The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-31
The Trial of Allen Jones.
ColOred. on Charge
of Burglary
JURY NOW OUT
TIE Trial Began Friday and Lasted
Till Last Night at Mid-Night-The
Grand Jury Reports n and at
he Convict Camp.

Pursuant to recess on Friday even
ing, the superior court met yesterday
morning at $50 O'Clock Judge r. 3.
PEBBLES presiding, and Solicitor Duffy
at his post.
The court RENTED the fine of $50
against c.. L. Schulken. a ~defaulting
witness, he having given a satisfactory
excuse for not appearing in court on
Thursday.
The grand jury having completed
its business made the following re-
port:
Hon. r. 5. PEBBLES. Judge Fifth Ju-
diciaI District:
Sir-YOur grand jury begs to report
that we have carefully investigated
all matters coming before us.
We have made six presentments: re-
tUrned 43 true bills and returned three
for lack of witnesses.
\ committee from this grand jury
was appointed to visit the various
county institutions, and we make the
following report:
we found buildings at the convict
camp in fair repair, the kitchen and
dining room in good condition, but
the place in which the prisoners are
confined at night, we found to be very
filthy n not fit for human habita-
ton. The bed clothing we found to be
dirty, damp and filled with vermin.
The white prisoners sleep in the same
apartments with the negroes.
The county home is in good con-
ditiOn in every department and we
m Mr.. Chadwick for the care
he has shown in providing comforts
for the unfortunate ones in his care.
SJ -l 10
clean and well kept; the food good,
wholesome and sufficient. About So
prisoners are now confined in the
building.
1.-The court hiouse is In goo order
and repair"
We recommend that the convict
GIMP be thoroughly cleaned and dis
infected and the bedding now in use,
which cannot be made fit for use, be
burned and new bedding be supplied:
tina superintendent of convict camp
be required to keep sufficient force de-
tailed to keep the quarters in a clean,
healthy condition, and that a partition
be run across the sleeping quarters so
as to separate the white and cclored
.oOnvicts were also recommended h a
frames be put in holes that were cut
in the wall on the north and west
sides of the court house and
be fitted in them; hat shelves be ar
ranged in the northwest room in the
basement of this building and the books
containing the county records, Whlch
are worth saving, be placed theron
and cared for, and to destroy those
found to be of no value.
We call attention to the fact that
some of these recommendations were
made by the grand jury Of the July
1902 term of this court n seem %
have been ignored. We are of the
opinion that the grand jury's reports
have been mere matters of form so
far as the effect is concerned.
Our labors have been impeded by
not being able to get witnesses before
us n we recommend that magls-
trates be more careful and explicit in
instructing state witnesses, in all cases
coming before them in which defend
ants are bound over to this court IL
appear promptly
Respectfully submitted,
The Grand Jury.
r. w. PRICE, foreman,
G. E. HALL. secretary.
The trial of Allen Jones. the mulat-
to, charged with burglary in entering
the room of F. J. Vincent. a guest at
the Rock Spring Hotel, February 26th,
was resumed.
c. B. Lucas. of Sampson county,
was called as a witness by the state.
Witness was a guest at the hotel on
the night of the robbery n returned
to hi hotel from down town o s
o'clock p. M, on the 26th of February.
He stated that he then saw the de-
PENDANT in the office. he having walked
IN while the witness was in the office.
He did not speak to him. and at 9
O'Clock witness went to his room and
went to bed.
D. NJ. Currie. proprietor of the hotel.
was called to the stand. He testified
that he had gone to bed and was no
titled about 9 o'clock that here was
a mar in the office. He got up, went
to the office. n found the man sit
ing in a chair with his elbows on lbs
knees and his face buried in his hands.
Mr.. Currie says he shook him n
from his actions he concluded that he
EaS drunk. Finally he aroused him
sufficiently to ask him If he wanted =
room. The man replied yes. Mr..
Currie then went up stairs. lighted a
lamp and put it in a room, and then
went down and told the man his room
was ready. He a j. he could not get
any sense out of the fellow. and then
told him if he wanted to sit there
and freeze to go ahead. Witness then
went to his room and went to bed.
leaving the man sitting there. On
cross examination Mr.. Currie said he
could not say that h man was tho
defendant. Allen Jones. as he did not
see his face. He said the man had on
n soft light or brown hat and a
black coat. 1t will be remembered
that other witnesses had identified
Jones as the man who was sitting in
the office. Mr.. Currie In answer 70
questions by the solicitor said the
man did not occupy the room that
night and that next morning he him
self put out the lamp that had burned
In the room all night He said Allen
was not employed in the hotel and
If he was the man in the office he had
no business there. He also explained
the location Of the office, Mr.. Vim
cents room, and the mea of exit
from the hotel UP stairs and down
stairs.
Policeman John Meier, who arrested