The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-27

Skinner, mother of Mr.. Ludlow Skin
ner. who died a few days ago.
A NOTE FROM SKINNER.
Saturday morning Mr.. Skinner sent
n note to Nj. Haywood asking Hay
wood to surrender all papers in his
possession relating to the Ludlow prop
.rty. The note was carried by a ne
no 10y, and the attorneys for the de-
anse say the written message was
Irt and did not nave even the usual
Irelude of dear sir"
Haywood says that in reply to XII
ner's note he gave a verbal message to
the boy. stating that he was too busy
at that time to attend to the matter.
He states that the Ludlow property is
located in New York and that he haG
ONLY Il few documents relating to the
property.
MRS. SKINNER FEARED TROUBLE
Remarks made by Mrs. ludlow Skin
ner after she was brought to where her
husbands body lay in Johnson's drug
store suggest that she anticipated some
difficulty between the two men. She
said tina she had tried to keep her hus-
band from going down town after din
ner and that she had 'Dhoned and ask
ed him not to leave his office. Certain
il is that skinner received q phone
message after 3 o'clock while he was
in his office. and that shortly thereaf-
ter he went to the nostoffice, meeting
HAYWOOD there. But all these details
essential as they are to the hietor"
the tragedy, do not explain whv two
men who were noted for ge%ntleness and
good manners, went armed or why a
man was slain on the public stretes in
broad daylight.
THE CENTRAL FIGURE A WOMAN
The central figure in the killing is a
m She is Mrs. Gertrude Tucker.
widow OF the late William Tucker. who
was the onlv son of Maj. Rufus Tuck
er. of this city. She is a daughter Of
the late Mai. John Winder. and was
and is one Of the most beautiful women
that has ever been seen in this state.
Before her marriage she was we'll
known in social circles in more than
half a dozen states. She belongs to
one of the most prominent families in
North Carolina. and the prominence of
her husbands family is too well known
to need any here. A few
years ago Mr.. William Tucker died.
Mrs. Tucker sDant the first two or
three years of her widoWhood in Ger
many. and then returned to Raleigh.
HAYWOOD BECOMES MANAGER
OF THE TUCKER ESTATE.
After Mai. fuckers death Ernest
HAYWOOD became legal manager of the
Tucker estate. or acted in the capacity
of advisor TO Mrs. Florence Tucker. the
widow of Major Tucker. The position
of Mr.. Haywood threw him IN more OIL
less intimate contact with Mrs. Ger
trude Tucker. More than a year aso il
was whispered in social circles here
that MIS-. William Tucker and Mr.
Ernest Haywood had been secretly
marriad. The report soon became tow
tolly In -%hic citv aud wont outside Pa.
leigh. but found nc confirmation from
either Of the alleged contracting par
ties. The world saw that Mr.. Haywood
and Mrs. Tucked were together a grea'
deal in this place and then it becam'
known that they had been out of towr
together in the larger northern cities
A SCANDAL DEVELOPS.
Scandal inevitHbly resulted. and 70,
many months Mrs. Gertrude Tucke'
has not boo, in this city. Sometimes
her three children wsre with her as Sh;
north. but more often they We're will
their grandmother. Mrs. Florence
Tucker. in this city.
MRS. FLORENCE TUCKER N
TROUBLE.
But Mrs. Tucker remained ava,
from home and soon a story came baci
that spelled misery. For Mrs. Tucker
unacknOwledged as a wife. came L
the point where it seemed necessar.
that she write her name Mrs. Ernes
Haywood" At any rate, she did thi
many times. And still Ernest Hay
wood said nothing of his marriage. Fl
is 4 rVo ~Ean-shy. sensitive, prou'
and his best friends feared to ques
ton him on such A delicate subject.
SAID THERE WAS NO MARRIAGE
But the period came when talk wa
loud to the clamOr point, and becaus
a woman's honor was at stake Hay
wood was asked If he was married t
Mrs. Gertrude Tucker. He replied tina
he was not married to her. Friends o
Mrs. Tucker insisted that a ceremon
had been performed either in NeT
York or Boston: out eXceDt in ansWe
TO a point, blank question, Haywoo
said nothing.
HE STILL DENIES THAT HE L
MARRIED.
What doe Haywood say now? liza
IS a question that is being universal
asked. The answer is that he still de
MES that marriage I asked his att r
: ney this afternoon if Haywood Wa; O
{ was not married to Mrs. Tucker an
the guarded reply was that he. IN
lawyer, understood that Haywood ha
[ n