest the testi-
mony of eight witnesses was taken and the
hearing adjourned till tomorrow morning
at ten o'clock.
with the crowd engaged in the killing
these being j. B. Piver. well known fish
dealer; j. r.. Allen, bar keeper; w. w.
Barnes and George Whitley. Damaging
evidence is said to be in hand against at
least one other, Capt w. H. Rich, engag-
ed here in the oil business.
The crime, charged as murder. occurred
about one o'clock this morning, when T.
Percy Jones. of Little Rock, Arkansas,
who has been here for two months as the
representative of the Mutual Aid Insur-
ance Company, was shot to death in his
bed room, the shot coming from a pistol
used by some man in crowd who had
broken into his room.
In the crowd arrested and in Jail charged
with the crime are j. B. Piver, Samuel ].
Walls, merchant tailor John Pittman,
George Whitley, pressman of the Wilson
Times, w. p. Groom, N. w. Barnes, Law
renee Morgan, w ]. Rich, Tom Bass, Gil
Ward. John Allen, one of the party was
shot and his condition is such that he has
not been placed in Jail.
Two causes are assigned by the public
and rumor for the killing One of these is
that Jones had been having negro women as
occupants of his room and that the crowd
wanted to stop this; another that it was
thought that Jones was acting as a detec-
tive and had caught on to some gambling
rooms reported to be in operation in the
building in which he roomed and that the
purpose of the crowd in either case was to
force him to leave town.
The tragedy occurred in the Fryar build
ing. above the Vienna Bakery,eon Colds
boro street. just off of Nash, the main
street of the town. Just before one O'Clock
crowd of men went up into the building
and demanded admittance to Jones room
pounding on the door. Jones was in bed
and refused. The crowd broke down the
door and rushed in. Shots were heard.
then pause and more shots and voice
crying out: ooh God, l am shot, somebody
help me-
Rumor has it that Jones, expecting
trouble, had armed himself with shot
gun and had it near the head Of his bed;
that when the crowd broke in he shot the
load going into the wall, and that at this
parties in the crowd shot with pistols. kill
ing Jones and seriously wounding Allen.
one of the party
After the shooting the crowd scattered.
some it is said leaving by windows and
going down a ladder beyond tin roof.
while others went out the front John
Allen, who was bleeding freely from a
wound through the shoulder, ran out, and
accompanied by two of the party, one of
whom is said to be ]. B. Piver, was taken
to the Wilson Sanitarium, where his
wound was dressed.
Jones was not killed at once, but died
about 7:30 o'clock this morn
ing The fatal ball entered his body about
three inches below the navel
When officers entered his room after the
shooting he was found standing
in his night clothes. Mayor Herring cues
toned him and he said that he had been
asleep, that a crowd rushed into his room.
pounced on him and beat him. That he
struggled out of bed and got his shot gun
fired it, but it went wide OF the mark
He was very weak when seen and failing
from loss of blood. He asked that his
watch be sent to his brother at Little
Rock. At the autopsy held by Dr. Albert
Anderson 1T was found that the bullet had
made three perforations in the bowels
and had landed in the back bone
This afternoon when the coroner's in
quest was going on there seemed no UNI
usual excitement in Wilson and cases OF
far less Importance have drawn greater
crowds to the Mayors office, where TIE
hearing was held. No one represented the
prisoners at the trial, though it is said
that every lawyer OF Wilson has been en-
gagged for the defence. The witnesses
were examined by Solicitor G. G. Daniels
for the State.
The trouble dates back to about two
weeks ago. negro woman wanted In
Goldsboro for the stealing of a watch was
sought for in Jones room, the woman
being Fannie Adams. She was not in the
room, but another negro woman was.
though letter addressed TO Fannie Adams
was found. Later another negro woman
was arrested in Jones room.
This report of negro women in the man s
room caused crowd to send word to
Jones to quit the town. Yesterday after
noon George whitley went to him and
told him to get out of town and not TO
let another sun rise on him here. Jones
s,rorn .,a,f q Ma &c u, ARA NJ xainsf whit